The repression of the Hungarian Uprising
The Hungarian uprising
Revolution in Hungary (1956)
ImageIn 1956, Hungarian students climb up the statue of Stalin and demand the democratisation of the country.
Matyas Rakosi, How we took over Hungary
TextIn February 1952, Matyas Rakosi, Secretary-General of the Workers’ Party and President of the Council in Hungary, outlines the strategy pursued by the Communist forces so that they may seize power in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Statement by Dwight D. Eisenhower on the Hungarian uprising (25 October 1956)
TextOn 25 October 1959, the US President, Dwight Eisenhower, strongly condemns the intervention of Soviet troops in Hungary to curb the revolt in Budapest.
Rede von Konrad Adenauer über den Aufstand in Ungarn (Hannover, 26. Oktober 1956)
TextAm 26. Oktober 1956, in einer Rede in Hannover, verurteilt der deutsche Kanzler Konrad Adenauer die tragischen Ereignisse in Ungarn und kritisiert die repressive Unterdrückungspolitik Moskaus.
‘After the uprising’ from Le Monde (26 October 1956)
TextOn 26 October 1956, the French daily newspaper Le Monde draws attention to the power struggles within the Hungarian Government.
‘Eastern Europe on the move’ from Het Parool (26 October 1956)
TextOn 26 October 1956, the Dutch daily newspaper Het Parool summarises the rebellious and anti-establishment movements in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Note by André de Staercke on the situation in Hungary (27 October 1957)
TextOn 27 October 1957, André de Staercke, Permanent Representative of Belgium to the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), drafts a confidential note on the political situation in Hungary.
'Unforeseeable developments' from Il nuovo Corriere della Sera (27 October 1956)
TextOn 27 October 1956, the Italian daily newspaper Il nuovo Corriere della Sera sets out the reasons for the popular uprising in Hungary and expresses concern at the political future of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Declaration by the Soviet Government (Moscow, 30 October 1956)
TextOn 30 October 1956, the Soviet Government defines the principles underpinning its policies of development and cooperation with the other Socialist States and justifies sending Soviet troops into Hungary to restore order.
Soviet tanks leave Budapest (30 October 1956)
ImageOn 30 October 1956, Soviet tanks leave Budapest, only to return a week later to crush the Hungarian uprising by force.
Cartoon by Behrendt on the Hungarian Uprising (1956)
Image‘This is a purely Hungarian matter’. In November 1956, the international community is powerless to tackle the Soviet military intervention in Hungary.
‘Lessons drawn from a tragedy’ from Avanti (1 November 1956)
TextOn 1 November 1956, the French newspaper France Observateur prints an article which had been published by Pietro Nenni in the 26 October edition of the Italian newspaper Avanti and which was to create a sensation in Italy.
Verbal note from the Hungarian Foreign Minister (3 November 1956)
TextOn 3 November 1956, Jean Paul-Boncour, French Ambassador to Budapest, sends the text of a verbal note, which was handed over by the Hungarian Foreign Minister on the night of 2 to 3 November, to Christian Pineau, French Foreign Minister.
Botschaft von Dwight D. Eisenhower an Nikolai Bulganin (4. November 1956)
TextAm 4. November 1956 richtet der amerikanische Präsident Dwight D. Eisenhower eine Botschaft an Nikolai Bulganin, den Vorsitzenden des Ministerrates der Sowjetunion, in der er die UdSSR zum Abzug ihrer Truppen aus Budapest auffordert.
Message from Nikolai Bulganin to Dwight D. Eisenhower (7 November 1956)
TextOn 7 November 1956, Nikolai Bulganin, President of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, sends a letter to the US President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, refuting the US allegations concerning Soviet policy in Hungary.
Resolution 1004 (ES-II) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (4 November 1956)
TextOn 4 November 1956, the United Nations General Assembly deplores the Soviet military intervention in Hungary. The resolution, adopted by 50 votes, is rejected by Albania, Bulgaria, Byelorussia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, the Soviet Union and Ukraine.
Hungarian uprising — headline in the Italian Communist daily newspaper L’Unità (5 November 1956)
ImageOn 5 November 1956, the Italian Communist daily newspaper L’Unità supports the Soviet intervention in Hungary to end the uprising and restore power to the Communist Party.
"Moskau würgt Ungarns Freiheit ab" in Süddeutsche Zeitung (5. November 1956)
TextAm 5. November 1956 berichtet die deutsche Tageszeitung Süddeutsche Zeitung über den nächtlichen Einmarsch der sowjetischen Truppen in Budapest.
"Der Blutsonntag von Budapest" in Luxemburger Wort (5. November 1956)
TextAm 5. November 1956 prangert die Tageszeitung Luxemburger Wort den Gewaltstreich Moskaus in Ungarn an und verurteilt die Untätigkeit des Westens.
‘Workers’ councils regain control of the situation’ from L’Unità (5 November 1956)
TextOn 5 November 1956, the Italian Communist daily newspaper L’Unità welcomes the intervention of Soviet military forces in Hungary and highlights the role played by the workers’ councils in crushing the revolt.
Address given by Gaetano Martino (Rome, 6 November 1956)
TextOn 6 November 1956, in an address to the Italian Parliament, the Foreign Minister Gaetano Martino condemns Soviet military intervention in Hungary and calls on Moscow to abandon its repressive policy.
‘International Communism had to be saved at all costs’ from La Croix (6 November 1956)
TextOn 6 November 1956, the French newspaper La Croix considers the attitude of the Soviet press since the beginning of the Hungarian uprising. According to Pravda, the Russians were initially surprised by the scale of the revolution, which forced them to make a strategic withdrawal. They made good use of this rest period to prepare for the counter-attack and took advantage of the international situation to deal the final blow to the Hungarian uprising with impunity.
"Stalin ist aus der Mode gekommen" in Le Monde (6. November 1956)
TextAm 6. November 1956 verurteilt die französische Tageszeitung Le Monde die militärische Intervention der russischen Truppen zur Niederwerfung des Ungarn-Aufstandes aufs Schärfste und macht sich Gedanken um ein Wiederaufflammen des Kalten Krieges zwischen Ost und West.
Augenzeugenbericht eines Journalisten über die Situation in Ungarn (Paris, 2. November 1956)
Audio extractNach seiner Rückkehr aus Budapest im November 1956 schildert ein Journalist die Gewalt der Kämpfe, die in der ungarischen Hauptstadt nach der Erhebung eines Teils der Bevölkerung und der Armee gegen das kommunistische Regime stattgefunden haben.
The Hungarian uprising
Demonstrationen in Berlin gegen das Eingreifen der Sowjetunion in Ungarn (RTL, November 1956)
Audio extractIm November 1956 protestiert die Bevölkerung West-Berlins gegen das Eingreifen der Sowjetunion in Ungarn.
Zeitzeugenbericht von Robert Rothschild: der Eingriff der Sowjetarmee in Ungarn (Rom, 27. März 1987)
Audio extractAuf einem Kolloquium vom 25. bis 28. März 1987 in Rom anlässlich des dreißigsten Jahrestages der Unterzeichnung der Verträge der Europäischen Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft (EWG) und der Europäischen Atomgemeinschaft (EAG oder Euratom) schildert Robert Rothschild, ehemaliger Kabinettchef des belgischen Außenministers Paul-Henri Spaak, die Umstände, unter denen Spaak vom Militäreinsatz der Sowjetunion in Ungarn im November 1956 erfuhr.
Demonstrationen gegen die sowjetische Intervention in Ungarn (Paris und Brüssel, 7. November 1956)
VideoDie Demonstrationen im Westen gegen die sowjetische Intervention in Ungarn schlagen bisweilen in gewalttätige Ausschreitungen um. So beispielsweise am 7. November 1956 in Paris, als mehrere Tausend Studenten den Sitz der französischen kommunistischen Partei (PCF) stürmen und in Brand setzen. Bei den Ausschreitungen werden eine Person getötet und 70 verletzt. In Brüssel demonstrieren die Studenten der Universität von Löwen in den Straßen.
Erklärung von Konrad Adenauer zur weltpolitischen Lage (Bonn, 8. November 1956)
TextAm 8. November 1956, infolge der Ereignisse in Ungarn, gibt der Bundeskanzler Konrad Adenauer eine Regierungserklärung ab über die weltpolitische Lage.
‘Eastern Europe after the Hungarian uprising’ from the Nieuwe Rotterdamse Courant (15 November 1956)
TextOn 15 November 1956, the Dutch daily newspaper Nieuwe Rotterdamse Courant analyses the repercussions of the Hungarian uprising on the political leaders and the general public in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Letter from Maurice Dejean to Christian Pineau (Moscow, 16 November 1956)
TextOn 16 November 1956, Maurice Dejean, French Ambassador to the USSR, sends to Christian Pineau, French Foreign Minster, a letter in which he describes the reactions in Moscow to the support shown by the French and Chinese Communist Parties on the day after the Soviet invasion of Hungary.
Interview von Theodor Oberländer über die Flüchtlingsfrage (27. November 1956)
TextAm 27. November 1956, in einem Interview mit dem West-Berliner Sender RIAS (Radio in the American Sector), beschreibt der deutsche Bundesminister für Flüchtlinge, Theodor Oberländer, die Regierungsmaßnahmen zur Aufnahme der ungarischen Flüchtlinge, die wegen der russischen Unterdrückung ihr Land verlassen.
Cartoon by Behrendt on Soviet military intervention in Hungary (1956)
ImageIn November 1956, Soviet military intervention in Hungary ensures that ‘law and order are restored once again’; however, it also reveals the true political objectives of the leaders in Moscow.
Statement by the Provisional Central Committee of the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party (8 December 1956)
TextOn 8 December 1956, the Provisional Central Committee of the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party outlines the background to the events of 23 October and lays down the future tasks incumbent upon the Party.
Cartoon by Opland on the Hungarian Revolt (8 December 1956)
Image‘The only survivor speaks out … “Not today, thank you!”’ In December 1956, Opland, Dutch cartoonist, deplores the impotence of the international community in the face of Soviet intervention in Hungary.
Communiqué on the meeting between representatives of the Communist Parties and of governments (Budapest, 4 January 1957)
TextFrom 1 to 4 January 1957, representatives of Communist and Workers’ Parties and of the Governments of Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and the Soviet Union meet in Budapest to discuss international current affairs as well as the implications of the October 1956 Hungarian Uprising.
Nikita Chruschtschow, Chruschtschow erinnert sich
TextIn seinen Memoiren schildert Nikita Chruschtschow, ehemaliger Generalsekretär der kommunistischen Partei der Sowjetunion, seinen persönlichen Eindruck von dem Aufstand in Ungarn im Jahr 1956 sowie von der Intervention der sowjetischen Truppen.
Bruno Kreisky, Im Strom der Politik
TextBruno Kreisky, von 1953 bis 1959 Staatssekretär im Bundeskanzleramt der Republik Österreich, schildert in seinen Memoiren die Ereignisse des Volksaufstandes in Ungarn 1956 und die Rolle Österreichs in diesem Zusammenhang.