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Hungary Russia Relations
Hungary Russia Relations
Hungary–USSR relations
In World War II Hungary was an ally of Germany. When Germany declared war on Russia in
1941, Hungary tried to remain neutral. When the controversial bombing of Kassa occurred, the
government quickly declared the state of war existed between Hungary and the USSR, without
receiving the consent of the Parliament.[4]
The People's Republic of Hungary (Magyar Népköztársaság) was the official state name of
Hungary from 1949 to 1989 during its Communist period under the control of the Soviet Union.
Following the Soviet occupation of Hungary after World War II, the Soviets set up a police
system that persecuted all opposition through direct force and propaganda, hoping this would
lead to a Communist victory in the elections of 1946 .[5] Despite these efforts, the Hungarian
Communist Party came in third place in the elections, prompting the Soviets to directly impose a
puppet government the following year. The next few years were spent consolidating power, using
the ÁVH secret police to suppress political opposition through intimidation, false accusations,
imprisonment and torture.[6] The worst of the repression came under the rule of Mátyás Rákosi. At
the height of his rule, Rákosi developed a strong cult of personality.[7] Dubbed the "bald
murderer", Rákosi imitated Stalinist political and economic programs, resulting in Hungary
experiencing one of the harshest dictatorships in Europe. [8][9] He described himself as "Stalin's
best Hungarian disciple"[7] and "Stalin's best pupil".[10] After Khrushchev's "Secret Speech"
denouncing Stalin's cult of personality, Rákosi was ultimately removed from power and replaced
by the reformist Imre Nagy, who attempted to take Hungary out of the Soviet bloc. This led to
the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, which was brutally crushed by the Soviets. Following the
crushing of the revolution, the Soviets instituted János Kádár as the leader of Hungary. After an
initial period of repressions against the revolutionaries, Kádár implemented a more moderate
form of communism, which he referred to as "Goulash Communism." He would rule until 1988,
when he was removed from power just before the "revolution" that ended Communism in
Hungary.