The arms race and the Hungarian Uprising
The arms race
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1945 | The USA drops atomic bombs on Japan |
| 1949 | The USSR tests its own atomic bomb |
| 1952 | The USA tests a far more powerful hydrogen bomb (H-bomb) |
| 1953 | The USSR tests its own H-bomb |
| 1957 | The USSR tests a long-range missile and launches Sputnik, the first satellite |
Significance:
- each side feared the other might strike first, which deepened mistrust
- the race was hugely expensive for both sides
- but because both could destroy each other, neither dared to start a war directly. Nuclear weapons became a .
Key terms
The Warsaw Pact, 1955
In May 1955, West Germany joined NATO. Days later, the USSR and its satellite states signed the , a military alliance: an attack on one member would be an attack on all.
Its members included the USSR, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania. The armies were under Soviet command, and the pact allowed Soviet troops to stay in the satellite states.
Significance: Europe was now divided into two armed camps, NATO and the Warsaw Pact. The pact also gave the USSR a way to keep control of its satellites.
Key terms
Events in 1956 leading to the Hungarian Uprising
Causes:
- Hungary's communist ruler, Rákosi, was harsh: thousands were imprisoned by the secret police, and living standards were low.
- Stalin died in 1953. In February 1956, the new Soviet leader, Khrushchev, criticised Stalin in a 'secret speech'. Many in Eastern Europe hoped this meant more freedom.
- In 1956 Rákosi was removed, but his replacement was little better.
On 23 October 1956, students and workers protested in Budapest and pulled down a giant statue of Stalin. Fighting broke out with Soviet troops. , a reforming communist, became prime minister. He promised free elections, and on 1 November announced that Hungary would leave the Warsaw Pact.
Key terms
Khrushchev's response
Cause: Khrushchev could not allow Hungary to leave the Warsaw Pact. It would break the buffer zone, and other satellite states might follow.
On 4 November 1956, thousands of Soviet troops and tanks entered Budapest and crushed the uprising. Thousands of Hungarians were killed in the fighting, and around 200,000 fled abroad as refugees.
Nagy was arrested and later executed, in 1958. János Kádár, who was loyal to Moscow, became Hungary's leader.
Consequence: Soviet control of Hungary was restored, and every satellite state saw what would happen if it tried to leave.
The international reaction
Nagy appealed to the West and the United Nations for help. The UN condemned the invasion, and Western countries took in refugees. But no Western country sent troops.
Why the West did not intervene:
- Nuclear war: helping Hungary could have started a war with a nuclear-armed USSR.
- : Hungary was in the Soviet sphere. The West had contained communism, but did not try to roll it back.
- The Suez Crisis: at the same time, Britain and France were attacking Egypt, which divided the West and weakened its case against Soviet aggression.
Significance: the West's words were not matched by action, which made the division of Europe seem permanent.
Exam tip
For a narrative account of the Hungarian Uprising, tell the events in order, and link them: 'This led to…', 'As a result…'.