The Hungarian Crisis of 1956: The Soviet Role in the Light of New Archival Documents

Moscow followed events in Hungary in 1956 with mounting concern. Although initially overshadowed by the parallel crisis in Poland, developments in Hungary were important enough to justify the dispatch of a high level Soviet envoy. And by late October Budapest had become the centre of Russian attention. This article draws upon recently released archival materials to paint a much more detailed picture of Soviet policy during the crisis, demonstrating the striking divisions which arose within the Soviet leadership, the radical rethink of Moscow's whole policy towards Eastern Europe which some advocated, and the importance of international pressures from both within the Communist world and from the West.