Rebellion in eastern europe:
Hungary & Czechoslovakia
Information and ImpactThe Soviets had a hard time subjecting Eastern European Nations to their communist ideas. The Soviets brutally suppressed many attempts to overthrow the communist governments in several nations. The cruel way that the Soviets stopped the revolts left people in the west horrified. Many people left the communist party and many leaders became more determined to contain communism.
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Hungary |
Nikita Krushchev was an anti-Stalinist who promised to lessen some of Stalin's policies and end direct control in Eastern Europe. This gave many people in Hungary hope and they expected change. On October 23, 1956 around 20,000 people gathered in Budapest and peacefully demonstrated support of the recent changes in Poland. The mob grew to about 200,000 people and a large statue of Stalin was torn down and replaced by a Hungarian flag. A group of students tried to get into a radio station to broadcast their demands but, they were arrested by the AVH (Hungarian State Police). Rumors that the students had been shot went around and the mob grew restless and unhappy. The AVH then began throwing tear gas and opening fire on the mob killing many people. As news of the massacre spread, the population went berserk. People began burning anything communist, police cars ,and buildings. Everything was out of control.
Emo Gero, the Hungarian Leader, asked for intervention of the Soviet Army. Reluctantly, Krushchev sent Tanks and troops into Hungary to protect the parliamentary building and other key locations as well as create order. Now, rioters were armed and took the radio station and newspaper building. Then on October 25, 1956, a large group of protesters marched in front of the parliamentary building and the AVH opened fire on them. Soviet Troops mistook the AVH for rioters and opened fire on them. This broke down the old communist government. Fighting continued until October 27, 1956 when newly appointed Prime Minister Imre Nagy formed a new government. Surprisingly it was a coalition government that shared power with non-communists. Also Nagy announced that Hungary would leave the Warsaw Pact and be a neutral country. This was Krushchev's last straw. On November 4, 1956 thousand of tanks invaded Hungary and moved for Budapest. Hungary was no match for the Red Army. Resistance was crushed on November 10, 1956 and Hungary was returned to Soviet Control. |
Czechoslovakia
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The end of World War II brought Czechoslovakia many problems when its focus on heavy industry and consumer goods rather than agriculture and services failed. In 1968, the communist party of Czechoslovakia replaced the party leader Novotny with Alexander Dubcek. He pushed for practical reforms everywhere in Czechoslovakia and the other nations in the Warsaw Pact. As he put it, the reforms would "put a human face" on socialism. He made "a humanistic socialist democracy" that would guarantee many freedoms stated in the United States Constitution. Dubcek also pushed to improve relations with every nation in the world. With such bold statements, he grew very popular in Czechoslovakia but, not in any other nation in the Warsaw Pact.
On August 20, 1968 troops from Russia, Hungary, Bulgaria, East Germany, and Poland occupied Czechoslovakia. The Czechoslovakian government saw this as a violation of its socialist principles, UN Charter, and international law. People who initiated the liberal reforms and supported them were removed forcibly to the Soviet Union and had to sign a treaty allowing the temporary stationing of Soviet troops in Czechoslovakia. Then on April 17, 1969 Dubcek was replaced as First Secretary by Gustav Husak. Dubcek was stripped of affiliation to the party in a huge party purge. Czechoslovakia's economy still stagnated and wouldn't improve until 1983. |