Russian and East European Politics

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Russian and East European Politics

• 12.1956 HUNGARY AND POLAND
• Katya McDonagh
• Department of Political Science, TCD
• fedoreae_at_tcd.ie

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How did the system produce reformers?

• How could system produce a Khrushchev let alone a
  Gorbachev?
• In theory should have been impossible for people
  as radically different as Khrushchev and
  Gorbachev to get near the top leadership
• Theory does not necessarily apply to Eastern
  Europe where other variables timing of
  establishment of Peoples Democracies and
  historical legacies and orientation altered
  political landscape

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Eastern Europes Reaction to Khrushchevs speech

• If Stalin had made mistakes in SU might not the
  imposition of communist regimes in Eastern Europe
  also have been a mistake?
• If wrongs were to be righted would Eastern
  Europeans be allowed choose their own road to
  socialism?
• In some countries in the bloc - changes
  hardliners removed, secret police downgraded and
  journalists questioning bureaucratism

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Poland

• Party distributed Khrushchevs speech widely
• New Polish Party leader seizes opportunity for
  anti-Stalinist move
• Publication of speech produced massive reaction
  circulation of speech restricted
• Calls for democratization and the rehabilitation
  of Gomulka who had been jailed for deviation and
  sympathy with Tito
• Questioning was legitimised in Poland

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Polish reaction

• Poznan anti-communist demonstration
• Social and economic demands turn into political
  revolt
• 2 days of violence at least 73 killed
• Archives show communist leaders afraid it would
  spread
• Serious challenge to communist authority

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Polish crisis continues

• October 1956 more demonstrations
• Khrushchev leads delegation to Warsaw to meet
  Polish party in October
• Gomulka brought back as First Secretary of the
  Party
• Threat of Soviet military intervention lifted
• Changes nature of relationship between Moscow and
  Warsaw not a colony but dominion of the Soviet
  Empire (Pearson, p.53)

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Hungarian crisis

• Hungarian Revolution?
• Unlike Poland rebellion in Hungary not accepted
  by the Soviet Union
• 1955 Intellectual circle Petofi critical
  discussion of Stalinism
• Hungarian party leader - Matyas Rakosi
  hardliner and friend of Stalin
• Former Minister of Interior Laszlo Rajk purged
  and put to deat as a Titoist in 1949
• Imre Nagy purged by Rakosi

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Revolt

• Rakosi ousted replacement Gero - also a
  hardliner
• Crisis in order to appease public Imre Nagy
  brought back into leadership and plays a crucial
  role in October November
• Light sentences for Polish strikers encouraged
  Hungarian resistance

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Demands

• Independent and socialist Hungary
• New Leadership
• Withdrawal of Soviet troops
• Examination of the mistakes of the past
• 50,000 attend October 23 demonstration
• Unrest and violence follows

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Confusion

• Imre Nagy reinstated as PM but timing of events
  lead to confusion as to his involvement with
  State of Emergency and a call for Soviet troops
  to restore order
• Nagy calls for withdrawal of Soviet troops
• Announces abolition of the one-party system and
  coalition government
• Hungary will be neutral
• How reasonable were these expectations?

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More confusion

• 3RD Nov - Announcement that Soviet troops would
  be withdrawn followed by
• Same night Soviet troops return supported by
  fighter planes
• Resistance many killed
• Nagy deserted by 4 government ministers who were
  put into power and led by Janos Kadar
• Nagy duped and executed body not found until
  1989
• Kadars clampdown Stalinist order re-imposed

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2 different Soviet responses

• Soviets acquiesced in Poland
• Soviets crushed popular uprising in Hungary
• Official line If we let things take their
  course the West would say we are either stupid or
  weak, and thats one and the same thing. We
  cannot possibly permit it, either as Communists
  and internationalists or as the Soviet Union
  (Khrushchev)
• BUT archives show that Soviet leadership divided
  over what to do about Hungary

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2 different Soviet responses

• International dimension affected situation
• Suez Crisis preoccupies West
• West did nothing but western propaganda may have
  encouraged Hungarians to rise
• No evidence that international distraction
  directly encouraged Soviets to intervene
• Another reason for Western non-intervention
  policy of peaceful coexistence between East and
  West

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Lessons

• West could not be relied on to back up its
  rhetoric people of Eastern Europe on their own
• Soviets did not see Hungary in the same context
  as Austria
• Hungary an integral part of the system
• Member of the Warsaw Treaty Organization,
  Comecon
• Border with SU
• Military neutrality not an option
• Abdication of leading role of the party not an
  option
• Withdrawal from the bloc would risk the economy
  of the bloc as a whole