1956 Revolution – Az 1956-os forradalomról angolul

On October 23rd, Hungarians celebrate the brave women and men who stood up to Soviet Communist oppression and fought for their freedom against one of the world’s biggest armies. After a few glorious days of victory, the 1956 Hungarian Revolution was eventually overpowered by overwhelming military force, but the freedom fight drove the first nail into the coffin of Communist oppression in the world.

On a sunny, autumn day in October, students and teachers, factory workers and craftsmen, men and women, young and old, stood up bravely and demanded the end of Communist Soviet oppression as well as the Hungarian puppet government. When their peaceful demonstration against Stalinist terror was repressed brutally by bursts of gunfire, they did not back down. In heroic acts of bravery, ordinary people around the country took matters in their own hands to defy the Communist state’s police force and the Soviets with whatever means they could find.

A freedom fighter by the name of Attila Gérecz, who was a poet and athlete, not only encouraged others to join the struggle but also participated in the battles himself. Auschwitz survivor István Angyal led the Tűzoltó Street group in the battles. Péter Mansfeld was the youngest victim of the Communist crackdown following the uprising, executed on the gallows at the age of eighteen. Gergely Pongrátz, who fought shoulder-to-shoulder with his five brothers, later preserved the revolution’s memory within and outside Hungary. Mária Wittner, József Tibor Fejes, János Szabó, Jenő Fónay, János Varga – the many profiles of courage are astonishing, and the fate of these individuals illustrate the reality of the revolution. Their actions remind us that the heroism of Hungary’s legendary 1956 freedom fighters came from the extraordinary bravery of everyday people. Hungary’s freedom fighters were regular folks who mustered the courage to take to the street.

The freedom fighters brought the revolution several victorious days but were ultimately outnumbered and overwhelmed by Red Army reinforcements sent from the Soviet Union.

Their bravery brought them world renown and marked the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union. They set in motion a process that would unravel Communism’s oppressive grip on the freedom-loving people of Eastern Europe. From that point on, people of the world no longer believed the humanitarian image that “Socialism” presented about itself. People started seeing Bolshevism for what it was: an oppressive tyranny.

Most of us know the storyline and there are many sources where you can read about the events. Here you can read some of the personal testimonies of people who were part of the revolution.

“I went to the University of Technology and Economics. Most of the professors were dressed in black; some of them even had a cockade. They were utterly enthusiastic and kind; they were with us, students. This meant a lot, especially feeling secure since in these 4-5 years you mostly belong to your teachers. We felt like we were doing the right thing because they took our side.”  then 24-year-old university student

“I ran into the judicial department, where I only found Professor Eckhart. It was obvious that I was going to the demonstration, I didn’t think about the potential effects of it. Then, the professor told me ‘Be careful!’ and I automatically said ‘It’s too late’. I knew that there was no way back.”  then 21-year-old university student

“It was uplifting to march in a big crowd, especially for me, a discriminated cadre. They were already cutting out of the flag that disgusting arms and scanning ‘Rusz-kik haza!’ We were standing in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and saw the Hungarian flag in the window of the barrack. More and more people joined as we kept marching on. It was fantastic!”  then 32-year-old librarian

“The session of the cabinet council was adjourned because the demonstrators were on their way to the Parliament. I got home around 5 o’clock so I listened to Ernő Gerő’s speech on the radio from home. Instead of being comforting, it was thrilling and shocking, fuel to the fire.”  then 35-year-old minister

“The demonstration had started. I joined them somewhere on Rákóczi Street at the University of Dramatic Arts. There were our teachers and Tibor Déry if I remember well. When we reached Stalin Street we saw the nameplate on the wall. We decided to take it off. We did so and the crowd was frenzied. This inspired us so much.”  then 26-year-old-movie director

“I was supposed to have a meeting with Lajos Kassák in the afternoon. I called him to inform him that I won’t be there. Their maid answered the phone saying that they were also in the city centre. I met Kassák, his wife and Judit Szántó in front of the Fény Espresso. We started talking and I asked him ‘Master Kassák, is this how it started in 1918 as well?’ ‘Sir, this is revolution itself!’ he told me with his typical palóc accent.”  then 29-year-old writer

“We could hear rifle-shots from the Bródy Street and the elders said that it is very dangerous to go to the Radio. That’s when I met the first injured man. Others were holding him shouting ‘Is there a doctor among you?’ He got shot by a gun and was bleeding. A local showed them to a doctor’s office, they broke in and found doctors, nurses who took care of the injury. The doctor told us to spread the news so that people will know where they can bring the injured men.”  then 15-year-old high school student

“I went to the radio station of the Hungarian Home-Defence Union at night because I wanted to know if the world has heard about the revolution. I was searching for radio frequencies but I found nothing. I was able to get in touch with a Czechoslovakian radioman and asked him if he knew about the revolution. He didn’t know anything. Since this was quite a heavy-duty radio station, we kept saying that there was a revolution in Hungary throughout the night. We stopped doing it at dawn. The next day, at 2 pm we also read a text composed by university students in Hungarian, English and Russian. The text said that we wanted to inform the world’s nations that a big crowd had rebelled against the Soviet Union in Hungary and that we were afraid that the national radio reported false information or nothing at all. As I heard later, our transmission was listened to in the West.”  then 25-year-old technician

source: dailynewshungary.com

How much do yo know about the 1956 revolution?

1. From where did the peaceful demonstrations start in 1956?

a. From the oppositionist parties

b. From the universities

c. From the factories

2. Where did the representatives of universities meet on the 22nd of October?

a. At the Budapest University of Technology and Economics

b. At the National Museum

c. At the Parliament

3. From which statue did the peaceful demonstration start?

a. The Bem and Petőfi Statues

b. The Bem Statue

c. The Stalin Statue

4. How many points did the claims of university students have?

a.12

b.14

c.16

5. Where was the first student protest on the 23rd of October?

a. In Debrecen

b. In Szeged

c. In Budapest

6. Who recited the National Song (Nemzeti dal) at the beginning of the Budapest protest?

a. Péter Veres

b. Imre Sinkovits

c. Károly Mécs

7. Who did the people want to be the head of the government?

a. Mátyás Rákosi

b. János Kádár

c. Imre Nagy

8. To what was the Stalin Square renamed by the people?

a. Csizma Square (Boots Square)

b. Felvonulási Square (Procession Square)

c. Szabadság Square (Freedom Square)

9. Where was the first fire opened on the crowd?

a. At the Parliament

b. At the building of the Hungarian Radio Corporation

c. At the Corvin Quarter

10. How many victims did the revolution have (approximately)?

a. 2500

b. 4000

c. 3400

source: dailynewshungary.com

 

Key

1. b. 2. a. 3. a. 4. c. 5. a. 6. b. 7. c. 8. a. 9. b. 10. c.