What happened in 1956. Tbilisi events (1956)
1956 was one of the landmark and fateful years for the USSR.
Nikita Khrushchev's secret speech at the 20th Congress of the CPSU in February 1956, exposing the "personality cult of I.V. Stalin" caused a shock in the international communist movement and in Soviet society itself. In fact, a course was taken for the "de-Stalinization" of the USSR and the socialist camp, which would soon lead to a split in the latter.
In October, the Hungarian uprising began. On October 23, 1956, "students' rallies for democratic socialism" suddenly developed into a well-organized uprising. These unrest led to the fact that the Hungarian leadership decided to change its foreign policy course, withdraw from the Warsaw Pact and changed domestic political guidelines. But this did not please the Kremlin, which considered Hungary to be its satellite. Therefore, on November 4, 1956, Soviet troops entered Hungary.
The following picture speaks of the intensity of the battles on the streets of the Hungarian capital:
According to statistics, in connection with the uprising and fighting on both sides in the period from October 23 to December 31, 1956, 2,652 Hungarian citizens were killed and 19,226 people were injured. The losses of the Soviet Army, according to official figures, amounted to 669 people killed, 51 people missing, 1540 wounded.
For modern Hungary, the symbol of those events was "Stalin's boots" - the remains of a monument to the Soviet leader demolished by the crowd:
Of the countries of the socialist camp, unrest in 1956 also affected Poland, and again because of Khrushchev's games of "de-Stalinization". Like Hungary, Poland was only a superficially "Sovietized" country, the same old Rzeczpospolita remained behind the facade of the PPR - a zealously Catholic peasant country with a strong nationalist spirit:
It was calm in Czechoslovakia, Prague celebrates May Day on the 56th with portraits of communist leaders from different times and peoples:
The development of events in Hungary coincided in time with the Suez crisis. On October 29, Israel, and then NATO members Great Britain and France, attacked Soviet-backed Egypt in order to seize the Suez Canal, near which they landed their troops. The second Arab-Israeli war began, which in Israeli historiography is called "Operation Kadesh". As a result of this war, the Israelis inflicted a crushing defeat on the Egyptian army in just a few days and captured the Sinai Peninsula, that is, they took control of a territory several times larger than area of Israel itself.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan played a key role in planning Operation Kadesh. Here it is in a 1956 photograph:
However, the military victory soon turned into a diplomatic fiasco for Israel, England and France. Under pressure from the international community (interestingly, the United States and the USSR acted as a united front), after a few months they were forced to withdraw troops from the territory of Egypt.
US President Eisenhower forced Britain, France and Israel to withdraw their troops from the Suez Canal after the three states opposed Egyptian President Nasser without an agreement with the US. Although Eisenhower strongly opposed the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Nasser, he was nevertheless deeply angered by the willful actions of the European powers.
He exerted massive economic and monetary pressure on Britain to bring about an end to the conflict and the liberation of Egypt. Thus, it consolidated the fall of the European colonial powers, which completely gave way to the forefront of the "superpower" of the United States.
Suez Canal in 56th:
Egyptian President Nasser, 1956:
Winston Churchill, who finally retired on January 11, 1956, was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Medal. Portrait of a politician in 1956:
Queen Elizabeth II of England visits Nigeria, then still a British colony, 1956:
Red China in 1956 is experiencing an unprecedented rise: Soviet specialists are creating entire industries there from scratch: automotive, aircraft, tank building, heavy metallurgy.
60 years ago, the USSR did not buy electronics and cars in China, but laid the foundations of heavy industry there and transferred the latest technologies. The Russians taught the Chinese everything they knew and could do.
Chinese interns at a heavy machine tool plant in Novosibirsk, photo from Friedland, 1956:
Meanwhile, Beijing's seat on the UN Security Council is taken by Taipei. The Americans covered Taiwan with their fleet and turned the island into their "unsinkable aircraft carrier."
Military parade in Taipei in 1956:
The Cold War is waning, but its echoes are shaking the world.
On May 20/21, 1956, the first aerial explosion of a hydrogen bomb was carried out on Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean:
One of the most visible changes in Moscow's foreign policy was the restoration of relations with socialist Yugoslavia, which had been severed in 1948.
Until recently, Josip Tito, who was considered the "leader of the fascist clique", was again hospitably greeted on Soviet soil.
Khrushchev and Tito during the latter's visit to the USSR, 1956:
By 1956, Khrushchev was already the undisputed leader of the USSR, pushing Malenkov aside, but his power had not yet become almost uncontrolled, but was balanced by the old "Stalinist guard" in the Presidium of the Central Committee.
1956 became for the USSR a year of new breakthroughs in technological and economic development, a year of great construction projects and big ambitious plans.
Exactly 60 years ago, the country received a nuclear missile shield, thanks to which it continues to be considered a great power even today.
The R-5M missile system, put into service on June 21, 1956, became the first domestic missile system with nuclear combat equipment.
The 56th turned out to be very favorable for the country's agriculture. It was this year that a great success was indicated in the virgin lands - the harvest was a record one.
In 1956, Khrushchev put forward the slogan: "Catch up and overtake America", referring to the competition in the production of meat and dairy products. At the meeting, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU issued a verdict - to switch to rapid, wide and widespread sowing of corn. Corn crops began in 1957, in 1959 they began to expand greatly: 37 million hectares were allocated for them. Corn has actually replaced traditional grains. The culture was sown even in the northern regions.
By 1956, oil production in the USSR had increased by about 10 times compared to 1913. At the same time, the development of Siberian deposits has not even begun yet, the main production was in Baku and the Volga region.
Baku oil workers in a photograph by German photographer Peter Bock-Schroeder, 1956:
The construction of the Novosibirsk hydroelectric power station in the picture of S. Friedland, 1956:
The Soviet auto industry in 1956 another (second after the war) "change of generations". New models were born and put on the conveyor, which would remain basic until the middle or even the end of the 1960s.
In April 1956, the production of Moskvich-402 small-class cars began, which were quite modern by European standards of that time.
One of these cars has already managed to get into the frame of S. Friedland on one of the central Moscow streets, 1956:
In connection with the end of the Cold War (more precisely, its first episode), there has been some intensification of cultural ties with Western countries. Various delegations became frequent in the USSR, and the Soviet people had much more opportunities for direct contacts.
British models in the circle of enthusiastic fans. Moscow, 1956:
A little about fashion.
Business suits of American women in San Francisco, 1956:
Ski fashion 1956:
Beach fashion:
Travel suit, 1956:
And this is how one of the Soviet fashion magazines suggested dressing fashionistas:
The pictures look better than theirs, in my opinion.
Now let's plunge into the cultural life of the 56th.
On February 21, 1956, Elvis Presley made his debut on the American radio charts with the song "Heartbreak Hotel". Elvis not only sings, but also dances rock and roll:
The rising star is getting mixed reactions from American society. The conservative press calls him "a contagion sent by the communists to corrupt the youth of America." In the southern states, obscurantists are crushing Elvis records with tractors.
Filmography and gossip column 1956.
"Bus Stop" with Marilyn Monroe:
Gina Lollobrigida in Notre Dame Cathedral (1956)
In 1956, Brigitte Bardot gained worldwide popularity thanks to her role in the film And God Created Woman:
In 1956, the fugitive Ingrid Bergman made a triumphant return to Hollywood, which she left in 1949 due to her marriage to the Italian director Roberto Rossellini, with the film "Anastasia" about a girl who believed that she was the daughter of Nicholas II. For this work in 1957, the Swede received the second statuette "Oscar" and "Golden Globe":
Audrey Hepburn as Natasha Rostova "War and Peace", 1956:
Sophia Loren attends the Cannes Film Festival in 1956:
Marlene Dietrich in Monte Carlo, 1956:
The wedding of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier, 1956:
Marilyn Monroe? No, this is British actress Diana Dors, who, by the way, was also a Hollywood sex symbol. 1956:
In 1956, Soviet cinema experienced a new heyday.
In Eldar Ryazanov's musical comedy "Carnival Night", the star of Lyudmila Gurchenko, the future legend of Soviet cinema, flared up for the first time:
The film became the leader of the Soviet film distribution in 1956 with a total of 48.64 million tickets sold, and Lyudmila Gurchenko became a style icon for millions of Soviet women for many years.
One of the most daring films of the 56th is the drama "Forty-First" by Grigory Chukhrai about the love of a red sniper and a White Guard officer with a natural tragic ending. Oleg Strizhenov and Isolda Izvitskaya, "Forty-first":
At the X International Film Festival in Cannes (1957), this film was awarded the prize "For the original screenplay, humanism and romance."
In 1956, the film "Spring on Zarechnaya Street" (directed by Marlen Khutsiev) was shot, which became one of the most popular films of the 1950s, gathering 30.12 million viewers in the Soviet film distribution.
Nikolai Rybnikov and Nina Ivanova, "Spring on Zarechnaya Street":
The film "Different Fates" about young Leningraders is interesting for a lot of everyday details. In Leningrad in 1956, there are still wooden platforms:
We were filming "The Quiet Don", which will be completed next year:
And the children of several subsequent generations will watch the film "Old Man Hottabych", staged at the Lenfilm studio in 1956 by director Gennady Kazansky, based on the fantastic children's story of the same name by Lazar Lagin.
Moscow 1956 in the film "Old Man Hottabych". Wonderful view from the rooftop of the Beijing Hotel:
It's hard to believe now, but in 1956 Moscow ended in the south right behind Moscow State University! In the place of the current endless reinforced concrete jungle, then there were endless fields.
View of the current Michurinsky Prospekt from the main building of Moscow State University, photo by J. Dupaquier:
Other major cities of the USSR have changed even more since then. For example, Tashkent.
The main avenue of Tashkent in 1956 in the picture of J. Dupaquier:
In 1956, the construction of standard five-story buildings using the industrial method was in full swing in the USSR. The idea was borrowed from France, but the design was redesigned taking into account the specifics of the USSR by the Soviet architect Lagutenko.
Tens of thousands of people began to move from barracks and basements to relatively comfortable houses at that time, later nicknamed "Khrushchevs".
"Housewarming", photo from the magazine "Spark", 1956:
Of course, we cannot but look at what the inhabitants of the USSR looked like 60 years ago, what they wore.
Vacationers at the Voroshilov sanatorium (Sochi), 1956:
More Sochi in the photo of Peter Bock-Schroeder, 1956:
Ordinary Soviet people came to look at the main square of the country (the author of the picture, the Frenchman J. Dupaquier, designated them in the caption as "provincials"):
One of the Moscow streets:
Simple Soviet boys in the picture of the German photographer Peter Bock-Schroeder, 1956:
Kindergarten on a walk in Leningrad, J. Dupaquier, 1956:
It's only in the movie "Dandies" that Soviet people of the 1950s dressed in all gray))
Odessans in 1956:
Now few people remember what the Soviet school uniform looked like 60 years ago. Even those who managed to grow up in the late USSR did not find these white-collar workers.
Moscow schoolchildren in the TsPKiO im. Gorky, J. Dupaquier, 1956:
Students in the library of Tomsk University, photo by S. Friedland, 1956:
At the Bolshoi Theatre, 1956:
Praying Muslims in the center of Tashkent, photographed by J. Dupaquier, 1956:
Now let's take a quick look at the life of cities in 1956.
11 years after the war, Berlin is still in ruins:
Soviet "Victory" on the streets of Helsinki in 1956:
Atmospheric Parisian traffic in 1956:
In Barcelona on the 56th, such double-decker trolleybuses drove:
Double-decker trams still run in Glasgow:
In Istanbul in 1956, before the era of bridges and tunnels, boaters were one of the city's main signs:
Avenida Juarez in Mexico City, almost Broadway, 1956:
In the south of the United States, racial segregation still reigned.
Separate entrance for "colored" department store in Mobile, Alabama, 1956
The model American family of the mid-1950s does not listen to rock and roll, but goes to church.
Racial segregationist tobacco planter Marshall Joyner and his family bowed their heads in prayer before dinner in Greenville, North Carolina, July 1956:
Saigon 1956:
Bangkok has already entered an era of prosperity, but before highways and skyscrapers in 1956, it was still as far as the moon, and cars (then entirely imported) shared narrow streets with cycle rickshaws:
Taipei in 1956 was still quite archaic:
In Shanghai in 1956, cars almost disappeared, but there are still many boats:
60 years ago in Greece it was possible to shoot the 19th century without scenery:
In the United States, the era of the "automobile baroque" reached its climax, the cars were not just big, but luxurious, shining with an abundance of chrome parts and bizarre curves of lines. At the same time, the lineup seemed simply endless: 40 car brands exhibited several new models every year.
Obligatory attributes of auto fashion were panoramic windows and "fins" on the rear fenders.
The "fins" on the rear fenders imitated rocket stabilizer wings, with some companies the rocket fashion went even further.
And on the other side of the ocean, manufacturers competed to see who would make the car more compact.
FIAT Multipla Taxi, 1956:
The design of European cars was by no means rocket-like, but simply round-bellied. And they did not stand on the conveyor for a year or two, as in the States, but many times longer.
Renault Dauphine was produced from 1956 to 1968 (photo taken in 1956):
The pretentiousness of American cars contrasted with the brevity of the new architectural design.
Sunrise Shopping Center in Florida, 1956:
Shopping mall in Edina, Minnesota, 1956:
By the mid-50s, an American experiment with an analogue of our Khrushchevs dates back.
Pruitt-Igoe Social Neighborhood, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Officially opened in 1956:
The American experiment with "social microdistricts", as you know, has completely failed. They quickly turned into ghettos.
Civil aviation is rapidly developing in the world. The first models of jet liners have already appeared, but propeller-driven vehicles like the famous Constellation (1956) still dominate the sky:
Stewardess aboard a BOAC aircraft, Britannia, 1956:
The USSR also rushed up. Very soon, the first artificial Earth satellite will fly into space. In the meantime, for the Soviet people of the 56th, jet civil aviation was the "space" technology.
On September 15, 1956, the Tu-104 jet liner made the first regular flight on the Moscow–Omsk–Irkutsk route:
The slender handsome Tu-104s were a huge technological breakthrough compared to the Soviet propeller fleet of those years. Then, all over the USSR, they flew on the "oldies" Li-2 of pre-war development and post-war IL-14.
The IL-14 aircraft at the Vilnius airport in the picture of J. Dupaquier, 1956:
The 16th Summer Olympic Games were held in Melbourne, Australia from November 22 to December 8, 1956:
During the competitions in artistic gymnastics, the Soviet flag was raised 11 times in one hour and the Soviet anthem was played. Athletes of the USSR took away 11 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze medals, becoming absolute world champions.
Olympic champion in artistic gymnastics Larisa Latynina, Melbourne, 1956:
USSR women's gymnastics team, Melbourne, 1956:
Great attention was paid to sports in the USSR.
Parade of athletes during the opening ceremony:
In 1956, an uprising against the communist regime took place in Hungary, which in the USSR was called a "counter-revolutionary rebellion." At that time, Matyas Rakosi, a big admirer of Stalin and a fan of persecuting people for any dissent and sending them to camps, was in power in Hungary. His draconian policy was very unpopular among the Hungarians (but generally suited the Soviet authorities). Therefore, an attempt to overthrow him turned into the intervention of Soviet troops and the bloody suppression of the rebellion. Among the Hungarians, 2,652 insurgents died that year, 348 civilians, and 19,226 were wounded.
I found a good material for you about how it was. Under the cut, only official documents and archival photographs.
Information of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR in the Central Committee of the CPSU on the situation in Hungary as of 12.00 November 4, 1956
Special folder. Owls. secret. Ex. No. 1
At 6 o'clock 15 min. November 4 p. Soviet troops began an operation to restore order and restore people's democratic power in Hungary.
Acting according to a predetermined plan, our units captured the main strongholds of the reaction in the province, which were Gyor, Miskolc, Gyongyes, Debrecen, as well as other regional centers of Hungary.
During the operation, Soviet troops occupied the most important communication centers, including a powerful broadcast radio station in the city of Szolnok, ammunition and weapons depots, and other important military installations.
Soviet troops operating in the city of Budapest, having broken the resistance of the rebels, occupied the parliament buildings, the TsR VPT, as well as a radio station in the parliament area.
Captured three bridges across the river. Danube, linking the eastern and western parts of the city, and an arsenal with weapons and ammunition. The entire composition of the counter-revolutionary government of Imre Nagy went into hiding. Searches are underway.
In Budapest, there was one large center of rebel resistance in the area of the Korvin cinema (south-eastern part of the city). The rebels defending this stronghold were presented with an ultimatum to surrender, in connection with the refusal of the rebels to surrender, the troops began the assault.
The main garrisons of the Hungarian troops are blocked. Many of them laid down their arms without serious resistance. Our troops have been instructed to return to command the Hungarian officers removed by the rebels, and to arrest the officers appointed to replace those removed.
In order to prevent the penetration of enemy agents into Hungary and the flight of the leaders of the rebels from Hungary, our troops occupied the Hungarian airfields and firmly blocked all roads on the Austro-Hungarian border. The troops, continuing to carry out their tasks, clear the territory of Hungary from the rebels.
APRF. F. 3. Op. 64. D. 485.
Information of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR in the Central Committee of the CPSU on the situation in Hungary as of 9.00 on November 7, 1956
During the night of November 7, Soviet troops continued to liquidate small groups of rebels in the city of Budapest. In the western part of the city, our troops fought to destroy the center of resistance in the area of the former Horthy Palace.
During the night, there was a regrouping of the rebel forces in Budapest. Small groups tried to leave the city in a westerly direction. At the same time, a large center of resistance was discovered in the area of the city theater, the park to the east of this theater and in the neighborhoods adjacent to them.
On the territory of Hungary at night it was calm. Our troops carried out activities to identify and disarm groups of rebels and individual Hungarian units.
The government of the Hungarian People's Republic left Szolnok and arrived in Budapest at 6:10 am on November 7. The troops continue to carry out their assigned tasks.
Note: "Comrade Khrushchev familiarized. Archive. 9.XI.56. Dolud".
AP RF. F. 3. Op. 64. D. 486.
Information of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR in the Central Committee of the CPSU on the situation in Hungary as of 9.00 on November 9, 1956
Special folder Sov. secret. Ex. No. 1
During November 8, our troops restored order in Budapest, combed the forests in certain parts of the country, caught and disarmed scattered small groups of rebels, and also seized weapons from the local population.
District military commandant's offices have been set up in Budapest. A normal life is gradually being established in the country, a number of enterprises, urban transport, hospitals and schools have started to work. Local authorities are expanding their activities.
According to preliminary data, the losses of the Soviet troops during the period of hostilities in Hungary from October 24 to November 6 this year. 377 people are killed, 881 people are wounded. Including 37 killed and 74 wounded officers.
About 35,000 Hungarians have been disarmed by our troops. A large number of weapons, military equipment and ammunition were captured during the fighting and taken under guard as a result of disarmament, the accounting of which continues.
Note: "Comrade Khrushchev familiarized. Archive. 10.IX.56. Doluda".
AP RF. F. 3. Op. 64. D. 486. L. 43.
Information of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR in the Central Committee of the CPSU on the situation in Hungary as of 9.00 on November 10, 1956
Special folder Sov. secret. Ex. No. 1
During November 9, our troops continued to eliminate small groups of rebels, disarmed former Hungarian army soldiers, and also seized weapons from the local population.
A group of rebels offered stubborn resistance in the suburbs of Budapest - on the northern outskirts of Csepel Island. Three of our tanks were hit and burned in this area.
The political situation in the country continues to improve. However, in some places, hostile elements are still trying to prevent the establishment of order and the normalization of life in the country.
The situation continues to be difficult in Budapest, where the population lacks food and fuel. The government of Janos Kadar, together with the Command of the Soviet Forces, is taking measures to provide the population of Budapest with food.
Note: "Comrade Khrushchev reported. Archive. 10.XI.56. Dolud".
AP RF. F. 3. Op. 64. D. 486. L. 96.
Telephone message I.A. Serov from Budapest N.S. Khrushchev on the operational work carried out by the Soviet and Hungarian state security agencies
Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU comrade. Khrushchev N.S.
Yesterday the Minister of Public Security, Comrade Münnich, sent an order to the regional organizations, in which he pointed out that in the localities, contrary to the prohibition of the government, state security organs were being created. Therefore, he orders all employees of the state security organs to stop their work on the formation of organs and go home.
Considering that the special departments of the divisions carry out all the work of seizing the counter-revolutionary rebels through the Hungarian employees of the state security organs who appeared after the occupation of the cities by parts of the Soviet Army, today I talked with Comrade Münnich and asked how he further had in mind to carry out work to identify and arrest the counter-revolutionary element after such an order.
Tov. Münnich answered me that he issued the directive on the basis of instructions from the government, as provided for by the Government's Declaration.
Some time later, Comrade Kadar came to Comrade Münnich's office and said that he would also like to talk to me. During the conversation, Comrade Kadar focused on the following questions:
1. He had representatives of some regions, in particular the region of Salnok, who informed Kadar that the officers of the Soviet Army were arresting a lot and, along with the arrest of the counter-revolutionary element, they were also arresting ordinary participants in the insurrectionary movement.
He believes that this should not be done, since the people who participated in the insurgency are very afraid of revenge from the government, while the Declaration of the government said that those who lay down their arms and stop resisting will not be punished. The Hungarian government should not take revenge and show cruelty against such persons.
The representative of the Salnok region told Comrade Kadar that when 40 people were arrested in the region, representatives from the workers came and said that they would not start working until the arrested were released. In other regions, there were rumors that 6,000 people had been arrested in Salnok.
Tov. Kadar pointed out that the arrests of the reactionaries were former employees of the state security organs, whom the government had dismissed. It is not to our advantage before the people that Hungarian state security officers participate in arrests. You must bear in mind that in our country the mood of the masses is of great importance. The Soviet comrades and our members of the state security organs may arouse the indignation of the masses with arrests.
I said that the members of the state security organs in Hungary are now doing positive work in the removal of counter-revolutionary rebels. In a few days, when those who pose a threat to the current government are isolated, then these employees should be transferred to another job. Tov. Kadar and comrade Munnich agreed with this.
I explained to Comrade Kadar that the special departments of the divisions were instructed to arrest all the organizers of the rebellion, persons who resisted units of the Soviet Army with weapons in their hands, as well as citizens who incited and kindled the hatred of the people (during the Nagy government) towards the Communists and employees of the state security, as a result of which some of them were shot, hanged and burned.
As for the rank and file participants in the uprising, they are not arrested. Tov. Kadar and comrade Munnich agreed that this indication was correct.
I further added that it was possible that individuals not belonging to the listed categories could be arrested. Therefore, all those arrested are carefully filtered and those who did not play an active role in the rebellion are released.
Taking into account the liberal attitude shown by the leading workers of Hungary towards the enemies, I instructed the special departments to send all those arrested as soon as possible from the regions and cities to the Chop station, and also explained the organization of the political department in the regions.
2. Further, Comrade Kadar said that in the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Budapest), where a large number of state security officers are concentrated, an unhealthy situation has created, since among the employees of the bodies there are persons who worked in the bodies under Rakosi and played a negative role.
Therefore, he believes that these employees should be immediately removed and given other jobs. In addition, he considers it appropriate to disband the security department, as these are dishonest people.
I expressed the wish that Comrade Münnich quickly issue an order, as we agreed, on the organization of the people's police and staffed it with the most dedicated honest employees, and also formed a "political department" (department of state security), which could begin work. Then this issue will be removed.
At the same time, we agreed with Comrade Münnich that there would be no more than 20-25 people in the political department of the center with an open staff, and the rest of the employees would work in a secret staff.
The political department will include: foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, secret political service, investigation and a special service of operational equipment. Tov. Munnich said that he would sign such an order tomorrow. I will report on the number of those arrested by regions and the seized weapons in a separate note.
AP RF. F. 3. Op. 64. D. 487. L. 78-80.
Telephone message I.A. Serov and Yu.V. Andropov from Budapest to the Central Committee of the CPSU about sending the arrested Hungarians to the territory of the USSR
Today, throughout the day, Comrades Kadar and Münnich (each separately) called us repeatedly, who informed us that the Soviet military authorities had sent a train of Hungarian youth to the Soviet Union (Siberia) who had taken part in an armed rebellion.
Kadar and Münnich declared in this connection that they did not approve of such actions on our part, since these actions caused an alleged general strike of the Hungarian railway workers and worsened the internal political situation in the country as a whole.
Tonight, the Budapest radio them. Kossuth conveyed a tendentious message about the deportation of Hungarian youth to Siberia. Tov. Munnich requested that the command of the Soviet troops make an official statement in the press that it did not and would not export anyone from Hungary to the USSR. On our part, Comrade Munnich was told that we would clarify this issue and tomorrow we would inform him of the answer.
In fact, today, November 14, a small train with arrested people was sent to the Chop station, the investigative files on which were registered as active participants and organizers of the armed rebellion. The echelon followed the border.
When the echelon was moving, the prisoners at two stations threw notes out the window, in which they said that they were being sent to Siberia. These notes were picked up by Hungarian railroad workers who reported it to the government. On our line, instructions have been given to send those arrested in the future in closed vehicles under reinforced escort.
Tomorrow, at a meeting with Comrade Münnich, Comrade Serov intends to tell him that in view of the absence in Hungary of a prison sufficiently prepared for keeping prisoners, where it would be possible to conduct an objective investigation, we had in mind to place a small group of arrested people in a room close to Soviet-Hungarian border. Comrades Suslov and Aristov have been informed of this.
Andropov
AP RF. F. 3. Op. 64. D. 486. L. 143-144.
Reference
According to statistics, in connection with the uprising and hostilities in the period from October 23 to December 31, 1956, 2,652 Hungarian rebels died, 348 civilians, and 19,226 people were injured.
The losses of the Soviet army, according to official figures, amounted to 669 people killed, 51 missing and 1251 wounded.
The losses of the Hungarian People's Army were, according to official figures, 53 killed and 289 wounded soldiers.
The total number of lost military equipment is unknown.
2nd Guards MD, the first to enter the rebellious Budapest, lost 4 tanks on October 24, 1956.
The 33rd MD during the operation "Whirlwind" lost 14 tanks and self-propelled guns, 9 armored personnel carriers, 13 guns, 4 MLRS, 6 anti-aircraft guns and other equipment, as well as 111 military personnel.
According to Hungarian communist sources, after the liquidation of the armed groups, a large number of Western-made weapons fell into the hands of the troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the police: German MP-44 assault rifles and American Thompson submachine guns.
Budapest suffered as a result of street fighting between Soviet troops and rebels, 4,000 houses were completely destroyed in the city and another 40,000 were damaged.
TASS-DOSIER. During the events in Hungary, the USSR for the first time demonstrated its readiness to use force to maintain control over the state that was part of the Eastern Bloc. During the Cold War in the Soviet Union and the socialist countries, these events were characterized as the Hungarian counter-revolutionary rebellion, in post-communist Hungary they were called the Hungarian Revolution.
Background of the uprising
The prerequisites for the uprising were mainly political in nature. In post-war Hungary, which during the Second World War on the side of Nazi Germany, there remained a large number of supporters of the fascist Arrow Cross Party (1937-1945). They created underground organizations that carried out subversive work against the communist regime.
The only legal political force since the late 1940s. in the country there was a communist Hungarian Working People's Party (HPT). It was headed by Matthias Rakosi, who was called "the best Hungarian student of Stalin." According to experts, in 1952-1953, when Rakosi was the head of government, about 650 thousand people were subjected to political persecution and about 400 thousand received various terms of imprisonment (about 10% of the population).
In 1953, the government was headed by Imre Nagy, third-party democratic reforms in the party and the country. The amnesty and socio-economic reforms he carried out (in particular, funding for a number of large industrial facilities was stopped, more attention was paid to the development of light and food industries, taxes were reduced, etc.) were criticized in the USSR. Therefore, already in 1955, Imre Nagy was removed from his post. His successor, András Hegedüs, had no influence in the party, thanks to which the leadership of the VPT, including Rákosi and his follower Erno Görö, was able to resume the previous course.
This caused discontent in society, which intensified after the 20th Congress of the CPSU (February 1956), at which Stalin's personality cult was condemned. Against the backdrop of anti-government sentiment, in July 1956 Rákosi was removed from the post of General Secretary of the VPT, but he was replaced by Ernő Görö. In addition to the arrests of some former heads of state security (Allamvedelmi Hatosag, AVH), responsible for the repression, no tangible measures were taken to change the situation in the country. The catalyst for the Hungarian uprising was the events in Poland in October of that year, known as the "Gomulka thaw".
The beginning of the uprising
The uprising in Hungary began with student unrest. On October 16, in the city of Szeged, a group of university students withdrew from the communist Democratic Youth League. They re-established the Union of Students of Hungarian Universities and Academies, disbanded by the government after the war. A few days later they were joined by students in other cities. On October 22, students from the Budapest University of Technology held rallies.
Among the demands was the return to the government of Imre Nagy, the holding of free elections, as well as the withdrawal of Soviet troops (they were located on the territory of Hungary, first in accordance with the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947, and since 1955 under the terms of the Warsaw Pact Organization; they were called Special corps and deployed in different cities, the commandant's office was located in Budapest).
On October 23, a demonstration was held in Budapest with the participation of 200 thousand people who carried banners with the same appeals. A group of demonstrators entered the territory of the Kilian barracks located in the city center and seized weapons. The first victims appeared during the clashes of the rebels who were trying to get into the Radio House in order to broadcast their demands. Protesters tore down a 25-meter monument to Stalin and attempted to seize a number of buildings, resulting in clashes with state security units and the army.
On the evening of October 23, the HTP leadership, in order to stop the conflict, decided to appoint Imre Nagy as chairman of the government. At the same time, Erno Gero, in a telephone conversation, turned to the Soviet government with a request for help. By decree of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the CPSU, units of the Special Corps began to move to Budapest. 6 thousand Soviet troops arrived in the capital on the morning of October 24, they were armed with 290 tanks, 120 armored personnel carriers, 156 guns. The next day, during a rally near the parliament, unidentified people opened fire from the upper floors of nearby buildings, as a result of which an officer of the Special Corps was killed, and the Soviet military began firing back. According to various estimates, between 60 and 100 people on both sides died during the shootout.
These events aggravated the situation in the country, the rebels began to attack state security officers, communists and regime loyalists, use torture and carry out lynchings. Correspondents of foreign publications (Mond, Times, Welt, etc.) wrote about 20 members of the Budapest city committee of the HWP and about 100 AVH workers killed, but there is no exact data on the victims among them. Soon the railway and air communication was interrupted, shops and banks were closed. Unrest swept other cities of the country.
On October 28, in a radio speech, Imre Nagy recognized the people's indignation as just, announced a ceasefire, the start of negotiations with the USSR on the withdrawal of Soviet troops, the dissolution of the Hungarian People's Army and the VPT (on November 1, the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party, VSWP) was created.
USSR decisions
Assessing the current situation, the Soviet leadership came to the conclusion that it was necessary to withdraw troops from Hungary and revise the system of relations with the countries of the socialist camp. On October 30, the Soviet military contingent was withdrawn from the capital to the places of permanent deployment. On the same day, a government declaration was broadcast on the radio, which stated the Kremlin's readiness to consider with the Warsaw Pact member states the issue of Soviet troops stationed on their territories. At the same time, the Hungarian events were called "a just and progressive movement of the working people, which was joined by reactionary forces."
However, on October 31, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU Nikita Khrushchev proposed "to reconsider the assessment of the situation in Hungary, not to withdraw troops and show initiative in restoring order" in the country. According to him, leaving Hungary would be interpreted in the West as weakness. Historians do not have a unanimous opinion on the question of why the USSR decided to abandon the implementation of the original declaration. In this regard, data are provided on the disapproving reaction to the document from the communist leaders of a number of countries. Thus, in a telegram from the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Italy, Palmiro Togliatti, it was indicated that in the event of the withdrawal of troops, events in Hungary would develop exclusively in a "reactionary direction."
As a result, a decision was made in Moscow to conduct a military operation to overthrow the government of Imre Nagy. On November 1-3, the USSR held consultations with Bulgaria, the GDR, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, which were part of the Eastern Bloc, as well as China, during which this plan was approved. The operation called "Whirlwind" was developed under the leadership of the Minister of Defense Marshal Georgy Zhukov.
Having decided to conduct an operation against the Nagy government, in Moscow, members of the Nagy cabinet, Ferenc Münnich and Janos Kadar, were considered as candidates for the post of head of the new government, who recognized that the situation in Hungary was out of control and saw a way out in cooperation with the USSR. In early November, they arrived in Moscow for negotiations. As a result, it was decided to form a government under the leadership of Kadar, who on November 4 turned to the USSR with a request for help from Hungary.
The second entry of Soviet military units into Budapest under the overall command of Marshal Zhukov began on the morning of November 4th. The formation of the Special Corps and two armies from the Carpathian Military District took part in the operation. Tank, mechanized, rifle and airborne divisions were involved, the total number of military personnel exceeded 30 thousand people.
The entry of Soviet military units into Budapest under the overall command of Marshal Zhukov began on the morning of November 4th. Tank, mechanized, rifle and airborne divisions were involved in the operation, the total number of military personnel exceeded 30 thousand. There were over 1000 tanks, 800 guns and mortars, 380 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers. They were opposed by armed resistance units with a total number of up to 15 thousand people
There were over 1,000 tanks, 800 guns and mortars, 380 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers in service. They were opposed by armed resistance groups with a total number of up to 15 thousand people (according to the estimates of the Hungarian side - 50 thousand). The regular units of the Hungarian army remained neutral. On November 6, the remaining pockets of resistance in Budapest were destroyed, and by November 11, the uprising was crushed throughout the country (however, even before December, part of the rebels continued their underground struggle; Soviet troops were engaged in the elimination of disparate groups together with the Hungarian military).
On November 8, 1956, Janos Kadar announced the transfer of all power to the government headed by him. Among the main points of his program were the preservation of the socialist nature of the state, the restoration of order, the improvement of the living standards of the population, the revision of the five-year plan "in the interests of the working people", the fight against bureaucracy, the development of Hungarian traditions and culture.
Losses
According to official data, the losses of the Soviet army amounted to 669 people killed, 51 missing, 1,540 wounded. Losses on the Hungarian side from October 23 to December 1956 amounted to 2,500 people killed.
Consequences
From the end of 1956 to the beginning of 1960, about 300 death sentences were handed down to the participants in the rebellion in Hungary. Imre Nagy was hanged on June 16, 1958 for "treason and organizing a conspiracy to overthrow the people's democratic system" (in 1989, the sentence was overturned, and Imre Nagy was declared a national hero). In the USSR, because of the fear of the development of events according to the Hungarian scenario, in December 1956 a decision was made to "strengthen the political work of party organizations among the masses and suppress attacks by anti-Soviet, hostile elements."
In November-December 1956, the UN General Assembly adopted a number of resolutions calling on the USSR to stop "armed attacks on the people of Hungary" and interference in its internal affairs.
The events in the USSR in 1956 radically changed the course of development of the state. This year has been full of successful discoveries, political announcements and important laws. If we analyze the course of events, then in the chronology one can see a certain logical connection.
Event #1
On February 13, 1956, the Soviet Antarctic was opened. The construction of the facility was carried out as soon as possible. Shock construction began on January 5, 1956, when the Soviet ship "Ob" approached the coast of Antarctica. Until February 13, the ship's crew built 21 buildings for research and accommodation for members of the expedition, as well as an airfield. they could already fly great distances, so the path through the air was much faster than by water. The grandiose construction ended the day before the opening of the fateful 20th Congress of the CPSU. Is it logical? Undoubtedly! We would try not to!
February 1956: an event in the USSR that changed attitudes towards Stalin
Soviet life from the early 1930s until Stalin's death in 1953 was full of horrors. Repressions, deaths, denunciations, executions, the destruction of the best soldiers before the start of the war, the exaltation of the personality of Joseph Stalin. Such moments were obvious excesses and were not prescribed in the Marxist-Leninist theory, which in its essence was quite interesting and democratic.
The convention opened on February 14, 1956. More than 1,400 delegates representing all the republics of the Union took part in its work. The importance of this event was that the 19th Congress took place in the 1930s. It was necessary to restart all spheres of life in Soviet society. Congress delegates condemned the political excesses that took place during Stalin's rule. It was emphasized that Stalin did not become a follower of Lenin in the implementation of the provisions of the Marxist-Leninist theory. At this congress there was a creative rethinking of the life of the USSR in the last 20 years. The delegates agreed on important decisions of the Council of Ministers concerning the gradual increase in wages and the strengthening of the development of agriculture. The so-called thaw began in cultural life. The apogee of the congress and the entire political life of the state for many years has come. It was on this day that Nikita Khrushchev delivered his famous report on debunking the cult of personality.
Kuibyshev - the city of mysticism and faith in God
Atheism... Godlessness... 1956... The events in the USSR in Kuibyshev proved to many supporters of the absence of heavenly forces the fallacy of their views. "Standing Zoe" is a miracle that shook the whole city. Important events in the USSR in 1956 did not always become public knowledge. For example, only the residents of Kuibyshev, the internal affairs bodies and the church knew about "Zoya's standing". What happened on the evening before the New Year in an ordinary Soviet family? The girl wanted to celebrate the New Year with friends, dancing, etc. Her mother tried to dissuade her from such a celebration, because the Advent was not yet over. It is clear that the youth of that time did not honor church orders. Mother went to church to pray, and a party started at home. Girlfriends came with their young people, but Zoya's boyfriend Nikolai was a little late. It turned out that she had no one to dance with. The girl took the image of St. Nicholas in her hands, saying: "I will dance with this Nicholas!" Almost immediately after that, a radiance appeared in the room, the girl turned to stone in the literal sense of the word. The peculiarity of this fact was that she did not die, because her heartbeat was felt. A pilgrimage literally began from all over the city to Zoya's house, so police guards were placed there. Church dignitaries also came to read prayers over Zoya. "Zoya's Stand" lasted 128 days and ended on May 6, 1956 at Easter. After this event, atheism in Kuibyshev ended - people began to go to church, pray and undergo the rite of baptism. The year 1956 was marked by such a sensation.
Events in the USSR: football
Football was on its way. The USSR Championship was already held in several divisions. This year, the geography of the championship participants has expanded due to teams from remote Soviet republics and teams from the Far East. In the Premier League, the standings at the end of the season, of course, were headed by the capital's clubs. Spartak became the champion with 34 points. Moscow "Dynamo" lagged behind by 6 points, and CDSA - by as much as 9 points. What do you think, who became the best non-Moscow club? Right! "Dynamo" (Kyiv) took 4th place in the tournament. "Labor reserves" (Leningrad) and "ODO" (Sverdlovsk) flew out to the first league.
Football events in the USSR in 1956 were not limited to the championship. Melbourne, Australia hosted the Summer Olympics. The main favorites of the football tournament, despite the participation of the German, British, Yugoslav teams (all these countries sent youth), were the teams of the USSR and Bulgaria. In addition to these teams, several frankly weak teams took part in the tournament. The Soviet team had 5 fights (4 wins and a draw). In the tournament, our players passed the German youth, Indonesia (they had to play a replay), Bulgaria. In the final with a score of 1:0 won against the team of Yugoslavia.
Changes in labor legislation
The significant events of 1956 were not limited to football, the Congress of the CPSU and the opening of a station in Antarctica. Important changes were made in the labor legislation. On May 26, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On the establishment of a six-hour working day for persons aged 16 to 18" was signed. On July 14, 1956, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted the Law "On State Pensions", which provided for a slight increase in pensions for persons entitled to them, as well as the possibility of assigning pensions to collective farm workers if they had a passport and the opportunity to confirm the length of service.
Treaty with Japan
Let's talk about what happened in the USSR in 1956. Of the foreign policy events, it is worth recalling reconciliation with Japan. Until now, it is believed in the general public that the Second World War has not officially ended, because the successors of the USSR did not sign a peace treaty with Japan. On October 19, Soviet and Japanese diplomats held negotiations, as a result of which a Declaration was signed on the cessation of the state of war between states. The countries restored diplomatic relations and exchanged ambassadors.
Development of virgin lands
As we have already noted, many events in the USSR in 1956 left a significant mark on history. The development of virgin lands is one of them. In the Central Asian republics, many lands that could potentially become sown were not cultivated. For this they had to be processed. In 1956, a resolution of the Council of Ministers "On the development of virgin lands" was issued. A trip to the development of virgin lands has become the most popular Komsomol route in the country. Already in 1956, more than 50 thousand people visited these works for the benefit of the Soviet motherland.
Aircraft building
In 1956, Soviet engineers surprised the whole world with a new model of a passenger liner. We are talking about a jet aircraft TU-104. This model was demonstrated at air shows. The liner made its first regular flight on the route "Moscow - Omsk - Irkutsk". Fast, convenient and inexpensive - the main principle in the work of "Aeroflot". Soviet engineers never ceased to amaze the world with new achievements all the time.
Conclusion
Probably, February 1956 turned out to be the most eventful with important moments. Event number 1 in the USSR, of course, which determined the development trends of the state for years to come. Many resolutions of the Council of Ministers and the Presidium of the Supreme Council, issued in 1956, implemented the decisions taken at the congress. 1956 was one of the most important and fruitful years in the history of the USSR.