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| Erika Szeles carries sub-machine gun in Budapest during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution |
The Hungarian Revolution is a popular movement initiated against the Stalinist ruler backed by the Soviet Union in Hungary in 1956.
Mátyás Rákosi, known for his commitment to Moscow and the Prime Minister of the Hungarian Workers' Party in 1952, left his job in Imre Nagi in July 1953 shortly after the death of the USSR leader Stalin. Nagy, who softened the political pressure and embarked on some economic reforms, lost his support of Moscow and took part in office in the spring of 1955. Although Rákosi stopped the reformer development by obtaining his former position, in July 1956 this time he was removed from all his posts. On the basis of this position of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev lies the intention of correcting relations with Yugoslav leader Tito, who had previously been raving with Rákosi. Ernő Gerő, who is based in Rákosi, explained that the reformist line-up will not be conceded as the first job.
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| Hungarian Revolution 1956 |
But the steps taken during the Nagy era have strengthened the demand for change between the campaign against Stalin in the USSR and the developments in Poland. On October 23, 1956 in Budapest, the students also received wide support from the march he had organized to file a petition with the authorities. As Gero fired at the crowd over the harsh democracy, the peaceful demonstrations turned into an uprising. With the participation of the army units in the rebellion, the people began to arm themselves. Local councils appeared in almost every city in the country. The villagers were attempting to occupy the expropriated land. The bureaucracy and law enforcement began to disperse rapidly. The sacrifices that Nagy, once again in power, overpowered, led to the revival of political parties in the past and almost to the power. The church has gotten old.
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| Erika Szeles armed with a PPSh-42 during the Hungarian Revolution |
While Soviet troops were withdrawing from Hungary, Nagy announced his decision to leave the Warsaw Pact on November 1, demanding the protection of large states through the United Nations. The Soviet troops, backed up by this development, were invaded by Budapest; While Nagy took refuge in Yugoslavia's embassy in Budapest, most of the reformist leaders were arrested. At the same time, János Kádár, who served in the Nagy government, announced that a new government had been formed with a program for reforms after the counter-revolution was suppressed. The armed resistance against the Soviet troops was broken in a night. It took a few weeks for the general strike launched by the workers to end. After the arrest, large-scale detentions took place. In the meantime, about 150 thousand Hungarians fled abroad.
After that, Time magazine selected the Hungarian people in 1956 as "Man of the Year" as "Hungarian Freedom Warriors".
Erika Kornelia Szeles
Erika Kornelia is the iconic person of this Revolution with her famous picture. The picture was taken by Danish photographer Vagn Hansen.
Born in Budapest on January 6, 1941, came from a Jewish Communist family. Erika joined the uprising with an older friend after Soviet forces invaded Hungary.During a resistance operation, Erika was mortally wounded in a street fight with Soviet soldiers on November 8th 1956 and died on the spot.
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| Erika Szeles was a young soldier and nurse in the Hungarian Revo |
Erika's image graced the covers of several Euopean magazines and she became an international symbol of the revolution.
During a resistance operation, Erika was mortally wounded in a street fight with Soviet soldiers on November 8th 1956 and died on the spot.
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| Erika Kornelia Szeles grave. |
Erika was buried on November 14th 1956 at Kerepesi Churchyard in Budapest. The grave number is 21/1/24, and the gravestone still exists today.
In 2006 in the 60th anniversary of Revolution, her picture was there.
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| Anniversary of Revolution Hungarian |
