Hungarian Uprising Flashcards
External Causes of Hungarian Uprising
Stalin died in 1953 and replaced by Nikita Khrushchev. Initially seeming to support change within Eastern Europe
Poland had seen rioting in resistance to soviet rule - Moscow replaced leader with a more moderate communist leader
Iron Curtain satellite countries listened to Khrushchev and hoped a relaxed form of communism would be pursued.
What was Khrushchev’s policies
they initially seemed progressive - encouraging Hungary that change was possible through these actions:
He visited Yugoslavia and apologised for how Stalin had treated the country
He met western leaders in Geneva
He made a ‘secret speech’ denouncing some of Stalin’s policies and urging peaceful co-existence with non-communist nations.
Began a policy of de-Stalinisation
Ordered the break up of Cominform
Internal Causes of the Hungarian uprising
Communists banned the catholic church and put the leader in prison
Thought the USA and UN would help them in the event of an uprising
Victims of the Secret police
Thought they would get help from Yugoslavia
Oppression from Soviets
What where they key events of the Hungarian Uprising
1) Hungarian students begin to protest for reforms,
Imre Nagy appointed a new moderate leader of Hungary
2) Nagy announces that Hungary will hold free multi-party elections
Plus announced Hungary would withdraw from the Warsaw Pact
3) Khrushchev orders 6,000 tanks across border to put down Hungarian Revolt
4) Hungarian resisted the soviets causing 30,000 Hungarians to die with 250,000 fleeing across the western border.
5) Nagy flees to the Yugoslavian embassy but later executed and hard-line communist Janos Kadar replaced him
Why does Khrushchev react in this way?
make an example of Imre Nagy to prevent any other uprisings and to say if you do this you will get slaughtered and executed
What consequences and impact on relations did the soviets have?
Response showed there willingness to not let anyone out of the Warsaw pact for fearing opening in iron curtain
What consequences and impact on relations did international relations have?
Soviet response further damaged international relations. The hope for thaw as a result of Khrushchev’s actions before the rising now undone and peaceful co-existence seemed further away than ever
What consequences and impact on relations did the west have?
West backed down and focused on preventing spread of communism outside Europe accepting eastern Europe was in the Soviet sphere of influence.
Why didn’t the west help Hungary?
All they offered was words of support – no action
They were preoccupied with a crisis in the Suez canal (Israel invaded Egypt with backing of Britain and France). Britain and France were also occupied there.
The US was in the middle of a Presidential election
The US felt it was very risky to confront Eastern Europe as they had now accepted this was the Soviet sphere of influence
