The Hungarian Uprising - Key Events 1956-1958

What were 3 reasons why life in the Eastern Bloc was challenging in the 1950s

• Five Year economic targets were often unattainable.

• The local communist governments still expected workers to strive to meet the planned economic output.

• The Soviet Union treated and paid their workers poorly, resulting in discontentment and poor health. 

  
  

Who was Hungary’s communist leader?

Matyas Rakosi

What happened to Hungary in 1949?

Cominform imposed an oppressive regime on Hungary like the one that the Nazis imposed on Hungary during WW2. It began a reign of terror, executing popular political leaders and their supporters.

What were 6 aspects of the oppressive regime imposed on Hungary?

• Hungarian land was redistributed to other Eastern European countries.

• Hungarian resources were shipped to Russia while Hungarian citizens were deprived of their own food

• Non-communist political parties were abolished.

• Russian officials controlled the government, the police and the army.

Who was Matyas Rakosi?

A Stalinist dictator of Hungary from 1949 to 1956 (bald butcher)

What did Rakosi do during his regime?

he imprisoned 387,000 people and was responsible for more than 2,000 deaths.

Who was Nikita Khrushchev?

The significant Soviet leader after Stalin

What did Khrushchev say in his ‘secret speech’ in 1956

In 1956 he gave the ‘Secret Speech’ and in it he promised an end to Stalinism throughout the entire Soviet sphere of influence.

What began to happen under Rakosi’s government?

People began to protest for reforms and freedoms.

What happened in Hungary October 1956?

In October 1956, there were violent protests in Hungary's capital, Budapest

What happened during the October protests in Budapest?

• Hungarian students led a peaceful demonstration asking for more political and personal freedom 

  • Hungary's secret police arrested protestors and used tear gas to end the march

  • When the students attempted to free the arrested, the police shot at the protestors

• Soldiers joined the student protestors

  • The Hungarian Communist government requested military support from the Soviet Union

• By 24th October, the Soviet Union restored order in Budapest

What happened after the protests?

Khrushchev decided to change the leadership of Hungary and He replaced Rákosi with Imre Nagy.

Who was Imre Nagy?

He was a previous prime minister previously removed from office by the Communist Party. He was known for his reforming attitudes

Why did Khrushchev appoint Imre Nagy?

• Khrushchev believed that Nagy would resolve the unrest in Hungary

  • The people liked Nagy

  • Limited reforms would stop Hungarians from protesting

What were Nagy’s 4 proposed reforms?

• Hungary should leave the Warsaw Pact and become neutral.

• Communist government in Hungary should end.

• Hungary should become a Western-style democracy with free elections.

• Hungary should ask the UN for protection from Russia.

Why didn’t Khrushchev want Hungary to leave the Warsaw Pact?

• Khrushchev may have needed Hungarian troops to suppress uprisings in other satellite states

• Hungary's withdrawal may have prompted other satellite states to do the same

• The Soviet Union relied upon the collective security of pro-Communist states as stated in the Warsaw Pact. The satellite states would not protect the Soviet Union if they did not have to

What was Khrushchev’s reaction to the Uprising

• In November 1956 200,000 USSR troops were sent to Hungary with the mission to crush the Hungarian government.

• Two weeks of fighting ensued in which around 20,000

  Hungarians were killed and another 200,000 escaped to Austria

• Eventually Nagy’s government was finally

  defeated.

What happened to Imre Nagy?

• Nagy sought protection within the Yugoslavian embassy and although the Yugoslavian ambassador agreed that Nagy was free to leave Hungary, as soon as Nagy left the embassy he was arrested by Soviet troops.

• He was accused of treason and hanged in June 1958

What happened to Hungary after the uprising?

• Khrushchev appointed Janos Kadar as the new Hungarian leader.

• Hungary was strictly under the control of the USSR and its army.

• Kadar published a new programme to reaffirm Soviet control

What key points were in Kadar’s programme?

• Re-establishing communist control in Hungary.

• Using Hungarian troops to stop attacks on Soviet forces.

• Remaining part of the Warsaw Pact.

• Negotiating the withdrawal of the Soviet troops once the crisis was over.

What was America’s reaction to the Hungarian Uprising?

• America encouraged the uprising, but offered no military support in favour of preventing the outbreak of war (M.A.D).

• But they did offer $20 million in food and

  medical aid to Nagy’s government

What was the UN’s reaction to the Soviet invasion?

the UN officially condemned the Soviet invasion but did nothing to help.

Why didn’t the USA help Hungary?

• The USA had a foreign policy of containment. This meant that the USA did not intervene in countries that were already communist.

• The US government and population still distrusted communist countries. They were unsure if their support would change Hungary's opinion about communism