H. Bathó Edit – Horváth László – Kaposvári Gyöngyi – Tárnoki Judit – Vadász István szerk.: Tisicum - A Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok Megyei Múzeumok Évkönyve 15. (2006)

ISTVÁN GY. FEKETE: SZOLNOK AND THE 1956 HUNGARIAN REVOLUTION AND THE MILITARY INTERVENTION

TISZAI Lajos 2001 Szolnokország. Szolnoki Téka. Szolnok TŐRÖS István 1999 „Ha este kimegyünk Tökölre, onnan többé nem jövünk vissza". Top Gun, 2. szám. ISTVÁN GY. FEKETE For decades, the role that Szolnok played in the 1956 Revolution and War of Independence was not judged on the basis of historical objectivity, but rather in connection with actual political interests. For this reason, the town was sometimes "over" and sometimes "under" evaluated. But in fact, the town played the very same role it had played so many times during its history due to its geographical and strategic position, or its special place in the actual political events. In 1956, as a consequence of the revolution, when the desire for freedom erupted with such an overwhelming force, and the intention that after the years of dictatorship the people wanted to take over their own fate, it was from Szolnok where the omens of evil portent started to appear which foreshadowed somé grave peril. Since while the government was shaping the plán of a neutral and free Hungárián Republic, by the end of October from "Szolnok" it was clearly predictable that severe unbenevolent forces were ready to stamp on the tender offsets of freedom. This paper is attempting to follow up the process how the idea of a Soviet military intervention became gory reality, the role that the old political leadership played in this process, and how Szolnok became the centre of the campaign that restored the old system. Finally, it is trying to answer the question that in this complicated situation how the local military and civilian leadership found a possible and acceptable way to savé the most precious value: humán life from blind injudicious intentions The military events of the 1956 revolution in Szoolnok are grouped around the following questions: 1. The relationship between the revolutionary events and military units in Szolnok - Major revolutionary VARADI Natália 2004 Az 1956-os forradalom elfojtását Kárpátaljáról irányították. Honismeret, 6. szám. WIRTH Gábor 2002 A szolnoki rádió 1956-ban. Jászsági Évkönyv occurrences in Szolnok. - The activities of troops and units as a result of these events. - The undoubting precursory of a Soviet military intervention. 2. The Soviet military intervention and Szolnok - The formádon of the Revolutionary Government (the political "legalisation" of the intervention) - The blank of the Hungárián military leadership with combined use of the KGB and military force, the support of military operations with means of mass communication - the implementation of the military campaign called "VIHAR" (TEMPEST) Losses and retaliation This paper is not trying to elaborate the local events of a certain area, but is dealing with the pást military events of a rural town that were shrouded in the mystical gloom of political adumbration and files of classified information. What made the work easier was the fact that more and more military and political documents are becoming free from the burden of secrecy, and although fewer and fewer year by year, somé eyewitnesses of those events are still available today. One peculiarity of the topic is that it is joined to Soviet sources in many aspeets. The good news in this area is that the rigidity of previous years is getting more and more relaxed. After elaborating the literature and listening to the eyewitnesses, this paper is hoping to contribute to the understanding of a small slice of those events and unveiling somé truth, and in doing so, to help exacerbate the social forgiveness and atonement. SZOLNOK AND THE 1956 HUNGÁRIÁN REVOLUTION AND THE MILITARY INTERVENTION 205