After the crushing of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution by Soviet troops, János Kádár was installed as the new leader of Hungary. Although he had once been associated with the revolutionaries, Kádár quickly aligned himself with the Soviet Union and began a harsh retaliation campaign to eliminate opposition and restore communist control. Between 1956 and 1961, the regime imprisoned tens of thousands of people, dismissed many from their jobs, and executed around 200 individuals. Among them was Prime Minister Imre Nagy, who had become a symbol of the revolution. His secret trial and execution in 1958 deeply shocked the Hungarian public.
This period became known as the time of retaliation, as the regime targeted those involved in the uprising, creating an atmosphere of fear and surveillance. Once Kádár had established firm control and silenced dissent, he gradually shifted towards a more conciliatory approach. From the early 1960s onward, the government began to ease repression and introduced limited reforms to improve living standards and restore social stability. This new phase, often referred to as “Goulash Communism,” marked the regime’s attempt to gain broader acceptance among the population while maintaining the one-party system and Soviet alignment.
I think the political leaders of that time — especially János Kádár — were terrible. How could they justify killing so many people, even those who hadn’t committed any real crime? Since when is calling for freedom a crime? Those people were innocent.
And the most disturbing part is that these executions and retaliations didn’t happen somewhere far away — they happened right here in Hungary, where I live. It’s no wonder so many people fled the country. They knew exactly what was waiting for them if they stayed.
Honestly, the brutality of this regime reminds me of the Nazis or the colonizers who killed Native Americans. It’s hard to see any moral difference when innocent people are treated like enemies just for wanting a better life.