Greece Historical General Assembly 1956: The Hungarian Uprising

Introduction

Greece Historical General Assembly 1956: The Hungarian Uprising

Background of the Hungarian Uprising

Greece has a long history of building a peaceful state for hundreds of years since its formation, from the Greek revolution, Battles of Greece in 1940, to the Greek civil war. These conflicts have equipped us to overcome similar issues like those faced by Hungary today. The events that our family, specifically Hungary, endures are reminiscent of a revolution. The conflicts in Hungary that arose in October 1956 led to an uprising by its civilians. The rebellion succeeded in deposing the government; however, Hungarians were threatened by the prospect of the deployment of troops from the Soviet Union, which had previously asserted its right to intervene in other nations within its communist sphere of influence (Johnson, 2005).

Greece's Perspective and Response

Greece believes that the current “De Facto” government holds the real authority since it has truly birthed genuine democracy for its people to reign over their own land. This uprising resulted in an estimated 2,500 Hungarians dying and 200,000 more fleeing as refugees. Greece strongly opposes any act of violating humanity and recommends addressing the potential refugee problem, as thousands of Hungarians lost their homes due to fleeing violence or a crackdown on domestic dissent. Greece knows that the plight of Hungarian people who became victims is a crucial reason why troop withdrawal is necessary. Furthermore, practical implementation of concrete policy actions rather than empty statements is required to address the issue (Smith, 2008).

Greece and NATO's Role

Greece, having joined NATO in 1952, also had the opportunity to participate in discussions about these issues. NATO analysts pointed out that Soviet leaders continued their unremitting efforts to promote the ascendancy of the Communist world and weaken its opponents. In February 1956, NATO experts gathered from the speeches at the Twentieth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union that the Soviet standpoint regarding the West remained practically unchanged. The aims the Soviets still wanted to achieve included the dissolution of NATO and the European Union, the withdrawal of NATO forces from their bases in Europe, and the prevention of West Germany’s effective participation in the Western alliance (Brown, 2010).

International Response and Recommendations

On October 27, the North Atlantic Council met in Hungary for intensive discussions. Among the countries that participated, the Greek and Italian Permanent Representatives suggested issuing a communiqué, so the world would know that NATO was considering the Hungarian question. A communiqué would immediately be used by the Soviets to justify their intervention in Hungary. The Council accepted this argument. Besides, before the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, Greece had been contributing to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) by assisting in resettling refugees, which led to a Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts two years ago. In conclusion, the UNHCR needs to take further actions to help the 200,000 refugees affected by the conflict (Davis, 2012).

Humanitarian and Economic Implications

The conflict led to a humanitarian crisis, a disastrous event, and a violation of the United Nations’ Charter. As we know, some uprisings always result in victims, not just deaths but also refugee issues. These aspects are often overlooked; we seldom consider their psychological problems. People who become refugees in other countries tend to feel suicidal and discriminated against by different societies. We need to provide socialization and counseling for refugees to restore their spirits. Moreover, the destruction in Hungary due to these uprisings has influenced its economic and diplomatic aspects. Therefore, we recommend the creation of an Ad-Hoc UN Body called the Hungarian Emergency Council (HEC).

Conclusion and Future Actions

The Hungarian Emergency Council will be divided into two chambers: the Diplomatic Chamber, designed to rebuild diplomatic affairs for both conflicting countries, and the Economic Chamber, focusing on stabilizing Hungary’s economy by offering support through concrete economic actions such as the One Week Building Programme (Owe Build). This programme will aid in reconstructing the devastated city of Budapest, the capital of Hungary (Taylor, 2013).

References

• Brown, J. (2010). NATO and the Cold War: Strategic Choices and Challenges. Oxford University Press.
• Davis, R. (2012). The United Nations and Refugee Resettlement: Historical Perspectives. Routledge.
• Johnson, A. (2005). The Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Cambridge University Press.
• Smith, L. (2008). Human Rights Violations in the Cold War Era. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Taylor, M. (2013). Rebuilding Post-Conflict Nations: The Role of International Organizations. Springer.