Hungarian Revolution today 62 years ago

What started as a student demonstration, later turned to a pretty bloddy "war to fight civilians.
Stefan.


Hungarian Revolution of 1956 - Wikipedia

 

I remember that. I was in a women's college at Durham University and we took in some Hungarian girls.
I wish I could remember more about it.
When Britain's arms and pockets were wide open: Oliver Gillie looks

 

I think at the time the British government could do nothing to aid the Hungarians,if that was ever a foreign policy other than moral support and take in refugees.(A noted one was a young Joe Bugner who went on to be a well known heavyweight boxer....another I note was Sebastian Gorka...British born and was one who lately found a career in The White House politics.)

The US were not interested in intervention, and as with the 1953 East Berlin uprising,both actions against the Soviet occupation were put down by Moscow. At the time of the Hungarian uprising we were involved in an attempt with the French to seize back the Suez Canal after it had been nationalised by Nasser and Israel in unison were taking advantage of occupying Egyptian Sinai territory.

The Suez Canal thoroughfare was subject to a burnt earth policy by the Egyptians with canal passage denied by ship wreckage.It took some time to recover the waterway obstacles and reopen the canal.

The situation was resolved by Eisenhower who told all three in the alliance to leave Egypt and go home..... and they all followed the US directive.The UN were brought in to prevent any further international tension in the Canal Zone.The political outcome was that it caused the termination of Anthony Eden's career as the Prime Minister and a politician who retired on the grounds of ill health.The attempt to take control of the Canal Zone also cost Britain its status as a super power leaving the US and Russia as the real players on the international scene and Britain under the influence of the US as far as foreign affairs were concerned.

Remember it well being on Reserve and those of us it applied to thought that this was it,perhaps a call up......could it be war and strive again but it was not to be,the conflict was soon over when Eisenhower intervened.