Hungary During The Cold War
Amongst many other countries during the Cold War, Hungary was a satellite nation of the Soviet Union. Hungary had been under the control of the Soviets since 1949. They lived under harsh Stalinist rule until around 1989 when the people of Hungary rose up in rebellion to demand the rights they believed they deserved. This uprising is considered to be the first rip in the "Iron Curtain,” or the post-WWII "barrier" between the Soviet Union and the non-communist areas in the West.
In November of 1944, Soviet troops moved into Hungary to liberate the country from Nazi control. Roughly three years later, the USSR declared Hungary a people’s republic by the Hungarian Communist Party. There was hope that the suffocating rule over the people would …show more content…
end when Stalin died in 1953, but unfortunately, it did not. The newly appointed Communist party member, Imre Nagy, ignited new hope in the Hungarians when he replaced Communist policies in favor of more liberal ones. The hope for change continued to grow when Nikita Khrushchev denounced Stalin and his ideals, and again when Poland succeeded in their revolt against Communist policies. Alas, situations began to stop favoring the Hungarian reformists.
The Soviet occupation of Hungary was becoming too much for the people.
On October 23rd, 1956, a large group of students took the the streets of Budapest in protest. The massive rally of 200,000 people or so moved to Radio Budapest. The protesters had a list of demands they wanted to broadcast to the rest of the city and the country. To disperse the crowds, Soviet secret police opened fire on the unarmed activists. The protests had turned to riots by the next day, with battles going on all throughout Budapest. By the third day, the protests and riots were put to rest by Soviet tanks, killing hundreds. At this point, Nagy spoke of negotiations with the USSR on the withdrawal of the troops. Soviet troops remained Budapest for another five days, then finally withdrew on the 29th. Though they'd been subdued, the revolutionaries didn’t plan to stay down for …show more content…
long.
The day after the Soviet troops left Budapest, the rebels plundered the Budapest Communist Party headquarters.
They then appointed new government leaders themselves. Many rebels simultaneously freed political prisoners to aid the resistance. The following day, Soviet troops began to pile in from the East. This drove Hungary to withdraw from the Warsaw Pact. They then approached the United Nations to ask for help with removing the Soviet troops. On November 4th, Soviet tanks move into Budapest to crush the revolution once and for all. Roughly 1,000 tanks pulled into Budapest and killed around 3,000 people. Another 13,000 were injured, and 200,000 fled the country as refugees. Mass arrests and executions continued for months afterward. By January 1957, the re-installed Soviet government had suppressed all public opposition. Whatever bit of hope the Hungarian people had left was finally snuffed out.
The years after the uprising proved to be worse than they were beforehand. After the revolution ceased, the events during it became confidential. Having any public discussion on the efforts of the resistance was to risk punishment. Groups of opposition still existed throughout the nation, but with the Kadar as the new leader, they were extinguished as well. The Hungarian people were forced to cooperate with the forceful government, thus life went back to normal. It wasn’t until 1989 that the Communist regime collapsed in Hungary. This allowed the nation to finally move forward in
peace.
The People’s Republic of Hungary was replaced by the Republic of Hungary on October 23rd, 1989; now with a parliamentary president to lead. After 33 long, strenuous years, the country was able to celebrate the anniversary of the rebellion. This new holiday honored those who fought for freedom. Things began to change for the people rather quickly. The first free elections to be held in the country since 1945 were held in Hungary on March 24th, 1990. The Communist grip and the feelings left in its wake were finally gone, and Hungary was free at last.
In November of 1944, Soviet troops moved into Hungary to liberate the country from Nazi control. Roughly three years later, the USSR declared Hungary a people’s republic by the Hungarian Communist Party. There was hope that the suffocating rule over the people would …show more content…
end when Stalin died in 1953, but unfortunately, it did not. The newly appointed Communist party member, Imre Nagy, ignited new hope in the Hungarians when he replaced Communist policies in favor of more liberal ones. The hope for change continued to grow when Nikita Khrushchev denounced Stalin and his ideals, and again when Poland succeeded in their revolt against Communist policies. Alas, situations began to stop favoring the Hungarian reformists.
The Soviet occupation of Hungary was becoming too much for the people.
On October 23rd, 1956, a large group of students took the the streets of Budapest in protest. The massive rally of 200,000 people or so moved to Radio Budapest. The protesters had a list of demands they wanted to broadcast to the rest of the city and the country. To disperse the crowds, Soviet secret police opened fire on the unarmed activists. The protests had turned to riots by the next day, with battles going on all throughout Budapest. By the third day, the protests and riots were put to rest by Soviet tanks, killing hundreds. At this point, Nagy spoke of negotiations with the USSR on the withdrawal of the troops. Soviet troops remained Budapest for another five days, then finally withdrew on the 29th. Though they'd been subdued, the revolutionaries didn’t plan to stay down for …show more content…
long.
The day after the Soviet troops left Budapest, the rebels plundered the Budapest Communist Party headquarters.
They then appointed new government leaders themselves. Many rebels simultaneously freed political prisoners to aid the resistance. The following day, Soviet troops began to pile in from the East. This drove Hungary to withdraw from the Warsaw Pact. They then approached the United Nations to ask for help with removing the Soviet troops. On November 4th, Soviet tanks move into Budapest to crush the revolution once and for all. Roughly 1,000 tanks pulled into Budapest and killed around 3,000 people. Another 13,000 were injured, and 200,000 fled the country as refugees. Mass arrests and executions continued for months afterward. By January 1957, the re-installed Soviet government had suppressed all public opposition. Whatever bit of hope the Hungarian people had left was finally snuffed out.
The years after the uprising proved to be worse than they were beforehand. After the revolution ceased, the events during it became confidential. Having any public discussion on the efforts of the resistance was to risk punishment. Groups of opposition still existed throughout the nation, but with the Kadar as the new leader, they were extinguished as well. The Hungarian people were forced to cooperate with the forceful government, thus life went back to normal. It wasn’t until 1989 that the Communist regime collapsed in Hungary. This allowed the nation to finally move forward in
peace.
The People’s Republic of Hungary was replaced by the Republic of Hungary on October 23rd, 1989; now with a parliamentary president to lead. After 33 long, strenuous years, the country was able to celebrate the anniversary of the rebellion. This new holiday honored those who fought for freedom. Things began to change for the people rather quickly. The first free elections to be held in the country since 1945 were held in Hungary on March 24th, 1990. The Communist grip and the feelings left in its wake were finally gone, and Hungary was free at last.