The Hungarian Uprising
'Destalinization'
Imre Nagy's extreme reforms
Imre Nagy
Hungary's background under Stalin
Under Stalin, Hungary's labour, land, and raw materials had been used to produce industrial goods, many of which had been sent straight to the Soviet Union
Josef Stalin had died in 1953, with Nikita Khrushchev taking over as the leader of the Soviet Union
Hungary was led by Matyas Rakosi from 1953 until the end of 1955. Hungary had become a 1 party state under Stalin, and then Rakosi's rule
Khrushchev took over from Stalin in 1953.
Khrushchev made a speech in 1956 and said that a process called 'destalinization' could happen in Eastern Europe, with a more liberal regime
Nikita Khrushchev asked Imre Nagy to become the Hungarian Prime Minister. Nagy was a communist, but he was viewed as more liberal and open than Rakosi
1956, Hungarian people began demonstrating on the streets and pulled down statues of Stalin. There had been food shortages and a year of bad harvests due to adverse weather. This seems to be what triggered the protests
Nagy announced plans to allow other political parties, end 1 party rule, and then in November 1956, announced that Hungary would be leaving the Warsaw Pact
Nagy was more extreme than Khrushchev had expected
These moves threatened the Soviet Union's control of Hungary and if they happened across Eastern Europe would wipe out the 'buffer' of satellite states that they had created
Response to the Hungarian Uprising
The Soviet Union invaded Hungary on the 4th of November 1956
2,500 Hungarians and 700 Soviet soldiers died as an army of over 200,000 men rolled into Budapest in tanks.
Khrushchev justified the invasion by saying
Khrushchev justified the invasion by saying that communist people were being killed by protestors.
mre Nagy was executed by hanging in June 1958
Janos Kadar
Hungary then adopted something called the '15 Point Programme'. This aimed to reverse Nagy's suggestions and tighten up communist control in Hungary
After Nagy was overthrown, Janos Kadar became the Prime Minister of Hungary, appointed by Khrushchev and the Soviet Politburo (leadership committee)
Kadar was more moderate than other satellite state leaders, like Josip Tito in Yugoslavia
International reaction to the Hungarian Uprising
The reaction to the Soviet Union's conduct in Hungary was vocal but weak.