Hungarian Uprising and Prague Spring

when was the Hungarian uprising?

1956

Why was there opposition to Soviet control in Hungary in 1956?

• Believed it would be successful

• Economic problems

• Religion

• Repression

• Political Control from the USSR

Repression

• The AVH (secret police) restricted freedoms and kept people in fear.

• An estimated 2,000 people were executed and 100,000 imprisoned under Russian control

Political Control from the USSR

• The Communist Party ruled Hungary, but had never won an election and were under Soviet influence.

• Smallholders Party, working for rights of Hungarians won 57% of the vote but the Soviets refused to let them form a government

• The Communists only won 17% of the vote in elections held at the end of the Second World War

Economic problems

• Hungary’s economy was in a weakened state after the war.

• Hungary needed resources to rebuild, but food and industrial goods it produced were sent to the USSR- living standards dropped

Believed it would be successful

• Eisenhower or the United Nations might support them after supportive comments made in speeches

• Stalin died in 1953, after his death people tried to move away from his policies

• Khruschev refused to allow arrest of 400 political opponents so they thought he wouldn’t react violently

• He seemed less ruthless than Stalin about opposition, due to his policy of ‘De Stalinisation’

• In 1956- Poznan riots in Poland rose against Soviet rule to demand change and USSR gave into some of their demands, providing Hungarians with hope

Religion

• The Communists banned religion as it was seen as ‘dangerous propoganda’

• Church leaders, such as Cardinal Mindszenty, were arrested, tortured and imprisoned

Events of the start of the uprising

• 23rd Oct- Students in Budapest demanded an end to Soviet occupation and police made arrests

• Police opened fire on the crowd and a 30 foot statue of Stalin was toppled by protestors

• 24th Oct- Soviet troops sent to stop protests, tanks were stationed outside parliament buildings and Soviet soldiers guarded key bridges/crossroads

• 25th Oct- Large number of protestors gathered in front of parliament building. Politicians loyal to USSR forced to flee while protestors took control of running the country.

Events of the end of the uprising

• 28th Oct- Khruschev agreed to demands and USSR army pulled out of Budapest

• 29th Oct- 3rd Nov- New Hungarian government introduced democracy, freedom of speech and religion

• Cardinal Mindszenty and other political prisoners released to prison

• Nagy announced Hungary would leave Warsaw Pact and appealed to UN to resolve conflict

• 4th Nov- 1000 Soviet Tanks and 200,000 troops moved into Budapest, capturing Hungary’s bridges and airfields, USSR’s army was too strong for Hungarian army and protestors

• New leader Kadar promised Nagy and his followers that they could leave the country safely BUT they were later exectued for treason

Who was Imre Nagy?

• Hungarian Communist Party appointed new Prime Minister

• Asked Khruschev to remove Soviet troops from Hungary and promised people free elections

What changes did Imre Nagy introduce?

1. Democracy introduced

2. Freedom of Speech and religion

3. Release of political prisoners

4. Hungary to leave the Warsaw Pact

Consequences of the Hungarian Uprising

• 3,000 Hungarians killed

• 12,000 Hungarians arrested

• 250,000 people took advantage of the chaos and escaped to the West

• Showed USA would not directly intervene in Soviet-controlled countries, reinforcing the Iron Curtain.

  • Criticised for encouraging Communist rebellion but doing nothing to help

when was Prague Spring?

1968

What was Prague Spring?

Period of reform with the government making changes to many aspects of life in Czechoslovakia.

What caused demand for reform?

• Economy

• Dubcek

Economy

• Economy suffered a recession. Living conditions deteriorated

• Communist restrictions on businesses, wages and prices were relaxed

Who was Dubcek?

• Replaced Novotny

• New Communist leader of Czechoslovakia promised reforms, he referred to this as ‘Communism with a human face’

• He did not want to provoke Russia into military action.

What were Dubcek’s reforms?

• Abolition of press censorship- began to report on corruption

• Freedom of speech, citizens could criticise the government

• Increased rights for trade unions

• Right for farmers to form independent farms from state control

• Freedom of movement

• BUT publicly declared to not leave Warsaw Pact to reassure USSR and avoid intervention from Moscow

How did the USSR react?

• Invasion by troops from other countries across Warsaw pact invaded Czechoslovakia

• Czech government ordered forces not to resist as they stood no chance

• ‘Prague Spring’ was crushed and Dubcek removed

• "Normalization" followed – Hardline communists took over, and strict Soviet control was restored.

• Brezhnev introduced the Brezhnev Doctrine

• KGB officers and Soviet army generals monitored Czechoslovakia for 20 years

What was the Brezhnev Doctrine?

• 1968

• Brezhnev feared ideas from Czechoslovakia would spread

• Justified Soviet Union’s intervention in Czechoslovakia

• Communist countries had to be a one party state

• All Communist countries had to remain in the Warsaw pact

How similar were events in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968?

• Causes

• Aims of the rebels

• Actions of the people

• Why the Soviet Union intervened

• How each state responded to Soviet intervention

Causes

• SIMILARITIES

• Both had long term resentment of Soviet rule

• DIFFERENCES

• Hungary- inspired by issues in other countries, e.g. the rebellion in Poland

• Czechoslovakia- inspired by events at home, e.g. economic depression and desire for political change

Aims of the rebels

• SIMILARITIES

• Both wanted to give their people more rights and lessen control of Communist state

• DIFFERENCES

• Hungary wanted to withdraw from Soviet influence and the Warsw Pact but Czechoslovakia didn’t want to go that far

Actions of the people

• SIMILARITIES

• Both involved groups of people protesting

• DIFFERENCES

• Czechoslovakia- actions started because of the role of their leader, Dubcek

• Hungary- people acted first

Why the Soviets intervened

• SIMILARITIES

• Suspicious and fearful that rebellion/change would spread

• DIFFERENCES

• Czechoslovakia- political nature was more dangerous for Soviets, ‘Prague Spring’ started from people meant to be under Soviet control

How each state responded to Soviet intervention

• SIMILARITIES

• Both leaders removed from office, mass emigration

• DIFFERENCES

• Hungary- people armed themselves and fought when Soviets attacked

• Czechoslovakia- following orders from the government, they didn’t fight back

  • Several protests after USSR invasion- including suicides

Reaction of the wider world

• SIMILARITIES

• Negative to Soviet use of force.

• Situation in Hungary discussed at the UN

• Situation in Czechoslovakia led to Soviet actions condemned by USA and other nations

• DIFFERENCES

• Czechoslovakia- some members of Warsaw Pact were shocked at Soviet actions

  • Romanian leader complained about Soviet intervention

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