An Examination of the End of the Hungarian Revolution
Subject: History
Grade Received: A (95%)
Disclaimer: This essay is provided for educational reference only. It is not intended for
submission as a student’s original work.
, The Soviet Intervention in the Hungarian Revolution
“Civilized people of the world. On the watch tower of 1,000-year-old Hungary the last
flames begin to go out. Soviet tanks and guns are roaring over Hungarian soil. Our women -
mothers and daughters - are sitting in dread. Save our souls" (“Soviet Tanks Crush Resistance”).
This was the scene at Budapest on November 4th, 1956, when the USSR leader Nikita
Khrushchev sent over 2,500 Soviet tanks and troops to shut down the popular anti-Soviet
uprising that was raging in Hungary. Many citizens revolted against their hardline communist
leader and Soviet institutions like the Hungarian secret police called the AVH. Several reasons
sprung as to why the Soviets decided to violently intervene, the most prominent being the fear of
communism losing its power. The second Soviet intervention in the Hungarian Revolution was
caused, to a greater extent, by the radical reforms that Hungarian Prime Minister Imre Nagy
announced, which aimed to diminish the influence of communism in Hungary and, to a lesser
extent, by the outrage as a response to the lynching of AVH officers.
The reforms that Imre Nagy announced reduced the influence of communism and USSR
in Hungary and increased desire for a democracy, decreasing Soviet faith in his leadership and
greatly causing the second intervention in the Hungarian Revolution. On October 28th, Imre
Nagy revealed many new reforms for Hungary which included the withdrawal of Soviet troops,
free elections, and private ownership of land for farmers (“The Hungarian Uprising”). As
communism heavily relies on government-controlled land, the shift to private ownership
represented the country moving away from those ideals. Freedom of speech and free elections
are pillars of democracy and combined with the slight capitalism that came from private land
ownership, Hungary seemed to be shifting towards a government whose ideals went directly
against communism.
Subject: History
Grade Received: A (95%)
Disclaimer: This essay is provided for educational reference only. It is not intended for
submission as a student’s original work.
, The Soviet Intervention in the Hungarian Revolution
“Civilized people of the world. On the watch tower of 1,000-year-old Hungary the last
flames begin to go out. Soviet tanks and guns are roaring over Hungarian soil. Our women -
mothers and daughters - are sitting in dread. Save our souls" (“Soviet Tanks Crush Resistance”).
This was the scene at Budapest on November 4th, 1956, when the USSR leader Nikita
Khrushchev sent over 2,500 Soviet tanks and troops to shut down the popular anti-Soviet
uprising that was raging in Hungary. Many citizens revolted against their hardline communist
leader and Soviet institutions like the Hungarian secret police called the AVH. Several reasons
sprung as to why the Soviets decided to violently intervene, the most prominent being the fear of
communism losing its power. The second Soviet intervention in the Hungarian Revolution was
caused, to a greater extent, by the radical reforms that Hungarian Prime Minister Imre Nagy
announced, which aimed to diminish the influence of communism in Hungary and, to a lesser
extent, by the outrage as a response to the lynching of AVH officers.
The reforms that Imre Nagy announced reduced the influence of communism and USSR
in Hungary and increased desire for a democracy, decreasing Soviet faith in his leadership and
greatly causing the second intervention in the Hungarian Revolution. On October 28th, Imre
Nagy revealed many new reforms for Hungary which included the withdrawal of Soviet troops,
free elections, and private ownership of land for farmers (“The Hungarian Uprising”). As
communism heavily relies on government-controlled land, the shift to private ownership
represented the country moving away from those ideals. Freedom of speech and free elections
are pillars of democracy and combined with the slight capitalism that came from private land
ownership, Hungary seemed to be shifting towards a government whose ideals went directly
against communism.
