Hungarian Revolution

• Nikita Khrushchevbiography


  Born in 1894 to a coal miner

  Fought in the Red Army during the Civil War

  Worked for Communist Party in Moscow, awarded Order of Lenin for work on Moscow underground railways in 1930s

  1949 - appointed by the party to run Soviet agriculture

  1956 - overcame power struggle after Stalin's death and felt secure to attack Stalin's reputation

  PM in 1958

  Took his country close to nuclear war with US during Cuban Missile Crisis

  Forced into retirement in 1964

  Died in 1971
• Hungarian Revolution timeline


  Nov 1944: Soviet troops enter Hungary and begin to liberate it from Nazi control

  Feb 1949: Hungary becomes a Socialist Republic under the leadership of Rakosi

  March 5th 1953: Stalin dies

  July 1953: Imre Nagy appointed Chairman of the Council of Ministers

  April 1955: Nagy removed from position and expelled from the Communist Party for having liberal policies

  Feb 1956: Khrushchev denounces Stalin, raising hopes of reforms

  Oct 16 1956: Group of uni students announce their demands against the government on radio, starting the revolution
• Hungarian Revolution Timeline (2)

  Oct 23 1956: 200,000 were on streets of Budapest demanding independence+ the withdrawal of Soviet troops

  Oct 24 1956: Rioting through Budapest, Nagy reinstated PM

  Oct 25 1956: Soviet tanks shoot protesters

  Oct 26 1956: Unrest spreads to countryside, Nagy calls for withdrawal of Soviet Troops

  Oct 28 1956: Nagy makes broadcast promising widespread reforms

  Oct 30 1956: Soviet troops leave Hungary, Hungary's Catholic Leader released from prison

  Nov 1 1956: Hungarian government announces its intention to leave the Warsaw Pact, Soviet troops re-enter Hungary
• Hungarian Revolution Timeline (3)

  Nov 4 1956: 1000 enter Budapest, UN calls for Soviet withdrawal

  Nov 11 1956: Soviets claim victory over protesters, Nagy seeks refuge in Yugoslav embassy

  June 16 1958: Despite being promised safety by new Hungarian government, Nagy is arrested, tried and secretly executed by Soviets for his role in the uprising
• Hungarian Revolution 1956


  Before this, Hungary was led by Matyas Rakosi:

  He was a hard line communist who took orders from Moscow

  Hungarians hated his communism

  Still impacted by Stalin, even after he died
• Life for Hungarians under Soviet Rule

  No freedom of speech

  Poor living / working conditions

  Education didn't teach Hungarian history

  Street signs, schools and shops all Russian - showed their dominance on a regular basis

  Hungarians had to pay for Red Army to be present on the streets which they didn't even want

  Secret police tortured and terrorised their opponents

  Every aspect of life was controlled: media, theatre, art, music etc...

  Hungarians had belonged to the Austro Hungarian empires so they were proud people - difficult to accept Soviet rule as they used to colonise, not be colonised.
• What was it that made Hungarians so angry?

  Low standards of living - food shortages

  Workers became frustrated as they watched their manufactured goods sent to USSR - could have been used to help retrieve back their economy (worked hard in poor conditions but don't reap rewards)

  Rigged elections: only 20% had voted for a communist government in 1945
• Lazlo Rajk


  Foreign secretary

  Rakosi's main rival for power

  Found guilty of plotting to kill Rakosi and executed in October 1949

  People were angry as they thought there could have been another way to follow Communism
• Cardinal Joseph Mindszenty


  Opposed Communism

  Hungary was a Catholic country so he was well respected

  Famously spoke out against Nazi regime and Hungarian fascists

  Found guilty of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment in Feb 1949

  He didn't get executed as his opposition didn't want him to be seen as a martyr
• Stalin's death 1953:


  The Korean War inevitably raised tensions between superpowers but the temperature of Cold War was about to change. He died as a hero in USSR as he defeated Hitler, made an empire in EE and made USSR a nuclear superpower. He was succeeded by Nikita Khrushchev.
• Nikita Khrushchev


  Ended USSR's long feud with China and Yugoslavia

  Bought a 'thaw' in the frosty cold war relations between the superpowers

  Talked about peaceful co-existence with the West

  Plans to reduce expenditure on arms

  Relaxed iron control on EE - pulled troops out of Austria who were there since WW2

  Attended 1st post war summit between USSR, US, France and Britain in July 1955
• Imre Nagy


  As living standards fell, Rakosi's government became increasingly unpopular. Nagy became Hungarian President in 1953, replacing him.

  Nagy gave freedom of press, encouraged open discussions on political and economic reform, talked about holding free elections and withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact

  Rakosi held a hate campaign against him and blamed him for the economic problems in Hungary - fought to either stick with him and follow communism as you know it or follow Nagy and invite liberal democrats.

  Rakosi replaced Nagy in 1955
• Why did USSR not want Hungary to leave Warsaw Pact

  Concerned it Hungary leaves, other EE countries would leave as well and eradicate the buffer zone

  It also invites the Truman Doctrine and Marshall Plan meaning it would invite democracy
• After Stalin's death


  Khrushchev's speech to the 20th Communist Party Congress on the 24/25 Feb 1956:

  denounced policies of Stalin

  called Rajk's execution miscarriage of justice

  replaced Rakosi with Erno Gero

  Nagy also reinstated - insinuates he accepts Nagy's ideology
• Khrushchev's Speech in Feb 1956


  Said Stalin was a tyrant and an enemy of the people who kept all of the power to himself

  Began Destalinisation

  Released more political prisoners

  Invited Tito to Moscow

  Ended Cominform

  Said he wanted to improve living standards in EE and USSR

  Dismissed Stalin's former Foreign Minister Molotov
• What gave hope to Hungarians

  Gained hope from:

  Protests by Uni students

  Truman - willing to give aid by Truman Doctrine

  Khrushchev - insight on new way of Communism

  Marshall Tito of Yugoslavia

  Uprisings in EE spread
• Replacement of Erno Gero

  Soviet tanks opened fire on protestors on Oct 25th and Gero was soon replaced by Kadar as hardliners in Moscow put pressure on Khrushchev
• What did Nagy do?

  Took leadership - Head of Hungarian Communist Party, not Kadar (who is PM): now or never because if he doesn't stand up to Moscow, his communist reform in Hungary would be eradicated

  Intends to abolish the one party state

  Will free political prisoners

  Will leave Warsaw Pact - Khrushchev and Moscow think he's gone too far
• 4th November 1956


  Soviet send Red Army in 1000 tanks to Budapest

  They did this because:

  Acting under China's advice - recently China gaining more

  influence

  Western Powers unlikely to get involved due to Suez Crisis - not

  enough troops

  Khrushchev deeply condemned for criticizing Stalin: his position

  was under threat

  Avoid losing other satellite states(controlled by another country) -

  Hungary was the satellite state of Russia
• Suez Crisis


  Egyptian canal - control of it means lots of money

  British and the French were previously in control

  Egyptian leader takes over and starts running it - Britain, France and israel aren't happy (Israel doesn't want Egypt to be powerful)

  3 of them get troops together and send them to the canal but failes to inform US who were fine with Egypt's control - upset USA

  US commanded the 3 of them to remove their troops - UK PM resigned cause of the humiliation
• After effects of 4th Nov 1956


  Kadar reinstated under Communist control on 4th Nov 1956

  Nagy executed 16th June 1958 along with associates
• Reasons why Hungarians were angry before 1956:

  Living standards were poor - radio lied about this: money was wasted on troops they didn't want

  Western clothes were considered dangerous as they were worried about the American effect - one student received a tongue lashing and was expelled

  Commoners have obtained arms by disarming soldiers - authorities were supposedly 'paralysed' as they couldn't stop these events

  June 1956: group within party opposed Rakosi - he wanted them arrested and Moscow didn't back him so he retired for supposed 'health reasons'
• Reasons why Hungarians were angry before 1956 (2):

  Hungarians didn't like the new leader Erno Gero as on 23rd Oct a Stalin statue was beheaded by a student during his time in office: a new government was created under Nagy and Soviet troops stationed since war started to withdraw, local councils were created to overthrow Soviet power whilst many Hungarian soldiers left the army for the rebel cause while taking their weapons with them.
• Nagy's government plans


  Hold free elections and create impartial courts

  Restore farmland to private ownership

  Total withdrawal of Soviet army

  Planned to leave Warsaw Pact

  Declare Hungary neutral in the Cold War

  Reported Eisenhower would support the new independent Hungary
• Soviet fears and reaction:

  Khrushchev accepted some of the reforms but not leaving the Warsaw Pact

  November 1956: 2 weeks of bitter fighting - some Hungarians fled to Austria while Nagy and his leaders were imprisoned and executed

  Hungarian resistance crushed in 2 weeks - Western powers protested to the USSR who were too preoccupied with the Suez Crisis

  Khrushchev appointed Kadar as leader : took lots of months to crush resistance - cautiously introduced some of the demands and reforms for Hungarians but didn't divert from the central issue which was the membership of the Warsaw Pact
• Hungary's effect on Cold War relations

  Soviet actions led to condemnation from US and its allies but the only serious actions against them were the harsh words from UN and Western media. West did little to help as:

  Distracted by Suez Crisis - impossible to react to Hungary's events

  Hungary was too close to USSR - unlikely to help without sending troops across Europe which could start a major war that Eisenhower wasn't prepared for

  Lesson from Revolt - Khrushchev wouldn't let Hungary leave the Warsaw Pact as he would've allowed some reforms but total independence wasn't one.
• Hungary's effect on Cold War relations (2)

  In months which followed, Soviet invasion caused a new government which disbanded the army and began a programme of political education in the remaining units to ensure their loyalty to USSR

  Khrushchev increased Soviet divisions in Hungary from 2 to 4 and made their government accept the presence of these troops for their safety which they also had to pay for

  Became clear that communist control in Hungary could only be maintained by presence of Red Army which Khrushchev was ready to do

  Rapidly increased tensions between relations