What was the significance of the Hungarian Uprising, 1956? · What was the impact of the Hungarian...
Transcript of What was the significance of the Hungarian Uprising, 1956? · What was the impact of the Hungarian...
WhatwasthesignificanceoftheHungarianUprising,1956?
July1956Stalinistprimeminister,Rakosi,fallsfrompower
October1956InBudapest,protestsagainstcommunistruleturntoriots- Lackofpoliticalfreedom- Fuelshortages- Badharvests
24October1956KhrushchevagreesNagycannowbeprimeminister
28October1956SoviettroopswithdrawfromBudapest- Promisesoffreeelections- Promisesoffreedomofspeech
3November1956NagyannouncesHungaryisleavingtheWarsawPact
4November1956Soviettroopsreturn,afterabloodystreetbattle,Sovietsregaincontrol
Believedthatwithinacommunistregimethereshouldstillbepersonalfreedoms
KhrushchevhopedappointingNagywouldendtheriots
VeryproStalin,believedincontrollingthefreedomsofthepeople
Hisactionsasleaderledtotheriotsandprotests
Withindaysofhisappointment,Nagyintroducedaseriesofreforms:
• Reorganisedthegovernmenttoincludenoncommunistmembers• EndedtheonepartystateinHungary• Immediatereleaseofpoliticalprisoners• PersuadedKhrushchevtoremoveSoviettroopsfromHungary
Rakosi Nagy
WhatisEisenhower(USA)thinkingaboutallofthis?
1November1956:
NagyannouncedHungarywouldleavetheWarsawPact.
Khrushchevcouldnotallowthis– WHY?(ThinkaboutBrexiteffect)IfHungarybrokeaway,othersmightfollowtoowhichwouldunderminecommunismaswellasthebufferzoneofprosovietgovernmentssurroundingandprotectingSovietUnion.
Khrushchevorderedon4th November:
• 1000tanksintoBudapest• Nagysupportersputupanalmightyfight,
leadingtotheterm‘HungarianUprising’.• NagybeggedforWesternsupport,butnone
came.• Sovietsactedbrutallykillingupto20,000
Hungarians• Anewpro-Sovietgovernmentwassetupwith
Kadar asitsleaderWhydoyouthinktheWest
didnothelp?
RadioFreeEurope– aUSfundedradiostationhadregularlybroadcastmessagesencouragingthepeopleofEasternEuropetoriseupagainsttheircommunistregime.Asaresult,thepeopleofHungaryandNagy,assumedthattheUSwouldsupporttheiruprisingastheyhadofferedMarshallAid,whynotmilitarysupport?
Wearepreparedtooffermilitarysupporttostopthespreadofcommunism,butnottoanysucheventshappeningwithinalreadycommunistsatellitestates.Theoutcomeofthat,beingNuclearwar,webelievewouldbeworsethanleavingtheHungarianrebelsto
fighttheSovietsalone.
NATOnationswilltakeinHungarianrefugees,butthatisasfaraswe’llgo.
DoyouagreewithEisenhower?
WhatwastheimpactoftheHungarianUprisingoninternationalrelations?
• TheHungarianUprisingmadeKhrushchev'spositionmoresecureandgavehimastrongerpositionintheWarsawPact,membersmustobeyMoscow’sordersandwishes
• WarsawPactmembersknewtheywouldreceivenoWesternsupportinanuprising• KhrushchevbecamemoreconfidentinhisdealingswiththeWestandUSAasheknew
theywereunwillingtoengageinmilitaryaction• TheHungarianuprisingmadetheWestlookbad,theyhadencouragedtheseuprisings
butthendidn'thelp,or“backuptheirwords”makingthemlookweak• TheUSAdidhoweverSTRONGLYopposetheSovietinvasionofHungaryandasaresult,
anystrengtheningrelationsbetweenUSAandSovietUnionhaddisappearedoncemore