23 October 1956

23 October 2005, photos taken by betsy.


Today is the 49th anniversary of the 1956 revolution, where Hungarian citizens rose up against the Soviet communist powers.

On the 23rd, students at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (where I am affiliated) demonstrated in the streets against the Soviet rule. The protesters wanted land ownership rights for peasants, free trade unions, freedom of expression, freedom for the Catholic church, and the abolition of the Államvédelmi Hatóság, the secret police. The revolution was short lived, the tanks rolled in Parliament square on October 25th and shots were fired by the Hungarian security police, killing many Hungarians.

Kruschev of the Soviet Union ordered tanks in Budapest on November 4th, killing thousands and approximately 200,000 Hungarians left the country (for the US, Canada and Western Europe). The Hungarian Prime Minister Imre Nagy sought refuge at the Yugoslavian embassy and was replaced by Kádar, who was secretly flown in from the Soviet Union. Nagy was later executed along with 1,200 other Hungarians. About half of the Fulbrights here have parents that left Hungary during 1956 and moved to the states. Hungary remained under the control of the Soviets until 1989. Much discussion still occurs throughout Hungary about the role the US and western European nations should have played, but didn't, in the revolution. Many Hungarians feel that they were encouraged to revolt against the Soviets (by Radio Free Europe, A CIA sponsored radio station), but then when the revolution occured, some Hungarians expected the US, England and France to come to assistance. During this time period England and France were involved in the Suez Canal conflict and therefore their attention was drawn elsewhere. However, UN Security Council meetings were held from October 28th through November 4th, although no clear UN action was taken.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1956_Hungarian_Revolution

The Chain Bridge 23 October 2005.
During the Revolution of 1956, the Communist insignia was cut out from the flags, leaving a hole in the middle (picture taken 23 October, 2005).