October 23, a day of remembrance in Hungary

Ever since WWII had ended several years earlier, Hungary had felt the weight of Soviet influence, with the "disappearance" of their educated people and anyone else who said anything against communism, and the introduction of a secret police force that made the people afraid to vote and act for themselves.

Well, in October of 1956, young students, encouraged by the problems that had become evident with the few years of communism they had already experienced (the story of "Animal Farm" comes to mind), rose up with demands of independence.  Among these demands were the ability to a secret ballot for voting, the removal of a huge statue of Stalin in their government square, the removal of the Soviet star on the Hungarian flag, and the removal of Soviet troops from Hungarian soil.

On the 23rd, the students brought these demands to Parliament in Budapest, where they were flatly refused.  By now, the Hungarian people had rallied behind them, and rose up in protest.  The students went to the Soviet-controlled radio station to broadcast their demands to the country and were taken prisoner.  Rumors said that the students had been killed.  Outraged, the Hungarian people brought down the huge statue of Stalin, and a battle between the secret police in the radio station and the Hungarian people began.

Barely armed Hungarians took on Soviet tanks, fired with passion for freedom.

And they won. 

They drove out the Soviets and turned to the world, pleading with the United Nations to look at their situation and support them.  The United States had challenged the Soviet-controlled countries to try and break away from the Soviet influence and the Hungarians had done just that! 

For 12 days, the Hungarians waited for the world.

For 12 days, the Soviets watched the world for its reaction.

Other than a token: "We should do something for the Hungarians" in the United Nations, the world was silent.  I am sure there were many, complicated reasons.  The cold war was in full force with the introduction of atomic bombs that had just been used to end the Pacific front of the war.  However, the result was heart-wrenching.

12 days later, Soviet tanks and troops rolled into Budapest, surrounding the city.  In that same square where, 12 days earlier, the Hungarians had done the impossible and driven out the Soviet forces, the Soviets slaughtered Hungarian freedom fighters.  In that same square you can still see today the bullet holes in the walls of the buildings where the Hungarian students fought to the end,...and were defeated.

The other Soviet-block countries learned "the lesson": don't resist Soviet take over.  Czechoslovakian leaders cautioned their people to not fight back: "After all, look at what happened in Hungary."

It was not until 1989, 32 years later that Hungarians were able to once again throw off the shackles of Soviet oppression.

Let us never be silent again.

The following is actual footage of the events of that day.
 http://archive.org/details/1956_Hungarian_Revolution_as_Depicted_in_Newsreels

Remember our freedom, how priceless and how precious it is...that it is worth dying for, and remember those who fought in vain, and gain courage from their determination to do so, in the face of such horrible odds.