Hungarian Uprising

Question 1

What was Hungary like before the uprising?

Answer 1

• after WW2,it became part of the Soviet sphere of influence
• from 1949, Mátyás Rákoski, a hard line Stalinist, was in power
• Hungarians resented Rákoski’s brutality and the tight control of Moscow
• Hungary was strongly Catholic and the arrest of Cardinal Mindszenty caused anger
• Khrushchev appointed after Stalin’s death, he wanted ‘de-Stalinisation’ and wanted peace
• students in Hungary saw this as an opportunity to bring change and more independence to the country

Question 2

What happened during the uprising?

Answer 2

• 23 October 1956, students took to the streets of the Hungarian capital, Budapest
• they issued demands, including, greater freedoms and civil rights, the removal of Rákoski and the return of the exiled Imre Nagy, a communist who supported reform, and the withdrawal of Soviet troops
• the small protests grew quickly and violence began to spread. Soviet tanks were set alight and some fired on protestors
• Nagy called for calm and Khrushchev ordered the withdrawal of Soviet troops

Question 3

What happened to Hungary following the uprising?

Answer 3

With Soviet tanks gone, and Nagy as Prime Minister, it seemed life would improve. Protesters called for even greater reforms and Nagy agreed to withdraw from the Warsaw Pact. On 1st November 1956, he announced that Hungary was an independent and neutral country.

Question 4

What was the Soviet response to the Hungarian Uprising?

Answer 4

• Nagy’s decision to leave the Warsaw Pact led Khrushchev to fight back (he didn’t want others to follow in Hungary’s example)
• on November 4th, Soviet tanks entered the country and quickly overpowered the Hungarians. The uprising was crushed
• Nagy was forced from power and later tried and executed. Replaced by János Kádár, who dealt brutally with any opposition and was totally loyal to Moscow

Question 5

How did the West respond to the Hungarian Uprising?

Answer 5

• the USA refused to intervene, not willing to risk conflict with the USSR
• the United Nations held a vote calling the USSR to withdraw from Hungary, but the USSR vetoed it. The General Assembly condemned the USSR’s actions, but there was not much they could do about it

Question 6

What were the effects of the Hungarian Uprising on the Cold War?

Answer 6

Despite his calls for ‘peaceful co-existence’ between East and West, Khrushchev showed that he was willing to do anything to keep countries under Moscow’s control. The USA had established that it would not interfere in events behind the iron curtain.