This Is the Story of Hungary’s Liberation 37 Years Ago Today
Bill O’Reilly had the story of the day from history.
This is the story of a long occupation, a student uprising, and Hungary’s eventual liberation. This was a time when students protested for freedom, not communism.
In 1945, Moscow occupied Hungary and established full control over the nation. They installed their own leaders, turning the nation into a satellite state by 1949.
On October 23, 1956, students held a peaceful demonstration demanding independence, fair elections, and the withdrawal of Soviet troops. It erupted into violence when the secret police fired on protesters attempting to broadcast demands via radio.
Soviet tanks entered Budapest the following morning, transforming the protest into an armed insurrection.
A more moderate government formed and declared Hungary neutral; then, on November 4th, Nikita Khrushchev launched Operation Whirlwind. The invasion involved over 3000 tanks and 60,000 troops. As a result, 2500 Hungarians were killed, along with seventy Russian soldiers. Another 200,000 people fled to Austria.
Communist order was re-established within six days.
On October 23, 1989, exactly 33 years after the revolution, the government abandoned communism for Western democracy. The last Soviet troops departed Budapest in June 1991. The USSR collapsed six months later. More on history here.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
