The Hungarian Uprising, 1956

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The Hungarian Uprising, 1956

Causes

  • The Hungarian economy was controlled by the Soviet Union through Comecon. This prevented Hungary from trading with Western Europe and recovering any Marshall Plan aid. Hungary was forced to trade on uneven terms with the Soviet Union. This meant that Hungary did not always receive a fair price for its exports there.
  • Rakosi from the Hungarian Communist Party led Hungary and used terror and brutality to keep control, killing an estimated 2000 people. The secret police became a hated and dreaded part of Hungarian life.
  • When Stalin died in 1953, Malenkov took over control of the Soviet Union and did not favour Rakosi and replaced him with Nagy. This shows the control the Soviet Union had in Hungary. However, in April 1953, Nagy was removed and Rakosi returned and resumes his unpopular dictatorship.

Effects

  • Khrushchev kept control and a new Soviet-backed leader was installed.
  • Nagy was arrested and shot in 1958.
  • The West condemned the actions of the Soviet Union, but Hungary was too far away for military intervention.
  • The Western powers were keen to avoid military confrontation with the Soviet Union.
  • Britain, France and the USA were preoccupied with the Suez Crisis.

Overall summary

The Hungarian Uprising proved the control that the Soviet Union had over their satellite states, however it also proved the opposition that they faces within their own Eastern sector of Europe and that these countries did not follow him because they agreed with his ideas, but because they had no other choice. 

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