Remembering the 1956 Hungarian uprising

Courageous but failed anti-communist uprising

Huge statue of Josef Stalin torn down during the 1956 Hungarian uprising

Sixty years ago today on October 23, 1956 the Hungarian anti-communist revolt began and nineteen days later it was finally crushed by Soviet troops on November 10, 1956 that had invaded six days before. 3,000 Hungarian anti-communists were killed as opposed to 772 Soviets. The free world stood by and watched without lifting a finger. Time Magazine recognized the Hungarian freedom fighter as the 1956 Man of the Year.

It would be another 33 years before Hungary would achieve freedom through a nonviolent uprising and the Soviet statues would be torn down permanently. Nevertheless today we remember those brave men and women who risked all for freedom and in many cases lost their lives.