255. Editorial Note

On June 20, the Special Committee on Hungary, established by the United Nations General Assembly to investigate the events in Hungary of October and November 1956, published its extensive report. The committee was created by Resolution 1132 (XI); see Document 229. Its members included representatives from Australia, Ceylon, Denmark, Tunisia, and Uruguay.

The report concluded that the events in October and November 1956 were “a spontaneous national uprising” due to longstanding grievances which included the inferior status of Hungary to the Soviet Union and the terror tactics of the Hungarian secret police. The thesis that the uprising was “fomented by reactionary circles in Hungary” and encouraged by “Western Imperialism” was rejected by the committee. Instead the committee believed that the uprising was led and supported by students, workers, and intellectuals, many of whom were Communists or former Communists. The focus of the demands of the demonstrators, according to the report, was democratic socialism. The committee also concluded that the uprising was not planned in advance, but rather bore the “hallmark of continuous improvisation.” The committee did find evidence that the Soviet Union contemplated armed intervention in Hungary as early as October 20, and it held that the firing upon demonstrators by the secret police on October 23 and the intervention by Soviet tanks and combat troops within a few hours did much to unite the opposition among Hungarians. The committee was unable to determine if any invitation was issued by the Hungarian Government for Soviet assistance in quelling the uprising on October 24 or November 4. In the committee’s opinion the uprising drew symbolic support from Imre Nagy, although he did not instigate it nor was he its actual leader. During the “few days of freedom” in Hungary, the committee believed that the Hungarian people enjoyed political and human rights and began to assert control over their nationalized industries. After November 4, the basic human rights of the Hungarian people were violated by the Kádár government, which was totally dependent for its authority upon Soviet occupation forces.

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The text of the report is in U.N. doc. A/3592 and the conclusions summarized above are printed on pages 137–139. In keeping with the request contained in Resolution 1132 (XI), the United States submitted to the United Nations Secretary-General for the use of the committee its own report on the developments in Hungary, which is summarized in a letter from Representative Lodge to Secretary-General Hammarskjöld, May 2. (Department of State Bulletin, May 27, 1957, pages 865–866) The United States released a statement of support of the findings of the Special Committee on Hungary in press release 378, June 20, printed ibid., July 8, 1957, pages 62–65. Background on the establishment of the Special Committee on Hungary and its work is in Annual Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization, 16 June 1956–15 June 1957, Official Records 12th U.N.G.A., Supplement No. 1 (A/3594), pages 41–43.