Although the 1956 Hungarian Revolution only lasted for a short period, there are many who believe that this revolution was the first step in decreasing the Soviet Union’s control over the Hungarian government. Despite the lack of an immediate change, the 1956 Hungarian Revolution had a major long-term effect by mobilizing the Hungarian civil society for future conflicts that took place between the Hungarians and the Soviet government. Towards the end of the Second World War the Soviet army came and occupied Hungary, and remained there until 1991. From the end of World War Two until the Cold War ended in 1991 the relationship between Hungary and the Soviet Union was characterized by the Soviet intervention in the domestic politics of Hungary. …show more content…
Although the Soviets imposed a Stalin type of regime in Hungary during the beginning of the Soviet occupation, things continued to get worse after the failed election of the communist party in Hungary (Rainer, 2010). For example Vyachslev Molatav, a diplomat for the Soviet Union, commanded Matyas Rakosi, the leader of the Communist Party in Hungary, to use tougher actions against the Hungarian citizens in order to make a more pronounced class struggle (Wettig, 2008). The electoral loss of the Communist Party in the 1945 Hungarian elections illustrated the reality that the Central European Communists parties were weak; thus the Soviet Union felt that it was necessary to apply harsh measures onto the Hungarian people in order to ensure the survival of a communist government (Naimark, 1995). Although the Soviets believed that these measures would enforce communism as a way of life over the Hungarian population, this ended up driving the Hungarians to revolt in …show more content…
I believe that one of the main motivations for the 1956 Hungarian revolution came as a result of the lack of a legitimate government in Hungary. Since the war ended and the Soviets began their occupation of Hungary, the Hungarian citizens were being ruled by a government, which they did not choose. Although the Soviet Union understood that in it was necessary for the Hungarian citizens to accept the government, the Soviets also wanted to ensure the existence of a communist government in Hungary; thus they tried to ensure the victory of the Communist Party. By creating the coalition and silencing the political opponents to the Communist Party, the Soviets alienated the Hungarian citizens and built the basis for the tensions, which later erupted into the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Another political aspect that served as an additional motivation for the 1956 Hungarian Revolution was the tough Soviet intervention in the domestic politics of Hungary (Staar, 1971). The Soviet intervention into the internal politics of Hungary, strengthened the feelings of frustration that the Hungarian people had towards a government whom they felt was not legitimate; partially because this
Some changes to Europe include the Hungary attack. The Soviet troops were ordered to attack Hungary. As a result to this, a new Hungarian Revolutionary government was formed to protect the hungarian people, and provide them aid in the form of soldiers and firearms. There was also a wall built to separate west and east Berlin.
The collapse of the communist Soviet Union ultimately led to the end of the cold war. The dissolution of the USSR in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. Thus highlighting the inferiority of communism and the superiority of western capitalism. The collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, however, was a result of both domestic and international factors including policies established by both the US and the Soviet leaders, most importantly Gorbachev’s ‘New Thinking’ reforms combined with the hard-line approach of Ronald Reagan. It has also been argued that the collapse of communism in eastern Europe was inevitable due to its moral bankruptcy, as well as the growing economic pressures which ultimately forced the Soviet Union to
Before World War II, Soviet troops occupied most of Eastern Europe. Stalin promised to hold “free elections” in these Eastern European nations. Later he broke that promise. By 1948, Communists controlled the governments of every Eastern country except Yugoslavia. In each country the Soviets placed dictators.
World War II shocked and dismantled many Eastern European countries leaving Europe in a state of shock, with many unanswered, open ended questions. Buildings were blown up, streets cracked, people slaughtered, and governments destroyed. As turmoil struck Eastern Europe, an opportunity arose for a new political system to come into power. However, this process is never a simple one; two common political ideologies fought to control the heart of Europe. Capitalism led by the Western Allies, funded by the United States Marshall Plan, spread providing a short time of economic prosperity. The American’s plan however could not venture as far east as West Germany with Moscow’s direction of Communism led by Joseph Stalin and he took over a large portion of Eastern Europe with many open statements and empty promises. These two ideologies caused an enlarged time of tension stemming from the drastically different values they were known to embrace, leading to a horrific time known as the cold war.
While Stalin was in power the size of the Communist Party increased by many millions. Many people attribute this to the fear that he culminated into the Soviet Union’s citizens’ minds. His principal way to gain power were a sum of dishonesty, fraud, lies, extreme brutality, and mass murder. Some examples of the ways he used to make people fear him are the Gulag camps, the secret
Throughout all of the valiant efforts of Hungarian Students and workers the Hungarian revolution had begun only to see hundreds die and thousands more leave with fatal casualties. The only way the Hungarians could fight back was to take up arms and fight back with as much force as possible and eventually they did succeed only to watch all of their hopes a dreams crushed when the soviets returned to decimate the Hungarian Freedom Fighters within a matter of a few short days. The Soviet Union’s Reign had only ended when the Berlin wall was demolished in 1989 when other countries finally realized that the Communist were also a very large threat to the rest of the world, which bring me to yet another point in history when the same efforts concluded to very fruitful rewards.
Subject 12-M sounds much more like a science fiction character than a refugee fleeing Communist Hungary, but do not let that fool you into thinking his recollection of Hungary is fantasy. This individual has displayed a great disdain towards Communism, especially between the years of 1944 and 1945. Just a juvenile during these years, Subject 12-M found himself within the Soviet Union’s sprawling territory following the conclusion of World War II. With the annexation of Hungary into the Soviet Union came the arrival of the Russian soldiers into the country. On their way through Hungary, establishing Leninist Communism, the soldiers spared no sympathy in raping, looting, and plundering just about everything they could get their hands on.
In conclusion, the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 resulted in the death of more than 2,500 Hungarians. Many of the attitudes and occurrences at the time, such as Khrushchev’s brutality and the general unrest under the Soviet Union’s control of countries and their freedom were large factors in the revolt. The West makes no attempts of intervention; Hungary was already under the power of
The revolt spread quickly across Hungary and the government collapsed. Thousands organised into militias, battling the ÁVH and Soviet troops. Pro-Soviet communists and ÁVH members were often executed or imprisoned and former political prisoners were released and armed. Radical impromptu workers' councils wrested municipal control from the ruling Hungarian Working People's Party and demanded political changes. A new government formally disbanded the ÁVH, declared its intention to withdraw from the Warsaw Pact, and pledged to re-establish free elections. By the end of October, fighting had almost stopped and a sense of normality began to
First, I am going to provide a background of the formation of the communist state of the Soviet Union, a key piece in understanding the nature behind the ideological difference. Next, a key series of events took place towards the end of WWII and in the years immediately following the war, such as the death of Roosevelt, military action taken in Japan and Korea, and the various manifestos of 1946. The paper will conclude with the implications of the Cold War on foreign affairs in today’s society.
The Bridge at Andau by James Michener tells the true story of the Hungarian revolution in 1956. A popular historian and novelist, Michener’s account of the Hungarian uprising awakens the reader to the shocking plight of millions who suffered the iron fist of communism and Soviet puppet leadership. The revolution was a rebellion of students and intellectuals directed against the Soviet occupation and communism in Hungary. Viewing the revolution as a threat, the Soviet Union mercilessly sent tanks into the city center of Budapest violently extinguishing the uprise. The Soviet destruction of a magnificent city left Budapest and the Hungarian people in ruin.
It became so intense that their party leader stepped down and the Poland was considering leaving the Warsaw pact. However, after Khrushchev’s visit and most likely the threats, Poland decided to remain in the Warsaw pact asking in return favors such as reforms that would limit restrictions on the religion rights and cancel forced collectivization in rural regions. Subsequently, events in Poland had a huge impact on Hungary, where dictator Rakosi known for his cruel and suspicious character was forced to step down and replaced by Imre Nagi who would not argue with Moscow. However under the protester’s pressure, Nagi was forced to promise free elections that would cause Soviet troops returning to Budapest and install a new government. All these demonstrations have been indicating how weak and vulnerable the Soviet Block was.
In July of 1956 Matyas Rakosi resigned as the General Secretary of the Party. Under his rule, Matyas was responsible for approximately 2,000 Hungarian deaths, and nearly 100,000 imprisoned by the state’s security/ secret police, the AVO. Better known he was responsible for the arrest, torture, trying and imprisonment of Cardinal Mindszenty. His policies of collectivization, used on the Soviets failed leaving the country in economic ruin and widespread famine. The following October the USSR gave in to reformist demands in Poland, which further spurred hopes for concessions in the nation’s capital, Budapest.
The Hungarian Revolution was a mutiny that was widespread. The revolt was against the government of the Hungarian Peoples republic. This rebellion had lasted 28 days, from the 23rd of October to the 10th of November in 1956. In which the uprising was defeated by Soviet troops, as well as tanks, there had been thousands of deaths and injured. Even though many had been killed, wounded, and forced out of their own homes, this revolt influenced the cold war with new beginnings, as well as bring hope. As for, this uprising was different from many revolts for the reason is that Imre Nagy, the leader if the Hungarians, wanted to take Hungary out of the Warsaw Pact; instead of subduing the uprising with soviet troops. For this is not the only
The Hungarian Revolt was a revolt that occurred throughout the nation in response to the government. On October 23rd Hungarian wanted immediate change as they issued their sixteen points. They wanted things such food, freedom and removal of Russian control. They thought after the death of Stain, that things would begin to change, but that hope didn’t last as they didn’t see results. The national uprising led to the deaths of thousands of Hungarians. The rebels were willing to stop at nothing as they stood with the troops. At first many of the Hungarians feared that what may happened to them as they revolted. The film allowed me to see how the built up frustration from the injustice they received lead to this revolution. It is clear that the