Foreign News 1956: World Crisis, Appalling Events: Hungarian Revolution

WORLD CRISIS Appalling Events

With anxiety and bewilderment, the world watched an appalling eruption.

In Hungary a gallant, leaderless rebellion against Russia's iron rule gave promise of success—until Russia turned its retreating tanks around and set out to crush the revolt.

Israel, taking advantage of Russia's difficulties (and taking for granted U.S. preoccupation with a presidential election), invaded Egypt. Great Britain and France, aggression-bound, moved in, determined to overthrow Gamal Abdel Nasser and recover the Suez Canal.

War in the Middle East gave Russia the chance to muffle the sounds of its own savage conduct in Hungary. With bland cynicism, it lectured Britain and France on aggression, proposed joining with the U.S. in fighting Egypt's invaders (a proposal the U.S. called "unthinkable"), and talked of using "force to crush the aggressors" in the Middle East.

The possibility that Russia might rush into the Middle East gave urgency to the efforts of peacemakers. The U.S. and Britain and France got back together again, after a week tragically apart. U.N. Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold announced that Britain and France had agreed to a ceasefire.

HUNGARY Revolution!

The magic chemistry of courage, anger and desperation that makes men wager their lives for an ideal fired Hungary into revolution last week. Unarmed, unorganized, unaided from outside, the Hungarian people rolled back the tide of Communism. They overthrew a government. They took on the Soviet army. In six days the Hungarian people made history—six days that shook the world. After the week's events, the Communist empire could never be the same. The rest of the world could only look on with a catch in its heart, while thousands who must have known they could expect no outside aid chose, in Jefferson's phrase, to refresh the tree of liberty with blood.

Poland's break with Russia was the spark. Hungarian students got permission to express sympathy with the Poles by gathering silently before Budapest's Polish embassy. Then the Communist Central Committee canceled the permit. Party Leader Erno Gero wanted no demonstrations. At noon there were angry student meetings in every college.

Budapest came out to see the fun. Said an old woman: "We have been silent for eleven years. Today nothing will stop us."

In a solemn but peaceful mood, the students went to pay their respects to Poland. Ten abreast down the broad Danube quays they marched to Petofi Square. A student and workers delegation went to the radio station, requested that its demands be made public. Security police arrested the delegation. The crowd stormed the building, but the police opened fire, killing several attackers.

Seven heavy tanks, manned by Hungarian soldiers, rumbled into the area around midnight. Soldiers, students and workers fraternized. A tank bearing Hungarian colors came through the crowd. Cried the Hungarian colonel standing in the open hatch: "We are unarmed! We came to join you, not to oppose the demonstration." Soon students and workers were flourishing Tommy guns. "The army is with us!" they shouted. Barricades were built in the street that night. Carnival had become revolution.