My Grandfather was born in Budapest June 1944 during his birth Hungary was under an intense bombing campaign from the allied powers the hospital he was born in was actually hit on the day of his birth thankfully he survived with minor injuries as well as losing an eye due to some debris in the blast. He was 12 years old during the time of the revolution and hes often told me stories about things he saw during that time. The one I remember the most was about some local youth who had been throwing molotov cocktails at the russian tanks from abandoned buildings.
except for Ernö Gerö it's Gerö Ernö , but a greater point. This is a lot more than you find in most history books and covers those years quite well, make sure you watch
Well, to be honest the pronunciations are not good. But the effort is to be acknowledged, since the Hungarian language and names are a real nightmare for foreigners... :-)
@@laszlok53 Yes a nighmare, anytime I made someone pronounce my name it came out "jerk" (György) that's why Ernö Gerö is butchered and should have been literally
Little less known fact that Rákosi also a had "Maginot-line" built on the 627 km (390 miles) long Southern border against Yugoslavia. - The Army sized were increased up to 250 000 . - More than 4 million mines were planted on The Yugoslav border. - A 15 km deep border zone was created from where the residents were expelled. - More 5000 bunkers were built using: 27.415.500 bricks, 217. 064 reinforced concrete beams, 1045 reinforced concrete domes and 19 steel domes. - This arming project took up the 25% of the GDP between 1950-1955. By 1955 due to the political change a huge portion of these defences were abandoned and demolished.
@@laszlok53 "Moszkva „kérésére” a 627 kilométer hosszú magyar-jugoszláv határt 1949. szeptember 29.-én zárta le teljesen a Magyar Néphadsereg, hogy több mint 2,5 millió gyalogsági és 1,5 millió harckocsi elleni aknát, 120 magasfigyelőt, valamint 228 kilométeres hosszban két- és egysoros drótakadályt telepíthessen." The Serbian-Hungarian border is 170 km long. Croatia and Slovenia used to be part of Yugoslavia. The Croatian Hungarian border is 350 km long. The Slovenian border is 100 km long. (wikipedia numbers) Here is my source: falanszter.blog.hu/2012/09/21/a_rakosi_erodvonal_a_lancos_kutya_arnyekaban
@@hgkghkhgkgh8378 www.google.com/maps/@46.0504934,17.4129091,8z A falancter össze is tojhatja magat, akkor se hoz ki többet mint 400, az összes TERMESZETI akadalyokat beleveve. A termeszeti akadalyok nelkul, tehat az atjarhato hatar ca. 170 km volt. Talan a bunkerok közötti pontok összeköteset ertelmezik "Maginot vonalnak". De ugy meg akarmekkorat is kihozhatnak, ha Szentgotthardot elöször Mateszalkaval kötik össze, es onnan Nagykanizsaval, Parkannyal es Nagylakkal.....
@@laszlok53 Angol wiki: Austria: 366 km (227 mi) Croatia: 329 km (204 mi) Romania: 443 km (275 mi) Serbia: 151 km (94 mi) Slovakia: 677 km (421 mi) Slovenia: 102 km (63 mi) Ukraine: 103 km (64 mi) Magyar wiki: Az országhatár hossza 2215,3 kilométer, ebből a szlovák határszakasz 654,7; az ukrán 136,7; a román 447,7, a szerb 174,4; a horvát 344,8; a szlovén 102,0; az osztrák pedig 355,0 km. Én nem mértem le személyesen, de azt is vedd bele, hogy a Dráva partjára is nyilván építettek bunkereket. Másfelöl meg azt, is hogy azért nem légvonalban van ez mérve, hanem szépen a kerület minden kis kanyarulattal.
@@ilikedota5 At it's peak Zimbabwe was doubling prices about once a day. Germany around once every four days. In Hungary it was every twelve hours. To fully grasp the situation, something that cost you $1 on Monday morning would cost over $1,000 Friday night. Of course by that point prices were theoretical. I doubt more than a few people were wandering around with actual useable cash. A barter system would take over.
Great video! It is rare to see people pronouncing Hungarian names correctly, however this video nailed it! It almost sounded like an actual Hungarian was speaking. edit: my ears managed to somehow ignore the first few seconds of the video
@@robert48044 No. I'd like to know how China was lost to Commies,how Russians underestimated Mao,failings of US diplomacy in Asia at the time and beggings of Sino Soviet rift.
The 1956 Hungarian Revolution happened just before I turned six. It's pretty much the first event I can place in my own lifetime. Curiously, I didn't become aware of the Suez crisis until years afterward, even though it was occurring at the same time. I was going to school by then, and learning to hide under my desk to protect myself from Russian atom bombs.
@cornpotato tomato I assume the "Pirate Radio" you are referring to is basically Radio Free Europe. I also remember from that time all sorts of ads on TV asking for contributions to RFE, which provided cover for the real funding through the CIA.
Important factual correction. As a trail runner living in Budapest I must protest... The hills of Buda are not rolling. They are steep, rocky and treacherous! (But still lovely!)
Hungarian joke from the 1950's: 3 men share a prison cell at a AVH facility - How did you end up here? - l openly critised Rajk László. And you? - l openly praised Rajk László. What about you buddy? - l am Rajk László.
Awaiting for the next episode. Even the background adds to the narrative with Eisenhower and Khurshchevs photo and Lenin's sculpture, set stage for start the ideological war.
Great video, nice concise summary of the developing situation. One of the most interesting stories I've read about this period of Hungarian history is how many of the old secret police were brought into the new Communist apparatus, and thus when the purge happened they were rearresting some of their old leftist opponents and holding them in the same buildings in often worse conditions. Seems like someone could make a really surreal black comedy out of that. When it came to economics the obsession with emulating the Soviet Union was more religious than even ideological. Like when a whole new city was built for a huge steel plant despite Hungary having neither coal nor iron, and they had to import the raw materials for more than the steel itself would have cost.
We have a comedy movie made in the Kádár-era (post 1956 but before the fall of the Iron Curtain) where one of the character is built on this very exact point (even if its just a side character), its called "The witness", more about it here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Witness_(1969_Hungarian_film). I personally recommend it, it highlight the sheer absurdity of the Rákosi-era and socialism in general. Its a cult-classic in Hungary btw. And yes, economically even the idea to emulate the UUSR was just unreal, the pre-1920 Hungary could manage to actually make it work with the resources of Transylvania and Upper-Hungary (or as known today, Slovakia), but post-1920? It was an insane venture to begin with...
@@attilaedem101 Sounds like a good movie, thanks for the recommendation. I've heard a black humor joke that Hungarian history has had three great tragedies: the Mongol Invasion, the Ottoman Occupation, and the Soviet Liberation.
Imagine choosing to be a spineless puppet to some random moustache guy and betraying your own people - it was proven later that Rakosi loved his own pockets and Russia more so than his motherland and his own people when he refused to return even after he was granted amnesty in 1970. Well, justice has somewhat been served, now for all eternity history will remember him as a traitor and a weakling People like these make me furious and I am not even Hungarian
@@Szgerle He's a very corrupt politician, many of his relatives and old childhood friends have been getting stupid rich in the last 10 years. He also used his parliamentary supermajority to rewrite the constitution, and the electoral system, so that it favours his party. He also turned the publicly funded media into propaganda media, with some orwellian brainwashing (migrants, Soros, and character-assasinations of his political opponents) and also fake news. He is a very power hungry politician who silences independent media, he is also targeting the judicial system now. His economic policies mostly favour the upper middle class.
@@Szgerle Oh, I see you didn't actually want to know my opinion... Did you watch too many of those "Orbán defender of christianity" montages? You shouldn't post comments on youtube if you just post these one-liner thrash comments.
I'd study about the 1956 Hungarian uprising and the 1968 Prague Spring in 2007 for my IGCSE, and even went to Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava and Prague in October of the same year.
This happened simultaneously with the Suez Crisis. Eisenhower had his hands tied. Eisenhower ran for president on a policy of rollback. For all of his propaganda, Eisenhower did not lift a finger to help the Hungarians.
And what could Eisenhower have done? Invade the USSR because of Hungary? The country was deep in the Soviet sphere, there was nothing any country could have done. The Hungarians played their hand very poorly, they spat in the face of the Soviets and thought that somehow they would just get away with it. If they had navigated through this times like the Polish did, they would have emerged from this crisis without going through a Soviet intervention.
@@DiegoDiaz-vm9xx Of course, the sickening brutality of the Rakosi regime means nothing to you. Your defense of Soviet repression is disgusting. The Hungarians had been led to believe that the West would come rescue them; so, that gives a swift kick to your heartless anti-Hungarian diatribe. Do you miss "the good old days"? Pathetic! By the way, the Poles did not win any permanent democratic reforms for their "restraint." Those didn't come until after the Communist regime fell from power in '89. My, oh my, that year must have really been rough on you!
Thank you my lovely dad born 1927 in Hungary took part in the Hungarian uprising by driving food in his lorry to places. He was a peasant farmer but was badly persecuted by the Communist regime. He had to escape over the border to Austria where the Red Cross helped him to London. Sadly he never saw his father again. Love you daddy in heaven 💛 thank you for taking me to see your homeland, your culture, your language. We had good times. Wish I could turn back the clock.
Hungarian names the other way around, you f... Oh. Wait... Well done, Sir! Even the pronunciation is 99% correct. Our "Gy" (in Nagy Imre) is an uphill battle, do not lose sleep over it :- ) Yours was much closer to the real "gy" than any other "gy" from any non-native speaker I've ever heard.
Great video! Would it be possible to do a video on Arrow Cross or Miklós Horthy? These names keep coming up when I look at Hungarian politics these days.
My Father was a CPO on the USS Fort Mandan. It was one of several ships that took part in rescuing a large number of political refugees from Hungary. It wasn't widely known of and makes me wonder if America had people in Hungary working for the anti-Soviet revolution. This happened towards the end of 1956. Those refugees faced near certain executions if they had stayed in Hungary. I remember my father telling me about these events but wonder what else was going on, that wasn't known about. Great Video. Yall Take Care and be safe, John
If You love Budapest, you'll like Buenos Aires (My city). Here are many buldings like there. By the way, Will You do a video about the CW in LatAm? Cheers.
Thanks so much for your uploads. They are incredibly interesting, well-produced, and immensely enjoyable. Forgive me, but when were you in Budapest? I also lived there for some years, and am intrigued if we were there simultaneously! Best wishes and keep up the fabulous work!
@@TheColdWarTV Ah! I was there a tad later - but have always loved the city. I am sincerely hoping to live there again in the not-too-distant. Thank you for your kind response - and again, thank you for the phenomenal videos you produce.
I am part Hungarian, and often wonder if I had some distant relatives who got caught up in Rakosi's purges or when the Soviets sent their tanks into Budapest.
And 1956 was a huge blow to hungarian pride and nationalism. Mostly the boomers, but also the millenials are afraid to express their political views or dissatisfaction with (any) current leadership, because they're too afraid to lose their jobs or social status.
@@apgames8497 I don''t really know, but 1956 was the last time hungarians really stood up for themselves. Maybe the 2006 protests count, but they were nothing compared to '56. And it was heavily influenced by our current leadership, while '56 was (almost) totally out of pure desperation.
@@apgames8497 Very true. Saddest thing is, that I can't think of better options, than the leaders we have now. This *IS* apathy. There's just noone whom I'd trust to lead the country!
@@apgames8497 copy&paste that to hungary! we have no love for Orbán but the opposition is so incompetent that we rather live in mini-russia than having those idiots ruin what's left of the country.
Life wasn't really better even after the revolution. The dictatorship was ruling the country until 1989 and the Hungarian economy never fully recovered from socialism
Guys, heavy industry was not simply an ideological developmental decision. The east was catching up the west in a Rostowian sense, and that they did, paying a heavy toll for developing. Rostow ideas were common in both sides of the courtain and even today. Developmentalism can be judged as an ideology not only un communists but in capitalist countries as well.
4:22 - When is it not? Also, are you gonna cover the Indian Annexation Of Goa and/or the Indo-Pak War Of 1971? I hope you do as not that many Western Channels go into these moments in the Indian Subcontinent's History and provide an Unbiased view of these things, which is kinda sad as these conflicts were some important moments in the Cold War.
That would be interesting. We often get Indian nationalists demanding that western UA-cam channels conform to their take on history, but it would be interesting to see an objective take on Indian expansion and post war subcontinental affairs in general.
@@Dave_Sisson Ikr? I feel like these events are underrated, for example, the Goa Incident led to Portugal and India severing ties till the 1970's and further confirmed India's position as part of the Russo-Eastern Communist Bloc [I hope they explain that too] That they these guys already passed on the Indo-Pak War of '47.
@@aeigdiusflaviusquintus1337 Well they would claim they were part of the "non aligned movement", although that was far more sympathetic to the Socialist bloc than to western countries. There's also the Indian annexation of a few French territories and the nominally independent Sikkim in addition to Goa. Plus wars and skirmishes with China and Pakistan, their interference in East Bengal and a whole lot more. And that was when Congress (I) mostly ran things, I suspect if the BJP had been around back then things might have gone nuclear.
@@Dave_Sisson Well yes, while they were a prominent founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement and were [considerably] non-aligned throughout the 50's and 60's, they became more and more of a Soviet Ally, while not to the extent of the Eastern European Puppets. However, even during the 50-60's it could be rather clear that while India maintained moderately chill relations with the U.S, U.K, etc. . ., it is kinda noticeable that they were aligned more to 2nd or 3rd World nations such as Nasser's Egypt or Tito's Yugoslavia.
Hello David I am glad to watch your video. I am your subscriber from Taiwan.🇹🇼 If you have time to research the documents and information Hope You could make a video about the “2758 Resolution” It was a Resolution about Representative of China in UN Assembly in 1971. Hope you can make such to introduce the Historical Argument about Taiwan and China.
Little known fact" After the Hungarian Revolution failed. The US liberalized a few of it's immigration policies to allow Hungarians to more easily emigrate to the US. My compliments to all those who made this video a reality.
@@brokenbridge6316 The pool in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic water polo match had blood in it from the fighting between the Hungarians and the Soviets, eventually the match was abandoned. After that, everyone knew the players would be sent to a gulag if they returned home, so apparently the water polo team and any other Hungarian athlete or official that wanted to stay in Australia was allowed to. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_in_the_Water_match
All of the footage from 2:20 to 2:32 is from Rome, Italy. That is the Quirinale palace, then the Fatherland's Altar with the typical Corazzieri from the Carabinieri corps. What are these pictures doing in this video? The rest of the video is very good, thanks!
In 1968 I attended College of Charleston and had a class with Solphie Heltai - her father George Heltai was a professor of history there. She related to me her family's fleeing Hungary after the failed revolution of 1956. Her father had served on the eastern front during World War 2. He was imprisoned by the Hungarian reds in 1949 until 1954. He was in the govt. of Nagy in the foreign affairs dept.. The sad state of awareness of what 'socialism' leads to in 2020 - a 'one truth' mindset is truly a threat to be aware of - communism is a cult and a truly deadly one.
There is a long discussion about communist/socialist regimes. I would like to point out that this is possible only in a democratic system. In any country run by communists no dissent is tolerated. Even socialists or Marxists of a slightly wrong flavour are inprisont, often tortured etc. Similar to any totalitarian regime. Nazi, fascist, theocracy like Iran or some gulf states. Please value your democracy.
Yes my Father was born in Hungary in '39 and he like many of age to flee did so in '56 people who believe living in those conditions is pleasant don't consider why people fled?
In a twist, the "reformer" Gomulka was the first Warsaw Pact leader in 1968 to suggest invading Czechoslovakia. The Soviet withdrawal from Austria probably contributed to events in Hungary.
Actually, Matthias Rákosi was one of the most educated communist rulers of the time... And after he was exiled to the Soviet Union, he wrote dozens of letters to John Kádár, to let him come back to his homeland.
@@Asztec Psychopath, but still educated. This is very rare for communist dictators. They're mostly uneducated people, who came from declining garbage factories or farms..
I'm surprised how you can talk of the repression with out mentioning Kulag's (I'm not 100% sure if that's spelt correct my friend who wrote a book on it,( I found it to be mind blowing I mean it was a completely alien world growing up in Hungary working on a family farm just before ww2.) Gave me a special copy and it ended up getting borrowed and they don't wanna give it back)
Never mind growing up but surviving, having to join the nazi's then one day instantly having to worship Stalin? Then Hitler, then Stalin, the battle lines went across thier farm 5 times in 3 months, 1 month outta nowhere they the whole family unexpectedly, instantly moved into a buried cistern as a massive artillery strike came down on them and they couldn't leave for anything AN ENTIRE MONTH OF BOOM BOOM DAY AND NIGHT OMG
I have been to Budapest, Hungary twice and it is a beautiful country, I never expect that it was a former communist country. Obviously, I was there when communism no longer existed there. It is so modern.
Budapest 1956 Czecheslovakia 1968 Beijing Tiennamen Square 1989 Communism is the same all over the world with tanks ! Are they going to use tanks on Hong Kong ?
Reduzir a revolução húngara a uma mera reação a pobreza que foi reduzido o povo pela administração comunista é uma ofensa, sendo muito condescendente com o apresentador.
I'm interested to know if any of Eastern bloc countries managed to subvert their communist tag and if so, how creative they were with that? I know these might be short lived but was any country able to make a success of (even of sorts) the cold War period?
I am a little bit disappointed that you didn't mention that Rákosi tried to grow cotton and orange in Hungary. Needless to say it wasn't very successful.
The Romanian used the 1956 events to the maximum extent to hurt the Hungarian minority in Romania: they destroyed everything they had to promise and create so the Soviets gave them control over Transylvania in 1948: they destroyed the Hungarian autonomous region, the Hungarian University (forcibly merged with a Romanian University, split into parts and gradually withered). These anti-Hungarian policies continue to this present day 30 years after the end of the Cold War: we still do not have an autonomous region, a University, we are constantly ethnically harassed openly even by the president of Romania on national TV, our war cemeteries are bulldozed and fake Romanian crosses planted over and a major effort is underway in Transylvanian cities to erase the 1000 year old Hungarian past, including demolishing monument buildings. Nobody in the world cares.
On Behalf of my father who took part in the 1956 revolution in Hungary. I want to thank the United States of America for dropping leaflets that read hold out help is on its way!!!!! Thank you president Eisenhower for not lifting a finger to help and not allowing Sprain to bring in weapons and ammunition to Hungary. Which made the wholesale torture and slaughter of freedom loving Hungarians much easier. I'd like to think that if perhaps Hungary might have had natural resources such as oil or other valuable commodities the United States of America might have felt the need to liberate and spread democracy. Stop erasing my comment You tube.
Thank you for this i been looking for more information about Hungary and Czech uprising during the cold war . The fault of all of this is lying with the great powers and mainly decisions made by Hungarians themselves in both world war's me as bulgarian can admit we made the wrong choices to and end up in Warsaw Pact for anyone who is crying about we need to learn back from the past not repeat same mistakes again i am not defending communism some parts of the system was bad some good .Many immigrants who runway was supporting fascist and part of system of terror against the Jews and other minorities ..so many lives lost ,so much destruction and hate when it will stop...even today we encounter same problems from the past is been more then 50 year's already..
Unfortunately not. It has a reputation as an extremely difficult language; the most justice I can do to the language is moderately passable pronunciation.
@@TheColdWarTV Yes, I speak 3 languages (English, German and French) and I live in Austria and used to go out with a Hungarian girl for a while. I tried to teach myself a little bit in case I went over there to meet her family or whatever but even some of the most basic phrases were absolutely monstrous to pronounce and remember. Love your content by the way, keep it up!
didnt accept marshall plan because of ideological reasons ? They werent allowed by the soviets to accept the economical aidplan from Usa. eg Tsechoslovakia : they wanted to step in the marshallplan untill their president was "invited" to Moskou.
Wow, Your Hungarian pronouncing is quite good.
Köszönöm!
He said that he lived there for years, so it only makes sense.
Aszte๕ it is. But the gy in Nagy still eludes him
@@pedrogonzalesgonzales5097 Yeah, a little bit sounds like a "dzs" sound.
@@Asztec
How is a dzs sound even possible??
Dz I can still understand.
But zs is just weird 😆
My Grandfather was born in Budapest June 1944 during his birth Hungary was under an intense bombing campaign from the allied powers the hospital he was born in was actually hit on the day of his birth thankfully he survived with minor injuries as well as losing an eye due to some debris in the blast. He was 12 years old during the time of the revolution and hes often told me stories about things he saw during that time. The one I remember the most was about some local youth who had been throwing molotov cocktails at the russian tanks from abandoned buildings.
I guess, many Hungarians will appreciate your using the Hungarian naming order.
except for Ernö Gerö it's Gerö Ernö , but a greater point. This is a lot more than you find in most history books and covers those years quite well, make sure you watch
Outstanding pronounciation of Hungarian names, wow! Oh and also great vid, thanks :)
Köszönöm!
Well, to be honest the pronunciations are not good. But the effort is to be acknowledged, since the Hungarian language and names are a real nightmare for foreigners... :-)
@@laszlok53 Yes a nighmare, anytime I made someone pronounce my name it came out "jerk" (György) that's why Ernö Gerö is butchered and should have been literally
@@georgehalm 🙂
Little less known fact that Rákosi also a had "Maginot-line" built on the 627 km (390 miles) long Southern border against Yugoslavia.
- The Army sized were increased up to 250 000 .
- More than 4 million mines were planted on The Yugoslav border.
- A 15 km deep border zone was created from where the residents were expelled.
- More 5000 bunkers were built using: 27.415.500 bricks, 217. 064 reinforced concrete beams, 1045 reinforced concrete domes and 19 steel domes.
- This arming project took up the 25% of the GDP between 1950-1955.
By 1955 due to the political change a huge portion of these defences were abandoned and demolished.
And dont forget the Panzer IV turrets repurposed as pillboxes as well! :-)
hahaha! The border to Yugoslavia was only 170 km long. how did you manage to make it to 627?
Your imagination?
@@laszlok53 "Moszkva „kérésére” a 627 kilométer hosszú magyar-jugoszláv határt 1949. szeptember 29.-én zárta le teljesen a Magyar Néphadsereg, hogy több mint 2,5 millió gyalogsági és 1,5 millió harckocsi elleni aknát, 120 magasfigyelőt, valamint 228 kilométeres hosszban két- és egysoros drótakadályt telepíthessen."
The Serbian-Hungarian border is 170 km long. Croatia and Slovenia used to be part of Yugoslavia. The Croatian Hungarian border is 350 km long. The Slovenian border is 100 km long. (wikipedia numbers)
Here is my source:
falanszter.blog.hu/2012/09/21/a_rakosi_erodvonal_a_lancos_kutya_arnyekaban
@@hgkghkhgkgh8378 www.google.com/maps/@46.0504934,17.4129091,8z
A falancter össze is tojhatja magat, akkor se hoz ki többet mint 400, az összes TERMESZETI akadalyokat beleveve. A termeszeti akadalyok nelkul, tehat az atjarhato hatar ca. 170 km volt.
Talan a bunkerok közötti pontok összeköteset ertelmezik "Maginot vonalnak". De ugy meg akarmekkorat is kihozhatnak, ha Szentgotthardot elöször Mateszalkaval kötik össze, es onnan Nagykanizsaval, Parkannyal es Nagylakkal.....
@@laszlok53
Angol wiki:
Austria: 366 km (227 mi)
Croatia: 329 km (204 mi)
Romania: 443 km (275 mi)
Serbia: 151 km (94 mi)
Slovakia: 677 km (421 mi)
Slovenia: 102 km (63 mi)
Ukraine: 103 km (64 mi)
Magyar wiki:
Az országhatár hossza 2215,3 kilométer, ebből a szlovák határszakasz 654,7; az ukrán 136,7; a román 447,7, a szerb 174,4; a horvát 344,8; a szlovén 102,0; az osztrák pedig 355,0 km.
Én nem mértem le személyesen, de azt is vedd bele, hogy a Dráva partjára is nyilván építettek bunkereket. Másfelöl meg azt, is hogy azért nem légvonalban van ez mérve, hanem szépen a kerület minden kis kanyarulattal.
As a hungarian, thanks for these great pronounciations! Great video
Should've mentioned that Hungary after the war managed to reach the highest level of inflation ever recorded, 1.3 × 10^16% per month
Is that higher than Zimbabwe or Weimar Germany?
@@ilikedota5 At it's peak Zimbabwe was doubling prices about once a day. Germany around once every four days. In Hungary it was every twelve hours.
To fully grasp the situation, something that cost you $1 on Monday morning would cost over $1,000 Friday night. Of course by that point prices were theoretical. I doubt more than a few people were wandering around with actual useable cash. A barter system would take over.
No different then what the mafia does. Bankrupt the business (country) and burn it to the ground
@@robert48044 So similar to what BLM and Atifa are trying to do now?
capriracer351 Nice bait you got there
Great video! It is rare to see people pronouncing Hungarian names correctly, however this video nailed it! It almost sounded like an actual Hungarian was speaking.
edit: my ears managed to somehow ignore the first few seconds of the video
yeah and that they didn't swap last and first names as Western sources would often do, but left them in their native order.
Well, he said he had lived in Budapest
@@geoffmelnick1472 Oh that's nice! I don't actively browse this channel, I never knew that.
@@WombatSteve ...he said it in this very video my bro
@@sztallone415 You're right! I completely missed that, despite it being right at the start of the video haha.
Köszönöm szépen hogy az országomrol csináltál videót tankhsz
Nagyon szívesen!
One of my favorite things about this series, the dead pan jokes amongst the all the serious history talk.
Thank you for making so much effort to pronounce the names correctly. Very vell done! Brilliant content as always.
Köszönöm!
@@TheColdWarTV Can you do that with Chinese names such as Jiang Jieshi aka Chiang Kai Shek and Sun Yixian aka Sun Yat-sen?
Could you guys cover the first 9 years of the PRC before the great Leap Forward?
I second that.
I also [REDACTED] that.
Why, is it to show "good" before the horrible. Like it wasn't all bad?
@@robert48044 No. I'd like to know how China was lost to Commies,how Russians underestimated Mao,failings of US diplomacy in Asia at the time and beggings of Sino Soviet rift.
@@karoltakisobie6638 The rift between China and the Soviets is something I'd like to know more about also.
The 1956 Hungarian Revolution happened just before I turned six. It's pretty much the first event I can place in my own lifetime. Curiously, I didn't become aware of the Suez crisis until years afterward, even though it was occurring at the same time. I was going to school by then, and learning to hide under my desk to protect myself from Russian atom bombs.
@cornpotato tomato I assume the "Pirate Radio" you are referring to is basically Radio Free Europe. I also remember from that time all sorts of ads on TV asking for contributions to RFE, which provided cover for the real funding through the CIA.
@cornpotato tomato Happy? You want to trade our Trump for whoever your head of state is now?
Important factual correction. As a trail runner living in Budapest I must protest... The hills of Buda are not rolling. They are steep, rocky and treacherous! (But still lovely!)
Hungarian joke from the 1950's:
3 men share a prison cell at a AVH facility
- How did you end up here?
- l openly critised Rajk László. And you?
- l openly praised Rajk László. What about you buddy?
- l am Rajk László.
12:17 "Opress the bell button" Lmao
Thanks to our hungarian brothers for your support following the massacre in Poznan. Never forgotten.
Wow your pronounciation of Buda and Pest is very good!!! ;-) And the rest too!!!
Köszönöm!
@@TheColdWarTV Szivesen! :-)
This is probably the only time when I have heard Stalin being compared to the One Ring...
The film The Silent Revolution mentions this historical event, so I came here to know more. Thanks for these 2 episodes.
Great episode and very good pronounciation, thank you for your work @TheColdWar
Awaiting for the next episode. Even the background adds to the narrative with Eisenhower and Khurshchevs photo and Lenin's sculpture, set stage for start the ideological war.
Previously I oppressed the like button. Now the bell. Has the like button been properly reeducated and rehabilitated?
Yes comrade. The now firmly believe in the ideals placed forward by The 'The Cold War' Revolution!
Thank you.
The Hungary Games - Part 1.
Wow, I really love this video, can't wait for part two! You just got one more subscriber ;)
Nice explained of the previous event situation 1956 .👍👍
So glad I found this channel/content. Thank you!
You get my like for the Lord of the Rings reference
You forgot to mention the marvelous thermal baths!!
Great video, nice concise summary of the developing situation.
One of the most interesting stories I've read about this period of Hungarian history is how many of the old secret police were brought into the new Communist apparatus, and thus when the purge happened they were rearresting some of their old leftist opponents and holding them in the same buildings in often worse conditions. Seems like someone could make a really surreal black comedy out of that.
When it came to economics the obsession with emulating the Soviet Union was more religious than even ideological. Like when a whole new city was built for a huge steel plant despite Hungary having neither coal nor iron, and they had to import the raw materials for more than the steel itself would have cost.
We have a comedy movie made in the Kádár-era (post 1956 but before the fall of the Iron Curtain) where one of the character is built on this very exact point (even if its just a side character), its called "The witness", more about it here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Witness_(1969_Hungarian_film).
I personally recommend it, it highlight the sheer absurdity of the Rákosi-era and socialism in general. Its a cult-classic in Hungary btw.
And yes, economically even the idea to emulate the UUSR was just unreal, the pre-1920 Hungary could manage to actually make it work with the resources of Transylvania and Upper-Hungary (or as known today, Slovakia), but post-1920? It was an insane venture to begin with...
@@attilaedem101 Sounds like a good movie, thanks for the recommendation.
I've heard a black humor joke that Hungarian history has had three great tragedies: the Mongol Invasion, the Ottoman Occupation, and the Soviet Liberation.
Imagine choosing to be a spineless puppet to some random moustache guy and betraying your own people - it was proven later that Rakosi loved his own pockets and Russia more so than his motherland and his own people when he refused to return even after he was granted amnesty in 1970.
Well, justice has somewhat been served, now for all eternity history will remember him as a traitor and a weakling
People like these make me furious and I am not even Hungarian
@Red Baron You can hate Rákosi and Orbán at the same time, it's not mutually exclusive. I agree with the original comment despite being a socialist.
@@RokaGamestudio Why would you hate Orbán if you are hungarian?
@@Szgerle He's a very corrupt politician, many of his relatives and old childhood friends have been getting stupid rich in the last 10 years. He also used his parliamentary supermajority to rewrite the constitution, and the electoral system, so that it favours his party. He also turned the publicly funded media into propaganda media, with some orwellian brainwashing (migrants, Soros, and character-assasinations of his political opponents) and also fake news. He is a very power hungry politician who silences independent media, he is also targeting the judicial system now. His economic policies mostly favour the upper middle class.
@@RokaGamestudio Lmao what a laundry list of lies. Which leftist propaganda site you got them from?
@@Szgerle Oh, I see you didn't actually want to know my opinion... Did you watch too many of those "Orbán defender of christianity" montages? You shouldn't post comments on youtube if you just post these one-liner thrash comments.
I'd study about the 1956 Hungarian uprising and the 1968 Prague Spring in 2007 for my IGCSE, and even went to Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava and Prague in October of the same year.
Very beautiful video man. Well explained and detailed.
This happened simultaneously with the Suez Crisis. Eisenhower had his hands tied.
Eisenhower ran for president on a policy of rollback. For all of his propaganda, Eisenhower did not lift a finger to help the Hungarians.
And what could Eisenhower have done? Invade the USSR because of Hungary? The country was deep in the Soviet sphere, there was nothing any country could have done. The Hungarians played their hand very poorly, they spat in the face of the Soviets and thought that somehow they would just get away with it. If they had navigated through this times like the Polish did, they would have emerged from this crisis without going through a Soviet intervention.
Would you want WWIII. Because that would of happen.
JoDonHo The USA instigated the Revolution and promised support. It is this that could have been avoided
cornpotato tomato you have paid a price already Your mind has turned into vile compost heap
@@DiegoDiaz-vm9xx Of course, the sickening brutality of the Rakosi regime means nothing to you. Your defense of Soviet repression is disgusting. The Hungarians had been led to believe that the West would come rescue them; so, that gives a swift kick to your heartless anti-Hungarian diatribe. Do you miss "the good old days"? Pathetic! By the way, the Poles did not win any permanent democratic reforms for their "restraint." Those didn't come until after the Communist regime fell from power in '89. My, oh my, that year must have really been rough on you!
Do y'all work with The Great War Channel? I appreciate both of yalls content. Well done.
Thank you my lovely dad born 1927 in Hungary took part in the Hungarian uprising by driving food in his lorry to places. He was a peasant farmer but was badly persecuted by the Communist regime. He had to escape over the border to Austria where the Red Cross helped him to London. Sadly he never saw his father again. Love you daddy in heaven 💛 thank you for taking me to see your homeland, your culture, your language. We had good times. Wish I could turn back the clock.
Thank you
Wow for first I thought you are hungarian. You pronounced the words so perfect! Good job~
Hungarian names the other way around, you f... Oh. Wait... Well done, Sir! Even the pronunciation is 99% correct. Our "Gy" (in Nagy Imre) is an uphill battle, do not lose sleep over it :- ) Yours was much closer to the real "gy" than any other "gy" from any non-native speaker I've ever heard.
The Chumbawamba song "That's How Grateful We Are" is about this era.
Great video! Would it be possible to do a video on Arrow Cross or Miklós Horthy? These names keep coming up when I look at Hungarian politics these days.
Yes please!
Pörkölt for everybody!
My Father was a CPO on the USS Fort Mandan. It was one of several ships that took part in rescuing a large number of political refugees from Hungary. It wasn't widely known of and makes me wonder if America had people in Hungary working for the anti-Soviet revolution. This happened towards the end of 1956. Those refugees faced near certain executions if they had stayed in Hungary. I remember my father telling me about these events but wonder what else was going on, that wasn't known about.
Great Video. Yall Take Care and be safe, John
hungary is a Landlocked country The USS MANDAN must have had wheels to get there.
Calling Staling 'Tanke-In-Chief' and then immediately following up with a LOTR quote...take my like good sir
If You love Budapest, you'll like Buenos Aires (My city). Here are many buldings like there. By the way, Will You do a video about the CW in LatAm? Cheers.
Really really good pronunciation! Also kudos for using the Hungarian name order (family name + given name).
Excellent compliment to Victor Sebestyen’s book
Very good pronunciation of Hungarian names!
Thanks so much for your uploads. They are incredibly interesting, well-produced, and immensely enjoyable. Forgive me, but when were you in Budapest? I also lived there for some years, and am intrigued if we were there simultaneously! Best wishes and keep up the fabulous work!
Thank you for the kind words...I was there in the early 1990s, in the early open-market days. Very interesting time to be there.
@@TheColdWarTV Ah! I was there a tad later - but have always loved the city. I am sincerely hoping to live there again in the not-too-distant. Thank you for your kind response - and again, thank you for the phenomenal videos you produce.
I am part Hungarian, and often wonder if I had some distant relatives who got caught up in Rakosi's purges or when the Soviets sent their tanks into Budapest.
Great episode!
When I visited the Soviet Union in 1991 I was really scare that the government knows almost every single dialect in my home country China !
And 1956 was a huge blow to hungarian pride and nationalism. Mostly the boomers, but also the millenials are afraid to express their political views or dissatisfaction with (any) current leadership, because they're too afraid to lose their jobs or social status.
@@apgames8497 I don''t really know, but 1956 was the last time hungarians really stood up for themselves. Maybe the 2006 protests count, but they were nothing compared to '56. And it was heavily influenced by our current leadership, while '56 was (almost) totally out of pure desperation.
@@apgames8497 Very true. Saddest thing is, that I can't think of better options, than the leaders we have now. This *IS* apathy. There's just noone whom I'd trust to lead the country!
@@apgames8497 copy&paste that to hungary! we have no love for Orbán but the opposition is so incompetent that we rather live in mini-russia than having those idiots ruin what's left of the country.
That is simply not true, wherever I look people are shitting on the government. On the other hand, not many praise it for it's positive aspects.
@@miklosszabo4551 People might criticize the govermenty but many simply don't find the right party to choose. The choice is utter bullshit.
Life wasn't really better even after the revolution. The dictatorship was ruling the country until 1989 and the Hungarian economy never fully recovered from socialism
The one ring reference Its the best part
2:30 this is the Italian commemoration of the Unknown Soldier in Rome.
Exactly, and the Palazzo del Quirinale beforehand!
Guys, heavy industry was not simply an ideological developmental decision. The east was catching up the west in a Rostowian sense, and that they did, paying a heavy toll for developing. Rostow ideas were common in both sides of the courtain and even today. Developmentalism can be judged as an ideology not only un communists but in capitalist countries as well.
I want more information about this moment in history. This channle is awsome.
4:22 - When is it not? Also, are you gonna cover the Indian Annexation Of Goa and/or the Indo-Pak War Of 1971? I hope you do as not that many Western Channels go into these moments in the Indian Subcontinent's History and provide an Unbiased view of these things, which is kinda sad as these conflicts were some important moments in the Cold War.
That would be interesting. We often get Indian nationalists demanding that western UA-cam channels conform to their take on history, but it would be interesting to see an objective take on Indian expansion and post war subcontinental affairs in general.
@@Dave_Sisson Ikr? I feel like these events are underrated, for example, the Goa Incident led to Portugal and India severing ties till the 1970's and further confirmed India's position as part of the Russo-Eastern Communist Bloc [I hope they explain that too] That they these guys already passed on the Indo-Pak War of '47.
@@aeigdiusflaviusquintus1337 Well they would claim they were part of the "non aligned movement", although that was far more sympathetic to the Socialist bloc than to western countries. There's also the Indian annexation of a few French territories and the nominally independent Sikkim in addition to Goa. Plus wars and skirmishes with China and Pakistan, their interference in East Bengal and a whole lot more. And that was when Congress (I) mostly ran things, I suspect if the BJP had been around back then things might have gone nuclear.
@@Dave_Sisson Well yes, while they were a prominent founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement and were [considerably] non-aligned throughout the 50's and 60's, they became more and more of a Soviet Ally, while not to the extent of the Eastern European Puppets. However, even during the 50-60's it could be rather clear that while India maintained moderately chill relations with the U.S, U.K, etc. . ., it is kinda noticeable that they were aligned more to 2nd or 3rd World nations such as Nasser's Egypt or Tito's Yugoslavia.
I think he is covering europe and then he can focus on the proxy wars more
Hello David
I am glad to watch your video.
I am your subscriber from Taiwan.🇹🇼
If you have time to research the documents and information
Hope You could make a video about the “2758 Resolution”
It was a Resolution about Representative of China in UN Assembly in 1971.
Hope you can make such to introduce the Historical Argument about Taiwan and China.
They are doing all things in an order... As per the order this is 1956 u have to wait for 15 years...
Hello Taiwan, I love you so much. I hope Taiwan will be and remain always white, not red.
@@zalansteyer7272 what is ur country??
@@zalansteyer7272I think u will certainly wish that a region which share ur culture, language and all must became part of ur country don't u????
What happened to the young lady with the AK47??
Wait, did you just call Stalin "tankie in chief"? If so, good one!
Can you put sources/recommended readings in description bruh
Oohh yeah!
Little known fact" After the Hungarian Revolution failed. The US liberalized a few of it's immigration policies to allow Hungarians to more easily emigrate to the US. My compliments to all those who made this video a reality.
I understand that a large portion of the 1956 Olympic team chose to stay in Melbourne rather than return home.
My nagypapa and nagymama (grandparents) escaped to the US in 1956 from Hungary as a result of that opening.
@@Dave_Sisson---Now that is interesting to hear. Thanks for telling me.
@@domesticrhino6853---I'm sure your grandparents were thankful for that chance. Thanks for sharing.
@@brokenbridge6316 The pool in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic water polo match had blood in it from the fighting between the Hungarians and the Soviets, eventually the match was abandoned. After that, everyone knew the players would be sent to a gulag if they returned home, so apparently the water polo team and any other Hungarian athlete or official that wanted to stay in Australia was allowed to. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_in_the_Water_match
I thought the book “Twelve Days,” by Victor Sebestyen was really good reading on all this.
All of the footage from 2:20 to 2:32 is from Rome, Italy. That is the Quirinale palace, then the Fatherland's Altar with the typical Corazzieri from the Carabinieri corps. What are these pictures doing in this video? The rest of the video is very good, thanks!
Tankie in chief! Brilliant
just discovered the channel
In 1968 I attended College of Charleston and had a class with Solphie Heltai - her father George Heltai was a professor of history there. She related to me her family's fleeing Hungary after the failed revolution of 1956. Her father had served on the eastern front during World War 2. He was imprisoned by the Hungarian reds in 1949 until 1954. He was in the govt. of Nagy in the foreign affairs dept.. The sad state of awareness of what 'socialism' leads to in 2020 - a 'one truth' mindset is truly a threat to be aware of - communism is a cult and a truly deadly one.
Ah, you used to live in Budapest, that explains the good Hungarian pronunciation.
There is a long discussion about communist/socialist regimes. I would like to point out that this is possible only in a democratic system. In any country run by communists no dissent is tolerated. Even socialists or Marxists of a slightly wrong flavour are inprisont, often tortured etc. Similar to any totalitarian regime. Nazi, fascist, theocracy like Iran or some gulf states. Please value your democracy.
Yes my Father was born in Hungary in '39 and he like many of age to flee did so in '56 people who believe living in those conditions is pleasant don't consider why people fled?
Operation Urgent Fury (1983) ?
In a twist, the "reformer" Gomulka was the first Warsaw Pact leader in 1968 to suggest invading Czechoslovakia.
The Soviet withdrawal from Austria probably contributed to events in Hungary.
The Gomulka of 1968 was quite different from the Gomulka of 1956
Actually, Matthias Rákosi was one of the most educated communist rulers of the time...
And after he was exiled to the Soviet Union, he wrote dozens of letters to John Kádár, to let him come back to his homeland.
Exactly, one of our most educated psychopath in the 20s century.
@@Asztec Psychopath, but still educated. This is very rare for communist dictators. They're mostly uneducated people, who came from declining garbage factories or farms..
@@mastermindd Not that matters how educated someone, but the use of that knowledge.
@@Asztec I've never questioned that...
Tito was power house of Balkan and sadly after death demise of Yugoslavia was unavoidable
I'm surprised how you can talk of the repression with out mentioning Kulag's (I'm not 100% sure if that's spelt correct my friend who wrote a book on it,( I found it to be mind blowing I mean it was a completely alien world growing up in Hungary working on a family farm just before ww2.) Gave me a special copy and it ended up getting borrowed and they don't wanna give it back)
Never mind growing up but surviving, having to join the nazi's then one day instantly having to worship Stalin? Then Hitler, then Stalin, the battle lines went across thier farm 5 times in 3 months, 1 month outta nowhere they the whole family unexpectedly, instantly moved into a buried cistern as a massive artillery strike came down on them and they couldn't leave for anything AN ENTIRE MONTH OF BOOM BOOM DAY AND NIGHT OMG
Can you do a video on the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Vietnam war and the Cuban revolution and the bay of pigs and the Cuban missile crisis
I have been to Budapest, Hungary twice and it is a beautiful country, I never expect that it was a former communist country. Obviously, I was there when communism no longer existed there. It is so modern.
GOD BLESS YOU you sad Budapest with "sh" sound thank you
Nincs mit!
@@TheColdWarTV köszi 😍
One second in, it was clear this was going to be a well-rounded video. You started by actually pronouncing Budapest correctly. Few others bother.
Budapest 1956
Czecheslovakia 1968
Beijing Tiennamen Square 1989
Communism is the same all over the world with tanks !
Are they going to use tanks on Hong Kong ?
If they can do a cover up successfully...
Also East Germany and Poland in 1953 as well as Romania in 1989
Reduzir a revolução húngara a uma mera reação a pobreza que foi reduzido o povo pela administração comunista é uma ofensa, sendo muito condescendente com o apresentador.
I'm interested to know if any of Eastern bloc countries managed to subvert their communist tag and if so, how creative they were with that?
I know these might be short lived but was any country able to make a success of (even of sorts) the cold War period?
Romania, they were basically the rogue state of the Warsaw Pact.
I like how you pronounce Rakoshi
Raa-koshi
I am a little bit disappointed that you didn't mention that Rákosi tried to grow cotton and orange in Hungary. Needless to say it wasn't very successful.
👑 Kings & queens.
Been looking for a channel like this forever! UA-cam's algorithm still thinks I'm interested in clickbait trash. +1 Sub from me!
The Romanian used the 1956 events to the maximum extent to hurt the Hungarian minority in Romania: they destroyed everything they had to promise and create so the Soviets gave them control over Transylvania in 1948: they destroyed the Hungarian autonomous region, the Hungarian University (forcibly merged with a Romanian University, split into parts and gradually withered). These anti-Hungarian policies continue to this present day 30 years after the end of the Cold War: we still do not have an autonomous region, a University, we are constantly ethnically harassed openly even by the president of Romania on national TV, our war cemeteries are bulldozed and fake Romanian crosses planted over and a major effort is underway in Transylvanian cities to erase the 1000 year old Hungarian past, including demolishing monument buildings. Nobody in the world cares.
On Behalf of my father who took part in the 1956 revolution in Hungary. I want to thank the United States of America for dropping leaflets that read hold out help is on its way!!!!! Thank you president Eisenhower for not lifting a finger to help and not allowing Sprain to bring in weapons and ammunition to Hungary. Which made the wholesale torture and slaughter of freedom loving Hungarians much easier. I'd like to think that if perhaps Hungary might have had natural resources such as oil or other valuable commodities the United States of America might have felt the need to liberate and spread democracy. Stop erasing my comment You tube.
Budapest Parliament Buiding is as beautiful as currently useless.
Last year I was watching the session over the overtime law, so I disagree, it's an Opera and Rogán is the conductor. "Igen! Nem!"
Rip Hungary democracy
AVANTI RAGAZZI DI BUDA !!!
Thank you for this i been looking for more information about Hungary and Czech uprising during the cold war .
The fault of all of this is lying with the great powers and mainly decisions made by Hungarians themselves in both world war's me as bulgarian can admit we made the wrong choices to and end up in Warsaw Pact for anyone who is crying about we need to learn back from the past not repeat same mistakes again i am not defending communism some parts of the system was bad some good .Many immigrants who runway was supporting fascist and part of system of terror against the Jews and other minorities ..so many lives lost ,so much destruction and hate when it will stop...even today we encounter same problems from the past is been more then 50 year's already..
Oooh you lived here? 😮😮
Once upon a time, a long long time ago... :)
@@TheColdWarTV curious to know what made you end up here for a while? 🙂
My fathers work...was in Budapest for several years and loved it.
Do you speak Hungarian, having lived there?
Unfortunately not. It has a reputation as an extremely difficult language; the most justice I can do to the language is moderately passable pronunciation.
@@TheColdWarTV Yes, I speak 3 languages (English, German and French) and I live in Austria and used to go out with a Hungarian girl for a while. I tried to teach myself a little bit in case I went over there to meet her family or whatever but even some of the most basic phrases were absolutely monstrous to pronounce and remember. Love your content by the way, keep it up!
didnt accept marshall plan because of ideological reasons ? They werent allowed by the soviets to accept the economical aidplan from Usa. eg Tsechoslovakia : they wanted to step in the marshallplan untill their president was "invited" to Moskou.
"Szegény Laci, ha ezt látná, de közénk lövetne."
I wonder what would have happened if Hungary had won one of its many wars...we lost them all...TIRPAK
revolution comes by the working class. all others are counter revolutionary.