Free Republic

As promised by President Eisenhower the United Nations Security Council went into emergency session on October 30, 1956. Both the United States and Soviet Union introduced resolutions calling on Israel to cease its attack and pull back to the 1949 armistice lines. The United States resolution called on other nations to not use force or threaten to use force in the situation (clearly aimed at France and Britain). It also called for sanctions against Israel until she complied with the resolution. Both resolutions were vetoed by France and Britain. Eventually the Yugoslav delegate asked the council to use a procudural...

It was 50 years ago today that Israel launched military operations in Sinai to coincide with the French and British moves to take control of the Suez Canal. By October 28th Israel publicly admitted the mobilization that began two days earlier. They continued to give the impression that attacks from the Jordanian side of the border (West Bank) were the reason for their mobilization. The then Israeli Chief of Staff, Moshe Dayan, saw the two letters from President Eisenhower to Prime Minister Ben-Gurion calling on Israel not to attack. Commenting on them, Dayan wrote in his diary: "The United States...

From today's perspective Hungarian leader Imre Nagy looks a lot like a Gorbachev, a loyal Communist who wanted to "reform." Nagy was slow to respond the crowds demands for real change and apparently saw some benefit in Communist ideology, even though he wanted to liberalize its operation. He was given a title by Communist leaders in the face of the revolt, but held by them for several days before he was free to make his own decisions. On Octboer 27th the first new government Nagy proposed included non-communists in limited roles only. But whatever was being talked about, the fight...

Hungary's revolution celebrations - protesters spoil the party in Budapest 27.10.2006 - Sandor Laczko On Monday October 23rd, Hungary launched a series of events marking the 50th anniversary of its 1956 uprising and revolution. Scores of foreign leaders and envoys flocked to Budapest for the commemoration and memorial events. But those events were at times almost overshadowed by anti government protests. Emese Danks is a spokeswoman for the Hungarian government: "We put together a very nice and touching programme because we believe that this [the 1956 revolution] is one of the highlights of the 21st century. Historically, the revolution in...

On October 27th, 1956 world leaders were aware of the Israeli mobilization but many thought it was for an attack on Jordan, not Egypt. Terror attacks from Jordan against Israel were common in recent months and nations like the United States assumed Israel was planning a full military attack in response. Historical accounts say Israeli intelligence (Mossad) was trying to mislead foreign governments by leaking information about an attack on Jordan that foreign intelligence agencies would pick up. In London Prime Minister Eden brought in a group of ministers to form a "war" cabinet. His supporters in the group fully...

MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Andrei Kolesnikov) - Public unrest recently swept through Hungary. Triggering it were revelations by Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, which revealed that the Cabinet had been lying to the nation about the economic situation. As often happens with public action, Hungarians chanted diverse, and often mutually exclusive, mottoes. The activists were also a motley crew, including hoodlums. The figure "1956" loomed behind the drama. Hungary possesses a dynamic civil society, which exploded with indignation at the revelation that the government was telling it fairly tales-an instance of politics shrugging off morals. The public thirst for the...

Poznan – Budapest 1956 23.10.2006 The inspiration for Hungarian freedom fighters battle with the Soviets in Budapest in 1956 came from Poland. Michal Kubicki reports No other nation but Poles feels more strongly about the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution. This is not surprising in view of the fact that five decades ago Poland was also the scene of demonstrations in support of democratic changes and that the inspiration for Hungarian freedom fighters came from Poland. Polish president Lech Kaczyński and speakers of both houses of Parliament are in Budapest for the official commemorations of the Hungarian uprising against...

Hungarian Communist Party bosses holed up in Party headquarters as crowds surged in the streets of Budapest demanding freedom in the early morning hours of October 24, 1956. Soviet troops and tanks rolled into the city and engaged crowds that fought ofter in small groups but sometimes in larger ones like the soliders at the Kilian barracks led by Colonel Pal Maleter. Police stations were seized and sympathetic police gave weapons to civilians who took up the fight. In some cases there were tanks and artillery from the military that had gone over to the freedom fighter side. But most...

'There aren't any good brave causes left," railed Jimmy Porter in John Osborne's play "Look Back in Anger" on its first night in August 1956. Both the phrase and the play almost immediately established themselves as revolutionary. Osborne's play changed the theater throughout the English-speaking world and opened the way for new dramas exploring themes of social criticism and the absurd. As for the phrase, it captured the mood of a left dissatisfied with the tepid social justice of the postwar welfare state and nostalgic for such grand revolutionary causes as the Spanish civil war. Two months later such a...

Poland's ties to Hungary's 1956 revolution 20.10.2006 - Michal Kubicki Poland has also been marking the 50th anniversary of Hungary's revolution. Not surprising, considering the fact that it began with a rally by Hungarians showing solidarity with Poland, which in 1956 was the scene of a workers' revolt and of violent demonstrations in support of democratic changes. Michal Kubicki reports from Warsaw: The Polish events in commemoration of the Hungarian Revolution have included academic conferences, concerts, and exhibitions. Commemorative plaques have been unveiled in several towns. 'A Hope for Freedom' is the title of a photo exhibition which opened in...

Central Europe marks 50th anniversary of Hungarian revolution 20.10.2006 - Agi Varga, Kerry Skyring This coming week will see ceremonies in Budapest and other capitals of Central Europe marking the 50th anniversary of Hungary's 1956 uprising against the Soviet Union. An uprising, which was quickly and brutally crushed but which was one of the defining moments of the Cold War and, of course, recent Hungarian history. Ninety-five year old Bela Kiraly was the commander-in-chief of the National Guard in Budapest in 1956. After the revolution's bloody end, he lived in exile in the United States returning only to his homeland...

Polish Communist leaders were in desperation following the Poznan Rebellion. Reformers organized in factories wanting to have more freedom to make their own decisions citing Tito's Yugoslavia as an example. Party leaders who came to the factories were challenged by the workers. Calls were made for Wladyslaw Gomulka, an out of favor Communist, to be returned to power. Leaders of the Polish United Workers Party (Communist Party) decided to bring Gomulka back. The Eighth Plenum of the PUWP met on October 19th, 1956 to make Gomulka its leader. But Moscow was not pleased and its leadership, led personally by Nikita...

British Foreign Secretary Selwyn Lloyd speculated that some of his fellow Conservatives would hand him a bowler hat and maybe an umbrella because of his conciliatory tone towards the Egyptians at the U.N. Security Council. But regardless of the impression of a peaceful resolution of the Suez issue in the offing, the push for a plan of action was underway. France wanted a quick meeting to finalize details and timetables for the military operations involving the Anglo-French forces as well as the Israelis. The French were totally committed to action although it concerned them that British generals held all the...

FUNNY with history, how remote it can seem, and how close, even in teeming Times Square, scarcely an oasis of retrospection. Charles Legendy recalled being there the other day when his gaze turned to a black-and-white billboard of a tank emblazoned with the words “1956 Hungary” and, beneath that, “Our Revolution Was Not a Movie.” His wife, Annemarie, also looked up, and the elegant young man on the left of the tank in a European city rising in revolutionary ire against the Soviet empire caught her eye. She knew him, she felt, with a certain intimacy. “Charlie,” she said, grabbing...

On October 5th, 1956 the top songs in the country included both sides of Elvis Presley's RCA 45rpm record ("Hound Dog" and "Don't Be Cruel") as well as Doris Day's "Que Sera Sera." The Brooklyn Dodgers hosted the New York Yankees for Game 2 of the World Series at Ebbets Field. And a jury in Boston convicted the Brinks robbery suspects. This same day the United Nations Security Council met in New York to consider the Suez Canal matter. The long list of diplomats included Selwyn Lloyd, British Foreign Secretary, the French Foreign Minister Christian Pineau and America's Secretary of...

Israeli Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan arrived in Paris on September 29th, 1956. Four staff officers joined him and would remain in France to plan the pre-emptive attack on Egypt. British Prime Minister Anthony Eden wanted the French to get assurances from Israel that they would not attack Jordan. He was worried that a Nasser-like coup might occur and about pro-Nasser forces winning an upcoming election. Another member of the Israeli delegation, defense official Shimon Peres told the French there would be no attack but strong reprisal raids for the terror attacks coming across the Israeli border from Jordan. A...

Secretary of State John Foster Dulles was firmly committed to stopping Britain and France from going to war over the Suez Canal. Dulles himself started the cycle of events by cutting off a loan to Egypt for the Aswan Dam. The cutoff occurred because of increasingly close relationship Egypt had with the Soviets. Dulles knew Egypt would probably take the canal from the Anglo-French Suez Canal Company but figured a possible shutdown of the canal would not stop oil from reaching the United States or Europe because tankers could use alternate routes. United States foreign policy featured a lot of...

AN OLD SAW HOLDS that British elections aren't won or lost on foreign affairs, but prime ministerial careers have sometimes been ended by distant adventures. As his own prime ministership peters out lamentably, Tony Blair has quite enough worries. But he might still find time to reflect on the events of 50 years ago, when an attack on an Arab country-involving a conspiracy to misrepresent the real reasons-brought a dismal end to the career of Sir Anthony Eden. In November 1956, British and French troops tried to regain control of the Suez Canal, which had been seized by the Egyptian...

Franklin Roosevelt was in poor health when he met Josef Stalin at Yalta early in 1945. But his pro-Soviet advisors were not and regardless of who is to blame, the deal was sealed for Soviet domination of Eastern Europe. As the Soviet armies rolled into the Eastern European nations now in the Soviet "sphere of influence" they were followed by Moscow-trained Communists who led their countries into Communism. When the Soviet armies advanced into eastern Hungary in 1944, they were welcomed as liberators from Nazis and the Admiral Horthy regieme that allied itself with Germany. But the goodwill quickly faded...

Anthony Eden held an emergency cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street into the early morning hours of July 27th, 1956. Eden told the American diplomatic representative at the meeting that "The Egyptian has his thumb on my windpipe. Tell Mr. Dulles I cannot allow that." Eden had promised that his deals with Nasser would make the Egyptian ruler more friendly. Seizure of the Anglo-French owned canal proved that promise wrong. He spoke that night by phone with the French Foreign Minister Pineau. The French were eager to work with their newfound friends in Israel to launch military action against Nasser...