welcome to this rapid revision video looking at the Hungarian uprising of 1956 part of the superpower relations and Cold War course first some background in 1955 there had been some optimism that tensions between East and West were easing after a summit in neutral Geneva Switzerland this was designed to ease tensions particularly between East and West Germany and there had been some warm feeling there and some progress made however this optimism as we'll see was very shortlived Hungary was one of the Soviet satellite States effectively under moscow's control in 1956 there was unrest in that country due to a lack of political freedoms and also hunger and anger caused by poor harvests and fuel shortages remember that Soviet satellite states were not allowed to take part in the martial aid program if you want to find out more about martial Aid and the Soviet satellite States I've got earlier videos on those topics the new Soviet leader Nikita kushev have been critical as Stalin and some hungarians hoped that he would be less repressive after all Stalin had died in 1953 kushev decided to install a new Hungarian prime minister imra knck knck had been prime minister before and he believed in allowing some political freedoms within a communist state Knack was also prepared to release political prisoners and work with non-communists in government effectively ending the single party communist state in Hungary now normally this would not have been allowed in a Soviet satellite state however krushev accepted these reforms as a way of ending the unrest but this compromise was not to last n's reforms though eventually went further than chrisf was prepared to accept on the 1st of November 1956 nag announced that Hungary was leaving the Warsaw Pact as the Warsaw Pact was supposed to be a vital buffer zone between West and East kushev could not allow this on the 4th of November the Soviet Army invaded Hungary 1,000 tanks rolled into Budapest to overwhelm Hungarian resistance and about 20,000 hungarians died in The Invasion soon Knack was replaced by yanos kadada who was more Pro Soviet Knack and his cabinet had been promised safe passage out of Hungary instead they were arrested and executed this had been revealed in 1958 effectively to set an example to other Soviet state leaders the brutality of the red Army's Invasion can hardly be denied so what was the Western response people in Eastern Europe were familiar with Western propaganda especially on the radio station radi free Europe which was funded by Western Powers these radio stations often encourag them to overthrow their Communist governments therefore some expected the West to send help to the hungarians including military help to resist the Soviet invasion Nik begged for help too to he wrote this on the day of the invasion itself on the 4th of November 1956 and he wrote this fight is the fight for Freedom by the Hungarian people against the Russian intervention and it is possible I shall only be able to stay at my post for one or two hours the whole world will see how the Russian Armed Forces contrary to all treaties and conventions are crushing the resistance of the Hungarian people I should like like in these last moments to ask the leaders of the Revolution if they can to to leave the country today it is Hungary and tomorrow or the day after tomorrow it will be the turn of other countries because the imperialism of Moscow does not know borders and is only trying to play for time this is clearly a very last minute and very desperate plea for help so did it fall on De ears well I'm afraid for nag it did other than accepting a few Hungarian refugees NATO did not oppose the invasion their policy was one of containment in other words stopping the Soviet States from spreading they would not risk a potential nuclear war to help an already communist Nation the hungarians were on their own so what were the consequences the uprising confirmed that any temporary easing of tensions between the superpowers after the Geneva Summit had ended the Cold War was getting colder kushev felt strengthened by the defeat of the Hungarian Rising the Warsaw Pact as a result wasn't weakened the USSR gained confidence that NATO would not risk nuclear war over conflicts in Soviet satellite states on the other hand the uprising made the West look weak they had failed to back up their promises to support those who overthrew Communist governments with Military Support although perhaps this can be understood given the risk and fear of nuclear war although the conflict didn't spread it further harmed relations between the superpowers to sum up unrest in Hungary erupted due to fuel and food shortages in 1956 in order to end the unrest christv installed a moderate prime minister imra knak Who was appointed leader of Hungary his reforms were accepted to end the unrest and represented a compromise between Communists and non-communists however on November the 1st KN LED Hungary out of The wara Pact kushev sent an invasion Force into Hungary to remove Knack on November the 4th knack's pleading for Western military help was ignored 20,000 hungarians are thought to have died in The Invasion chrisv installed yonas kadada Knack was executed to set an example to others NATO's refusal to intervene made it look weak to some observers by the end of 1956 relations between the superpowers had worsened and this at a time when the Cold War had seemed to be thawing after the Geneva Summit that's the end though of this rapid revision video I hope it's been useful to you and if it has please do like the video and subscribe to the channel for more please do put any comments and suggestions below for other topics you'd like me to cover and I'll do what I can but for now that's the end of this video and thanks very much for watching goodbye