Hungarian revolution and Yugoslavia (1)

 I wrote a paper about the Hungarian Revolution 1956.  Actually it was interesting task for me. Today I will write about the revolution. The Hungarian Revolution was the first serious revolt against the Soviet Union's communist regime after the Second World War.

The aim of the revolution was to establish a new government, a new economic policy without any Soviet controls. Under the one political party and the Soviet controls, Hungarian people were always under the terror and unsecured. 

Matyas Rakosi (1892-1971) conducted total dictatorship in Hungary based on the Soviet system. First of all, the Political Security Department (later re-named to AVH) was set up in Pest.Their task was to eradicate of democratic political party and intellectual work, to monitor mail and phone conversation, even private home. 

Actually Hungary had mainly four political parties, such as the Hungarian Communist Party (HCP), the Independent Smallholders (Smallholders), the Social Democrats (SDs), and the National Peasant Party (NPP). However, Rakosi abolished multi political party system, but the Hungarian Working People's Party (MDP), which was emerged HCP and SDs, enjoyed political representation. 

The life of Hungarian People was terrible. First, they were always afraid of AVH's monitoring. In the schools, teachers had to tell students Soviet and communist slogan. In universities, there were no western literatures. Needless to say, students did not have any right to speech freely. 

Especially, peasant's life was really hard, because of heavy taxation. Under the Rakosi regime, peasants had to hand over the compulsory amount, and only then came the turn of sowing seed and the families' quota. Because of harsh condition, 300,000 peasants left their land in the 1950's. 

The Hungarian economy was still poor although some changes were made and the improvement of personal living standard suddenly received a high propriety, which at first meant simply providing more to eat. However, some shops had no products on the shelves. Shortages were a permanent economic problem.

However, after the dead of Stalin, new leader Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971) tried to change the situation, because the grievance of eastern bloc had been culminating. First, on June 17 1953, an Uprising happened in eastern Berlin against communist regime. Khrushchev decided de-Stalinization to be calm people's grievance towards the communism regime. The western Germany joined NATO in October 1954. At that time, the world was divided into the west and east, because of the Cold War. Khrushchev established the Warsaw Pact to consolidate eastern bloc.

In Hungary, Rakosi ignored Khrushchev's policy and continued the dictatorship based on Stalinization. Further, he became a leader both, MDP and government.Then the Soviet Union recommend Imre Nagy (1896-1958) as a new leader in Hungary. Nagy is also communist like Rakosi, but he mitigated strict state control. He released unimportant political criminals, reduced high tax rate. He removed the pressures and terrors of Stalinism and gave people some relief, so Hungarian people supported him. However, the MDP strongly accused his policy then he isolated in the government. Finally on 18 April 1955 Nagy was resigned.

I have to mention international sphere. First of all, Austrian State Treaty was signed on May 15 1955. It meant that Austria became an independent and neutral state that does not belong to the eastern or western side. Second, Khrushchev gave "secret speech" on 25 February 1956. He sharply condemned Stalinism. After his speech, frustration to communism spread and burst in the Eastern bloc. A great example is the protest of Poznan in 1956. Therefore, Hungarian situation and these international events encouraged Hungarian people to take some action.

In the revolution, a student organization played very important role.

I will explain about the revolution next! ;))