Hungary under Soviet rule:
liberation and oppression
Matyas Rakosi was appointed
as Hungary's dictater (1949-56)
described himself as
'Stalin's best pupil, because
everything he did pleased
Stalin. He was nicknamed
the 'bald butcher' by others
due to him being the cause
of 387,000 imprisonments
and over 2,000 deaths
'salami tactics'
taking out the
opposition
'slice by slice'
(getting rid of
the opposition)
'De-Stalinisation'
Stalin's death in 1953 was a
turning point for the Cold War
His style of Government was hugely
oppressive
It has been thought he was
responsible for around 20
million deaths
Russias new leader-
Nikita Khrushev
Not long after power
he said a 'secret
speech'
Announced for the end
of 'Stalinism' throughout
the eastern 'sphere of
influence'
Nady's programme of reform
Hungarys people were disatisfied
with the treatment to their people
and began to hold violent protests
in their capital city of Budapest
(and other cities later on). The
police lost controll of the situation
and Khruchev appointed Imre
Naggy to deal with the situation
He proposed reforms for Hungary, which were:
1. They should leave the Warsaw
pach and become neutral
2. The Communist government in
Hungary should end
3. Hungary should follow the western
side holding free elections
4. They should go to the United Nations and
ask for protection against Russia
Khrushchev responds to Nagy
Nagy's reforms ended in a
lost alliance with Hungary
He believed the
reforms were
unacceptable
He feared that if
Hungary left the
Warsaw pact others
would soon follow
in 1956 Khrushchev sent
200,000 Soviet troops to
Hungary to crush the new
government (he acted with a decisive action)
After two weeks of bitter fighting Khrushchev was successful in
crushing the new Government. In that 2 weeks. 200,00 Hungarians
had managed to escape to Austria, futhermore 20,000 Hungarians
were killed
Hungary under Stalin
Stalin claimed he had
'freed' Hungary from the
Nazis
Cominform
imposed an
oppressed regime
on Hungary
Stalin redistributed
Hungarian land to
other eastern
countries
Hungarian raw
matierials such as
coal and oil were
shipped to Russia
while the Hungarian
people were deprived
(lacking) of food
All non-communist
countries were abolished in
Hungary- Stalin attempted
to stamp ot the opposition
This began a reign of
terror, as Stalin
ordered the
excecution of
influencial capitalist
political leaders and
their supporters