(SANITIZED)HUNGARIAN HISTORY, 1945-1949 2. EVENTS IN THE HUNGARIAN REVOLUTION 3. TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS(SANITIZED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A038800060001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 14, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: November 27, 1957
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title
18, U.S.C. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
S-E-C-R-E-T
COUNTRY Hungary
SUBJECT
DATE DISTR. 12 7 NOV 19P
1. Hungarian History, 1945 19 9
2. Events in the Hungarian Revolution NO. PAGES 1
3. avel REQUIREMENT
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE &
DATE ACQ
SOURCE EVALUATIONS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE
report concerning Hungarian
history between 1911.5 and 1949 and events in the Hungarian revolution of October-
November 1956. The report also gives some general information on
STATE ARMY # NAVY .&[ IAIR #c FBI AEC
I(Note: Washington distribution indicated by "X"; Field distribution by "#".)
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The first M national TTI-u-1, arian government was formed at the beginning- of.
1945 at Debreczen under the leadership of the Hungarian General V'.FS. Soon after
there came a coalition government with seat in Budapest and Zoltan TILDT'Y as
Prime T -Minister. The latter was a member of the Small Sb= Farmer's Party. Ferene
EI'LDEI, also of the Farmer's Party, was the first Minister of Interior Affairs. while
Ferenc NAGY came into this first Cabinet as Minister of Reconstruction.
In November 1945 'I.DEI was replaced as Minister of Interior Affairs by the
Communist EM RAJK.
In July 1946 the first Hungarian republic was set up. President of this republic
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was Zoltan TILDEY, and Ferenc NAGY was ?rime Minister.
Ferenc NAGY also belonred to the Small Farmers' Party, which got about 67 per cent
of all votes in thl first elections held. after the war.
Very quickly the Commrunists, with the support of the Russians, got more and
more influence; they sought for an opportunity to shove Zoltan TILDFY abide.
Finally the following club was found: a son-in-law of Zoltan TILD"Y named Victor
CSCRNOI BUN was Ambassador
Zoltan TILDEY was forced to resign. He was not arrested but was put under house arrest
which lasted. until after the 20th Party Congress in Russia.
TILDEY was succeeded by the Social-Democrat Zoltan 'aKAS1TS,
a fellow-traveler of the Communists.
Beside the Prime Minister Ferenc NAGY worked RAKOSI as deputy Prime Minister.
RAKCSI was a strong Communist and First secretary of the CP. In reality, he was
the man who held the reins.
First Secretary of the Small Farmers' Party was Bela 1;CVACS, a very good friend mg
of Ferenc NAGY. This O'JACS was taken prisoner by the Pusiians in 1947 and deported to
Russia. This was a sign to Ferenc NAGY to take to his heels as fast as possible.
He went to Switzerland on vacation, so to speak, and did not come back. Immediately
he was mcmuA pilloried by the Communist press as a reactionary and a capitalist
sympathizer. 25X1
ter a, on 21 August 1948, the organization of the Hungarian People's
Republic took place. The first Prime Minister of the People's Republic, Ia.joe
DINNYES, was not a Communist but belonged to the most extreme left wing of the
Small Farmer's Party. He was a willing tool in the hands of the Communists.
Father soon after he came to pacer, agreements were made with Russia and
the other satellite countries, such as Rumania, Czechslovakia, YuFoslavia, etc.
What was striking was that two or three months after the pact with Yugoslavia was
made, Tito pulled down the displeasure of the Kremlin upon his neck and was
booted out of the Cominform.
About March 1949 lajos DINNYES was replaced by Istvs.n DCBI, who had also
belonged to the lft wing of the Small Farmers' Party. Obviously I,. j os DETT YES
could not be maintained in power because he was a big landowner and had extensive
holdings in the Budapest area. Istvan DCB I, on the contrary, came
from the small farmers' class and thus `ras more acceptable. 25X1
After Ferenc NAGY had left the Communists took power openly
in Hungary. The Communist and the ocia -Democratic Parties were merged, and
the other parties gradually disappeared from the scene. Also the terror in Hungary
began at that time.
The purge of higher officials also began. All the section chiefs of the
departments were replaced by Communists o~ by people whom the Communists considered
reliable.
"hen Istvan DOD I carne to opwer in 1949, the purge of officialsi- continucd
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They did not limit themselves then to the higher officials; all officials were now
"purified." The Communists and those whose origins and attitudes were a--parently
not untrustworthy could remain.
Origin, above all, was important in this connection. An intellectual who
came from the wealthier classes was irmediately dismissed, but if an intellectual
cane from the workers' or farmers' , class, that ,:as different. 25X1
Subject's Part it the Revolutions
i efore the outbreak of the revolution there was no organized. underground
opposition to the regime in Hungary True, the 25X1
majority of the people were against the Russians and the Corn?eiunist :regime, but
it m definitely was not possible to oppose in an organized ;ray. After the
20th Frty Congress in Moscow, where it was promised, among other things, that
the satellite countries would get more freedom, and 'riiPre the Russia is swore off
Stalinism, Hungary too seemed freer. The press turned strongly against Stalinism
and everyone believed that everythin.
g would be better and the people would be freer.
The events in Poland ,.rent along with this. Above all the inte7_1 ctt'als and students
began to bestir themselves. Many intellectuals were mc,:ihers of the 110fi Club;
-n tie months of Sept, .it r-r. , October, and hovember 10,56, thi e club held treekly
meetings which were very heavily attended and at which criticism of earlier
Stalinist regime and the Rovernment was voiced. Some of t ese gatherings grow
to be meetings attended by some thousands of persons. lso from the universities
more open propaganda against Stalinism and IAA;;CSI was heard. Origirvilly the
propaga--Z-a was nct openly directl. at Russia, but 11 P there was Insistrnce
upon more freedoms, such as the Free exor-sion of orini-on. freedom of the press,
etc. 3brm The Pe trofi Club put questions to the government, and the z overnment
a.C_mi teed that v::Lriot?s things web e wrong. People in Hungary wondered w?.rhy, whereas
Stalinism had been deposed, IiAKC6I remained in power; RATTSI 1-ras '{Horn as a good
pupil and follower of Stalin. Indeed RAC S1 did step down, but he was
succeeded by Gi,LO, also a Stalinist, so that in reality nothing changed. The
Petofi Club, whose xx members saw clearly that nothing had really been changed,
reacted against this, and its meetings were forbidden for a 11 11 long, time by GJ't0.
Pespite all this, there was no talk of any revolutionary movement, and there was
no o #e in Hungary who had expected the outbreak of a revolution.
It was known that on 23 October the students were holding; an orderly and
peaceful deIionstrati on. `Iris demonstration directed against Stalinism and
requested more freedom. The de: ions tration, which originally was winked at by
the authorities, was forbidden during the course of the day by the btinistrl; of 25X1
Internal Affairs, b t this ban was lifted after a short time.
What was remarkable was that after 4,-,bat errniesion was riven the a to
take part in the de:?onstration. the
'arty Secretary reported that everyone wio waned to .o so CCILIA go out on le s reet
to demonstrate. The fact that the de_lonstration was not originally directed ggainst
Russia apr~eared from the banners which were ca-?ried, some of whith
said: "Long live the new. Hungarian-Russian
friendship."
The d.,menstration lasted until evening, and at .bout 2000hours the first
Hungarian flags with the Kosrmzth emblems appeared is the streets. A wave of emotion
flooded through many. The deiiionstrators went to the Stalin Square, and then for
the first time anti-Russian slogans were heard, while some people also tried
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introduction to the first acts of violence. The AVH-ers were surrounded and there were
In fron of the studio there was a truck with AVH men, and this was the
AVE men on duty,tho were guarding the place, prevented this.
Budapest building is. The demonstrators wanted acce^s to the studio, but the
From the Stalin Square the crowd went to the Museurm Street where the Radio
demonstrator8, and no on-duty police were present*
to pull down the monument of Stalin. Soldiers and policemen had joined the
e next morning there were shots being _ire . over ___apes , an
the radio announced that the workers must not t7o to work but must peacefully
remain at home to await further orders. On that day, too, the first Russian tanks
appeared on the streets, and there p was fighting in the streets ever;'