Hungarian Uprising

The Soviet Union invaded Hungary, one of Hitlers alliesm in September 1944 as it drove Nazi forces back towards Germany. Soviet trpes occupied Hungary and continued to do so after the end of the war even though an Allied Controled Comission  for Hungary was set up to run the country. The Control Comission comprised the Soviet Union, the USA and the UK. However, the Soviet Union was the most influential of the powers and was able to determine events in Hungary in the immediate post war years. A new Provisional Government was set up near the end of the war and it agreed to pay the Soviet Union reparations of $300 million. Electionswere held in November 1945, in which independent Smallholders' party won 57% of the vote, whilethe Hungarian Communist Party secured only 17%. The head of the occupying Soviet forces, Marshal Voroshilov, refused to allow the Smallholders' Party to establish a government and he established a coalition that contained members of the Hungarian Communist Party. Laszlo Rajk, a member of the Communist Party was put in charge of the security police.

In February 1947, some leadersof the Smallholders' Party and National Peasant Party were arrested and other fled Hungaryas a result of Soviet pressure and control. In ensuing elections, the Communist Party became the largest single party but, because it did not have a majority it served in the coalition government. A new constitution based on the Soviet Union system was drawn up, making Hungary a 'republic of wokers and working peasants'. Matyas Rakosi emerged from the Communist Party to lead Hungary, and then he began to impose a dictatorial rule, calling himself a follower of Stalin. Hungary became a member of Cominform and the Hungarian Communist Party took its orders from Moscow.