Resistance to Communist Rule:

1. Resistance to Communist Rule: The 1956 Hungarian Revolution

2. Post WWII • Soviet military occupies Hungary • Install Hungarian Communist Party as government • 1949- Mutual Assistance Treaty grants Soviet Union continued military and political presence

3. Post WWII (cont’d) • 1953- Stalin dies. • Khrushchev denounces Stalin’s purges; begins de-Stalinization- raised possibility of reform in Hungary • 1955- Austria establishes its neutrality- raises hope in Hungary that it too may adopt a neutral status

4. Why Revolt? • Hard-line Stalinist regime left bitter taste • Secret Police (AVH) were oppressive • Soviet control of economy- resulted in a great deal of poverty • Censorship and lack of freedom • Hungarians were religious- Soviets banned religion

5. The Revolution Begins • October 23, 1956: • Massive student march through the streets of Budapest • Confrontation at parliament building led to crowd being fired upon by State Security Police • This infuriated people across Hungary and the revolt spread • Hungarian Communist Party Secretary Erno Gero requested Soviet military intervention

6. The Government Collapses • Oct. 24, 1956 • Soviet tanks enter Budapest • Oct. 25, 1956 • State Security Police open fire on a crowd at parliament • Soviet tanks, thinking they are the target, return fire • Some in the crowd who are armed begin shooting and are themselves shot- many civilians are killed • As a result, the government falls • Imre Nagy becomes PM and Soviet tanks withdraw to the countryside

7. The Second Soviet Intervention • Nov. 1: Nagy and his cabinet declare Hungary’s neutrality and withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact • Nov. 4: In response to this, Soviet tanks enter Budapest to restore communist control • By Nov. 10, 2500 Hungarians had been killed and the revolution has been crushed • Thousands of Hungarians were arrested, imprisoned or deported. Many thousands fled the country as refugees • Nagy and other leaders were executed

8. Aftermath • Sent message to the West that the Soviets would use force to maintain their sphere of influence • In the 1990s, Gorbachev and later Yeltsin, officially apologized for Soviet actions during the Hungarian Uprising

9. Yugoslavia • Josip Broz = Tito • He liberates Yug from Nazis • Red Army shows up and commits assaults on Yugoslavs = tension with USSR • Issues over control – Stalin didn’t want Tito as equal • Tito freed Yugoslavia withoutmajor Allied help • He ruled independently of Moscow = angers Stalin • Tito asks Bulgaria for a trade union and doesn’t invite USSR – Stalin gets really angry

10. Stalin asks Bulgarian, Yugoslav leaders to Moscow – Tito doesn’t attend – sends grunts • Stalin proposes union of Albania, Yug, Bulg • Tito views this as opportunity for Red Army to occupy Bulgaria and threaten Yugoslavia • Political differences in 1948 mean Yug expelled from Cominform (organization of communist parties) • Soviets withdraw aid, so US gives aid • Tito allowed Greek communists to regroup in Yugoslavia – also supplied them – angers Stalin • “Can’t Touch This” attitude towards Moscow – geographical separation means Yug is hard to control • Stalin tries to reintegrate Yug, and fails • Yugoslavia presents alternative communist model – threat to USSR

11. Tito • Tito – A man Unwilling to accept Being pushed Around by Moscow