The Cold War’s forgotten Hungarian Revolution

On October 23rd 1956, thousands of Hungarian workers and students flooded the streets of Budapest. With fists raised in defiance, they shouted for Freedom from Soviet tyranny! The students issued a declaration in Parliament Square called the “Sixteen Points.” It included demands for personal freedom, economic reform, eliminating the hated secret police, withdrawing Soviet troops, and removing Communist leader Mátyás Rákosi.

Rákosi, appointed by Josef Stalin himself, had presided over a decade-long, oppressive regime that finally brought resentment to a boiling point. When crowds of unarmed civilians were gunned down by security forces 2 days later, the Rebellion became a Revolution between ragtag armed rebels and Soviet troops.

What began as peaceful demonstrations in Budapest quickly escalated into an armed resistance across all of Hungary.

Protestors tore down a statue of Stalin in Heroes’ Square, dragged its metal carcass through the city before decapitating it for all to…