The Hungarian Revolutionary War 1956

A student rally in Budapest, on October 23, 1956, in support of Polish opposition to Soviet hegemony sparked mass demonstrations demanding free elections, economic reforms, withdrawal of Soviet troops, and the reinstatement of former premier Ire Nagy. Intervention by the Hungarian state security police resulted in violent confrontations with the demonstrators. The Hungarian government then called out the army but many of the soldiers joined the uprising leaving the government helpless. Nagy was asked to speak to the crowds but his attempt to calm the protesters failed. At the request of the government, Soviet troops entered Budapest on October 24th; their presence further escalated the violence. The uprising caused the government to fall on October 25th; Nagy was named premier of a new coalition government to bring about an end to the street fighting. Revolutionary councils sprang up throughout the country to back up the other demands of the protesters.

On October 30, Nagy called for the formation of a new democratic, multiparty system. After negotiations, Soviet officials agreed to remove their troops at the discretion of the Hungarian government, and Soviet troops began to leave Budapest. Nagy soon learned, however, that new Soviet armored divisions had crossed into Hungary. In response, on November 1st, Nagy announced the Hungarian government intended to withdraw from the Warsaw Pact and declare Hungary neutral. He then appealed to the United Nations and the West for protection of Hungarian neutrality. America and Western Europe had no contingency plan to deal with a revolution in Eastern Europe and the Hungarian appeal went unanswered.

The Soviet military quickly responded to Hungarian events. On November 3rd, Soviet troops surrounded Budapest and closed the borders. Overnight they entered the capital and occupied the National Assembly building. A new Temporary Revolutionary Government of Hungary was organized on the Soviet side of the border with Hungary and, on November 4th, the formation of the new government was announced in a radiobroadcast. Violent resistance to the Soviet forces, by civilians and Hungarian military forces, in Budapest and the rest of Hungary, continued until November 11, 1956, when the Soviet Union was able to claim victory.

About 150,000 Hungarians fled in the wake of the Soviet intervention. In June 1958, the Hungarian government announced that Nagy and other government officials who had played key roles in the revolution had been secretly tried and executed. Ironically, the new government installed by Soviet military power later instituted reforms that made Hungary the most liberal of the Warsaw Pact countries.

Notes

[1] Correlates of War (CoW) provides a start date of November 4, 1956 but Soviet troops were also deployed from October 25th to 30th and engaged in the uprising, probably throughout.

[2] CoW reports Hungarian battle deaths of 926 which is the number reported by Clodfelter for November 1956. However, Clodfelter also reports the Hungarian estimate of battle deaths for the entire revolution. Other estimates also exist.

References

Clodfelter, 980; COW156; Hungary - A Country Study, Kohn, 215-6.

Category

Inter-State War

Region

Eastern Europe

Belligerents

Hungary, Hungarians, USSR

Dispute

Governance

Initiation Date

October 23, 1956^[1]

Termination Date

November 11, 1956

Duration

20 days

Outcome

Imposed Settlement
(USSR victory)

Fatalities

Total: 4,002
Hungary: 2502^[2]
USSR: 1,500

Magnitude

3.6