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What caused the Hungarian Revolution of 1956

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Furthermore, it turned out that the events in Poland were the trigger for the Hungarian Revolution. Although the Polish government forces violently put down Poznan workers' staged mass protest earlier in June 1956, the Soviets in Moscow were worried. They let Poland negotiate wider autonomy and liberalization to avoid further unrest. A year earlier, Austria had also managed to declare itself neutral and avoid joining the Warsaw Pact. In turn, many Hungarians hoped to achieve something similar. When students from the Budapest Technical University (who had become a strong political voice) heard that the Hungarian Writers Union planned to express solidarity with Poland's pro-reform movements, they decided to join them.

====Hungarian protests vs. Soviet violence – the first wave of Russian tanks enter Budapest====The tension reached its peak in October 1956. On the evening of October 22, 1956, students of the University of Technology in Budapest had decided to demonstrate the next day. They organized their demands in 16 point resolution, which included: withdrawal of the Soviet troops from Hungary; granting free elections, liberty of speech and press; abolishment of surrendering of goods and the right to sell Hungarian uranium deposits on the free market; removal of the Stalin statues; Imre Nagy to be appointed prime minister. In the late afternoon of October 23, 1956, over 50 000 people gathered at Hungarian General Bem's statue to demonstrate on the streets and read out their proclamation of independence together with the Hungarian Writers Union. In the following hours, the crowd marched across the Danube to demonstrate outside the Hungarian parliament, where people demanded Imre Nagy to deliver a speech. By 6 pm, more than 200 000 people had gathered, and the mood was spirited but peaceful. However, at 8 pm, Erno Gero broadcasted a speech dismissing the Writer’s Union and the students' demands and labeling them into the state's Hungarian enemies.<ref>The Hungarian Revolution of 1956: Russians go home! - ~~http://~~www.historyinanhour.com~~/2013/02/21/hungarian-revolution-of-1956-summary/~~ </ref>

This uncompromising stance infuriated the Hungarian people, and they carried out one of their demands in the sixteen point resolution, tearing down Stalin's statue in 1951. By that time, other demonstrations started at several other parts of the city. A large crowd gathered at the Hungarian Radio headquarters as it became the focal point of the events. Moreover, the AVH (Hungarian Secret Police) heavily guarded its entrance and tried to prevent the oncoming delegation from attempting to broadcast their demands nationwide. The AVH then threw tear gas and opened fire on the unarmed crowd, and this cold-blooded killing provoked a full-scale riot against the communists and the AVH. Police cars were set on fire, weapons were seized, and Communist symbols were torn down and vandalized. In the following panic, Erno Gero called on military intervention from the Soviet Union to suppress the uprising as the freedom fighters seized control of the Radio building and other important parts of Budapest. On the eve of October 23-24, Imre Nagy returned as an appointed prime minister once more in assurance to continue with his reformist program.

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