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Унгарската революция от 1956 г.
The Hungarian Revolution of 1956

Author(s): György Litván
Subject(s): History, Political history, Recent History (1900 till today), Special Historiographies:, Post-War period (1950 - 1989), History of Communism
Published by: Институт за исторически изследвания - Българска академия на науките

Summary/Abstract: The crisis of the directing committee of the Hungarian Communist Party, beginning in 1953, was set off by Moscow itself, when they enforced the appointment of Imre Nagy as prime minister and thus gave the impetus to a process of correction. Imre Nagy wanted to give a forum to non-communists as well by reinforcing the so-called Hazafias Nepfront. After another political change in Moscow Rakosi, the leader of the Hungarian communist party, managed to remove Imre Nagy in 1955, which led once again to increasing severity and the intimidation of those communists who had gone into opposition. The 20th congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, however, put an end to the attempt of stalinist restoration, increasing the freedom of movement of the opposition which mainly consisted of members of the intelligentsia. The debates of the so-called Petofi circle contained prudent but overt criticism of the regime. In the summer of 1956 Moscow, upon Tito's suggestion, removed Rakosi. Moreover, the radiation of the Polish crisis and the re-burial of Laszlo Rajk and his companions, executed by the stalinists, before a huge crown further weakened the regime's prestige. The students' movement began also. The university students were more radical than the opposition within the party: their organizations former smaller communities and during the days preceding 23 October they issued manifests containing their democratic and national objectives. The students of some of the universities, in order to show their sympathy, towards the Polish people, organized a procession for 23 October to the statue of Jozsef Bern, a Polish general of the Hungarian revolution of 1848–1849. In the rest of his article the author describes the subsequent history of the revolution, the dissolution of the old apparatus, the movements of the countryside, the political trajectory of Imre Nagy, the formation of the multi-party government, the withdrawal from the Warsaw Compact and the consolidation between 1 and 4 November which was brutally ended by the Soviet military intervention.

  • Issue Year: 1996
  • Issue No: 6
  • Page Range: 83-93
  • Page Count: 11
  • Language: Bulgarian