On November 4, 1956, the Soviet Union launched a large-scale military operation against the Hungarian Uprising. Tanks and soldiers entered Budapest to restore the Communist authorities’ control, while street fighting continued for several more days.
At 5:20 a.m., Prime Minister Imre Nagy announced the foreign military intervention on the radio. “Our troops are fighting. The government is in place,” he said in a brief address. Shortly afterward, Nagy and several of his associates sought refuge at the Yugoslav Embassy in Budapest.
From Protest to Armed Uprising
The events began on October 23, 1956, when students and citizens took to the streets of Budapest demanding political freedoms, a more democratic system and an end to Soviet influence. The discontent quickly grew and developed into armed resistance against the state security forces and Soviet troops stationed in the country.
On October 24, Imre Nagy once again assumed the post of prime minister. He sought to calm the situation and began negotiations for the withdrawal of Soviet troops. On November 1, however, he declared Hungary’s neutrality, announced its withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact and appealed to the United Nations for international support.
Tanks Against Barricades
The Soviet operation on November 4 was carried out with heavy weaponry and overwhelming military superiority. Fighting took place in Budapest around Széna Square, the Corvin Passage, Blaha Lujza Square, Óbuda and other districts. The insurgents used small arms, improvised explosive devices and Molotov cocktails, but failed to halt the advance.
According to various historical accounts, the last organized pockets of resistance were crushed between November 10 and 11. The U.S. Library of Congress identifies November 11 as the end of the fighting, while other summaries designate November 10 as the date of the Soviet victory.
Casualties, Refugees and Repression
About 2,500 Hungarians died during the uprising, while nearly 200,000 people left the country. A significant portion of them crossed the border into Austria, which received the main wave of refugees. The number of casualties varies among sources, with some estimates reaching approximately 3,000 Hungarians killed.
After the uprising was crushed, the Moscow-backed government of János Kádár came to power. Arrests, trials and executions of members of the resistance began. Imre Nagy was detained after leaving the Yugoslav Embassy, convicted of treason and executed in 1958.
The defeat of the uprising cemented Soviet control over Hungary, but at the same time it became one of the most prominent symbols of resistance to the Communist system in Eastern Europe. After the end of Communism, Hungary declared November 4 a Day of National Mourning in memory of those killed and the victims of the subsequent repression.
Sources: history.com, time.com