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BOX-FOLDER-REPORT: 29-3-112
TITLE:             Hungarian Daily Background
BY:                
DATE:              1956-12-10
COUNTRY:           Hungary
ORIGINAL SUBJECT:  ERS
THEMATIC SUBJECTS: Hungary--1956 Revolution, Hungary--1956 Revolution--Workers' Council, Political Persecution

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“E”

FROM THE EVALUATION AND RESEARCH SECTION	10 DECEMBER 1956

HUNGARIAN DAILY BACKGROUND
(Up to December 8 1200 hrs.)

1.) The Struggle of the KADAR Government against, the Workers0 Councils

On December 8 the provisional Central Committee of the Hungarian Socialist
Workers' Party issued a resolution in which it admitted for the first time
that the government was afraid of the workers' councils as they might take
over the actual ruling of the country. The first two points of the
resolution, enlisting the most important tasks of the Party, deal with
the question of the workers' councils.

"The most important tasks confronting the Party

I.	Party organizations and members must repel the
counter-revolutionary attempt by which, with the help of the workers'
councils and partly by misleading them, partly through its own
representatives smuggled in among the workers' councils,
counter-revolution wants to quench the power from the hands of the legal
organs of the people's republican state power.

II.	Factory workers must also be helped in cleansing their workers'
councils of unsuitable demagogues, declassified and, in some
cases, Fascist elements."

These two points of the resolution fully explain the arrests of
December 5 and 6. The provisional Central Committee of the Hungarian
Socialist Workers' Party met on December 2, 3 and 5. As the large-scale
arrest of members of the workers' councils was started on December 5.
it is most likely that the action was decided by the Central Committee
of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party. The Party resolved to take
decisive steps against the workers' councils.

The BUDAPEST Central Workers" Council replied to the first arrests with
a proclamation and the workers of many BUDAPEST and provincial factories
stopped work.

On Thursday, December 6, the BUDAPEST Central Workers' Council handed
a proclamation to the KADAR government, protesting against the arrest of
members of the workers' councils. The text of the proclamation was
posted in factories. It contained, among others, the following:

"It appears that an organized' hunt has been started against the workers'
councils throughout the country.

"If this continues, we lose the only possibility to restore order and
create a normal life.

"If this continues, the confidence of workers will be lost completely
and those who direct pro-vocations will reach their goal of turning
the workers' class definitely against the government.

[page 2]

"The end will be a general strike, bloodshed and a new national tragedy,

"Our negotiations with the government did not bring the required results,

"It appears that Janos KADAR does not have the power to oust certain
persons who are still around him and who are hated by the workers,

"As we see it, the government does not build its power on the workers'
councils, in spite of the promises by KADAR. The workers' councils'
presidents and members who circulate our publications are often arrested,
"The situation is that police drag away presidents or members of workers'
councils during the night, without investigation or hearing, from their
homes, often on the ground of baseless denunciations. It also happened
that the entire workers' council of a factory had been arrested,"
(Dec. 7, C-101, 102, 103.)

We have no exact figures on the number of members of the workers' councils
arrested, Both Router and AP correspondents reported that 50 persons were
taken away on Wednesday night and that arrests continued on Thursday night
According to Radio NOVI SAD on Thursday afternoon the delegation of the
BUDAPEST Central Workers' Council presented a list, containing over 100
names, to Parliament. The delegation demanded the release of members of
the workers' councils or an explanation on the reason for the arrests, (B-63)

The proclamation gives details on the carrying out of the arrests:

"Several times peaceful meetings of the workers' councils were interrupted
or prevented by armed force.

"Police organs dragged away presidents of and members of workers' councils
from their homes in the night without investigation, often on the ground
of baseless denunciation.

"Sometimes the entire workers' council of a factory has been arrested," (D-92)

At the news of the arrests the workers of numerous BUDAPEST and provincial
factories entered into protest strikes.

Friday a three-member delegation, including Peter VERES and Aron TAMASI,
nationally known writers, saw Premier KADAR. A council statement said the
purpose of the visit was to "protest against the violation of the law and
to warn that if such arrests continue, the anger of the world would be
roused against the government," (B-10)

Describing the mood in BUDAPEST Endre MARTON, AP correspondent, said:

"The Hungarian people appear to have recovered from the first shock of
the smashing onslaught by Russian tanks of November 4, and to be coming
back strongly," (C-l42)

[page 3]

On the morning of December 7 Radio BUDAPEST, broadcast the statement of
a blacksmith from the Danube Iron Works (formerly SZTALINVAROS):

"We are to blame, because we suffered in silence for twelve years.
There is no power which could ever again succeed in misleading us.
There is no tyranny strong enough to defeat us.

"We do not want a leader who comes to us with a convoy of 25 motor
cars to guard him. We want people to walk in here freely; but this
factory is an iron trap for those who are detested by the brave."

The BUDAPEST Central Workers' Council demanded a reply to its
proclamation by 0800 hours on Friday morning through Radio BUDAPEST.
No reply arrived up to 1200 hours on Saturday.

We can report on two results of the workers' resistance. Ronald FARQUHAR
reported that (D-99):

"Workers, downed tools in several factories in BUDAPEST and throughout
the country today in protest against the arrests. Thousands more
stopped work and walked out of the giant CSEPEL iron and steel combine
after the government's refusal yesterday of a workers1 council demand
that two managers be replaced. Today a government official visited
the plant and agreed to the demand, a workers' council official said."

Another report from BUDAPEST stated that in one of the factories 600
workers prevented the arrest of three members of the workers' council.
The situation of the BUDAPEST Central Workers' Council is not easy.
It does not want to enter into strike as this would give an opportunity
to the government to ask for Soviet help. Yet the government's constant
provocation through arrests creates such an atmosphere in which it is
almost impossible to hold up strikes.

2.) Intellectuals also continue the Struggle

UP correspondent reported from BUDAPEST on December 7 (D-l60):

"Meanwhile there were clear signs that the intellectuals who led
Hungary's fight for freedom were determined to ignore a government
decree 'dissolving' revolutionary councils.

"The intellectuals signed a proclamation of their own in the name of
"the revolutionary council of Hungarian intellectuals."

"The proclamation accused the KADAR government of maintaining a
'rigid attitude.' It accused the government of "suppressing the new
institutions created during the revolution by the will of the Hungarian
people."

"We are witnessing a series of arrests" the proclamation said. It
demanded "immediate negotiations to form a new government which enjoys
the confidence of the people.

[page 4]

"The government should take immediate steps to strop unjustified and
illegal arrests" the proclamation said. The government should
recognize the patriotic, democratic, socialist, progressive character of
the revolution and should separate itself from all Stalinist and truly
counter-revolutionary forces."

It is worth mentioning, at this stage, the article which appeared in
the December [??] copy of Litaraturnaja Gazetta, analyzing the role of the Union
of Hungarian Writers in the revolution. It attacks Endre VESZI,
Istvan ORKENY, Peter KUCKA and Gyula FEKETE. On the Writers' Union in
general the article says the following:

"It should be stated with profound regret that an objective study of
the role of the Union of Hungarian Writers in the Hungarian events
does not give grounds for any positive judgements. Moreover, we can
now state with all responsibility that some writers have played the
role of secret allies of the reactionery forces in those events. After
the defeat of reaction, which was effected without their participation,
they occupied a false, ambiguous and essentially anti-government position..."

On December 4 the government passed a resolution on the liquidation of
revolutionary councils. Yet the government has no forces at its disposal
which could enforce its measure, particularly in the provinces. Three
organizations, formed during the revolution, enjoy the confidence and
support of the peoples

The BUDAPEST Central Workers' Council?
The Revolutionary Council of Hungarian Intellectuals, and
The Revolutionary Council of Young Workers.

The three organizations closely co-operate. This is also proved by
the fact that the protesting delegation of the workers9 councils
included two writers: Peter VERES and Aron TAMASI.

At 1100 hours on December 8 Radio GYOR gave a press survey. One of
the articles, it was net possible to ascertain from which paper,
stated that the writers do not write because they have been branded
counter-revolutionaries.

"We are not counter-revolutionaries, no reasonable, decent Hungarian
could be one. We refuse to write new .... we are deeply hurt by the
slanders cast at us. We will write again when official forums will
recognize that we are not Fascists but true Hungarians. We will
write in the interest of the people and our fatherland."

3.) Resolution of the Hungarian Socialist Workers1 Party

The provisional Central Committee of the Hungarian Socialist Workers'
Party held continuous meetings on December 2, 3 and 5, at which the
political situation and the tasks of the Party were discussed. The
provisional Committee consists of 23 members. The list has not yet
been published.

[page 5]

The resolution gives four reasons for the outbreak of the revolution:

1. The anti-Leninist influence of the RAKOSI-GERO clique on the Party
and the economic machinery, which caused serious damage, and their
anti-Stalinist methods of leadership, practiced since 1948.

2. Opposition within the Party: the group around Imre NAGY and
Geza LOSONCZY did not make a secret of their criticism, thereby
not only threatening the position of the RAKOSI-GERO clique, but
also the foundations of the popular democratic system.

3. In preparing the October events the Horthy-Fascists, living in
illegality, the Hungarian capitalists and the landowner
counter-revolutionaries played an important part.

4. Finally international imperalism, which wanted to start a world
war in Hungary, is also responsible for the revolution.

The resolution attacks the Imre NAGY government and sums up the most
important tasks of the Party in eight points. The first two points
demand the fight against the workers' councils.

- ends -

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