Hungary & Czechoslovakia 2
History: Cambridge International GCSE The Twentieth Century (Option B), topic 6.2.2
Similarities & Differences
Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968 faced Soviet control, limited US support, and different consequences including deaths and political outcomes.
Background of Soviet control
- The Soviet Union controlled Hungary and Czechoslovakia after World War II.
- The USSR aimed to keep both countries communist and loyal.
US Support fails
- The USA did not intervene militarily in Hungary during 1956.
- The USA also avoided military support in Czechoslovakia in 1968.
- The US feared starting a direct war with the USSR.
- Both countries felt abandoned by Western powers.
Violence in Hungary in 1956
- Soviet troops killed around 2,500 Hungarians during the revolution.
- Thousands more Hungarians faced imprisonment or exile.
- The Hungarian uprising was bloody and swift.
- Soviet forces crushed the revolution by November 1956.
Violence in Prague in 1968
- Soviet invasion caused roughly 100 deaths in Czechoslovakia.
- The Prague Spring ended with a Soviet military crackdown.
- The violence was less deadly but politically repressive.
- Slovak and Czech civilians protested but faced Soviet tanks.
Consequences
- Hungary remained under strict Soviet control until 1989.
- Czechoslovakia returned to hardline communist rule after 1968.
- Both countries experienced limited freedoms for decades.
- Moscow showed it wouldn't allow independence in Eastern Europe.
Test yourself on Hungary & Czechoslovakia 2
Why did the USA not help during the uprisings in Hungary or Czechoslovakia?
What was the main difference in Soviet response between 1956 and 1968?