Remembering 1956

Monday is a national holiday here in Hungary, remembering the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Many Americans don't know much about this major Cold War event. However, the Revolution was a pivotal moment in Hungarian history which still sparks controversy and debate today.

In October of 1956, a group of Hungarian students, frustrated with the iron-fisted rule of terror imposed upon them by the Soviet Union, protested the government and its policies in front of the Hungarian Parliament building. Government security forces opened fire on the peaceful protest. Outrage intensified, and a revolt quickly swept the country. Revolutionaries banded into militias, and the Soviet government in Budapest collapsed.

Famously, an enormous statue of Stalin was pulled down and destroyed, leaving only his boots behind. People began cutting the Communist coat of arms out of the inside of the Hungarian flag as a symbol of freedom from Soviet oppression.

Statue of Stalin being dismantled. His boots are the only part that remain, and they can be seen at Memeto Park in Budapest, where many of the Communist statues have been collected since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Image of the flag with the Communist crest cut out.

The Soviet Union initially showed signs of willingness to negotiate with the Hungarians. However, after the new Hungarian government announced its plan to withdraw from the Warsaw Pact, the Soviet Union felt compelled to act. From the Soviet perspective, losing Hungary from its sphere of influence would shrink the buffer zone to the West and might start a chain reaction of other nations rising up; there was in fact a similar movement in Poland at the time. So, the Soviet Union responded with force.

"Russians Go Home!"

On November 4th, 1956, Soviet tanks moved in to Budapest, beginning a bloody battle that would cost more than 2,500 Hungarians their lives, including the leader of the revolutionary government, Imre Nagy. The fighting was block by block in the streets of Budapest, causing enormous damage to the city's infrastructure. 

During the fighting, revolutionaries rallied under the cry that the West would send help soon. After all, Radio Free Europe had for some time been broadcasting messages into the country, encouraging Hungarians to stand up for their freedom and implying that a rebellion would be supported by American forces. Little did the Hungarians know that the United States had no intention of getting involved in Hungary, lest it upset the very delicate entente between the two world superpowers. Historians still debate today what effect the broadcasts had on the revolution, but one thing is clear: up until the last day of fighting, revolutionaries were telling each other to hold out just a little bit longer--American aid would surely come soon. But the aid never came, and the last revolutionaries were stamped out by November 11th.

Destruction caused by the battle.

In the aftermath of the Revolution, a Soviet, Communist government was re-established in Budapest, and its policies were harshly enforced. Hundreds of Hungarians were executed for their involvement in the revolution. Imre Nagy, who had sought asylum in the Yugoslav Embassy, was assassinated as he tried to flee the country, despite a Soviet promise of safe passage. Tens of thousands of other Hungarians were arrested or imprisoned for their involvement, and hundreds of thousands fled the country never to come back. For more than three decades, under communism, speaking about the Revolution was outlawed. Even today, the Hungarian Revolution sparks controversy. It seems the wounds of the past have not yet healed. 

These days, October 23rd is commemorated as a national holiday in Hungary, with schools and businesses closed for observance. In preparation of the holiday, flags with holes in the middle have appeared all over Budapest.

In my quest to understand Hungary better, I thought that this was a good opportunity for me to pay a visit to the House of Terror, a museum and memorial to the horrors that occurred in Hungary under both the fascist Arrow Cross regime as well as under the Communist government. Inside the building, which served as the secret police headquarters for both the Arrow Cross and the Communist regimes, a three-story wall depicts the faces of the many victims who were interrogated, tortured, and murdered there. The haunting voices and videos of Hungarians sharing their harrowing stories follow you throughout the exhibits. At the middle of the museum is a rusted Soviet tank, a heavy reminder of a painful chapter in Hungary's history, accompanied by a plaque on the front of the building for the victims of the revolution.

The House of Terror

Plaque commemorating the heroes of the 1956 revolution.

The United States' role in the Hungarian revolution is still debated today. Would the revolutionaries have fought to the death if they had known help was not forthcoming? How much influence did Radio Free Europe and American anti-communist propaganda really have? These are questions we may never know the answer to. More Americans should know about the 1956 revolution. Hungarians will never forget it; the bullet holes can still be seen in many buildings today.

Building near my apartment with battle scars still clearly visible.