THE SITUATION IM HUNGARY
Although armed patriots continue to resist the Soviet attack In Budapest aad la at leastreas Id tbethe Internal Hungarian Situation Is under Sovietafter sore than two seeks of bloody revolutionary Soviet forces and tbelr collaborators ln the new self-styled national Communist forkers and PeasantsGovernment of Premier Janos Eadar are In at leantcontrol of tbe couu-try and are seeking to restore civil and economic order as quickly as possible.
Hourly appeals over most of tbe nation's radio stations reveal the size of tbe economic task confronting tbe regime; food*tuffn, medlcinea and other staples are ln short supply, transportation isirtual standstill aod most Industrial plants. If lo operation at all, ere vorklng with sksleton labor forces. The regime's political prospects appear no mors promising; the mood of thobitter or despairing Is defeat, will long plague tbe regime's efforts to put the country back on its foet.
foeata.,
CURRENT IXTBLLIGE.SCEovember 19
Problems
Despite Its balling ofof tbe earlier revolutionrilliant success, despite its tribute to tbose who fell ln battle, and despite tbethat Hungary Ib still a free and sovereign state, the Kadar regime ls lmpotontSoviet army backlog. It thus finds Itself in theofreed of national Communism andIndependence which came into existence only by virtue of Soviet tank*.
The longer the armedcontinues and the sore tbe Soviets resort to atrocities and slaughter, the more difficult Kadar's taskmi be; whatever Kadar's actual goals aad Initial motivation, be has actedoviet agent and will be powerless to act is any other role for some time.
ovember. when the Hungarian workers (Communist) Party renamed itself the Socialist Workers Party aodew ruling presidium hoaded by Kadar, there have been no official announcements from the party. Ths status of Its leadership. Its organization and its activltles--partlcularly since tbe Soviet sttack on 4 bees obscure. It now appears to be shorn of much of its andfighting Its eatreme right--Hagy and his supporters. It consists, at the center, of the compromised nationalleaders, opportunists and whatever Russopblle elements and security police remain.
Local party organisations In the provinces and districts
and in the factories bad Joined the uprising and,emarkabl large extent, bad appeared willing to go along withagy government and Hungarian neutralism; many may sowto the fold, but others will certainly remain aloof or ln opposition.
The bulk of the national Communists, who may haveajority of tbe party prior to the uprising, probably viewed with fear the growing victory
l of non-Communists la theregime. But their reaction to tbe Soviet attackovember may have been even more intense. For the immediate future, the party can probably count on tbe active and loyal services of no more tban half of Its prerevolotloo membership and it will probably be several years before aa functioning Communist Party,isciplined cadre
!otent leadership, will
Sgals rule in Hungary.
nevertheless, whatever the level of his present support within the Communist Party, Kadar can probably count oa more than any other Soviet-supported leader; tbe national Communists have oo other of equal stature scceptable to the OSSB.
Long-range Soviet policy toward Hungary apparently Is based on the bope that Kadar and his regime will be able toa workable policyto tbat espoused by Gomulka lnKadar has already promised. Although bis Including one toepresentation In thefrom "other parties" snd nonparty Interests, could aaount to little morstrategem to restore order. It
appears probable that the oe* Hungarian regime, vlth Soviet support, elll actually attempt to carry out suoh a program.
Soviet Moves
The Soviet decision to attack was probably taken at least byctober, when it bad become clear the newregime would ln time renounce Communism and its close ties mltb the USSR. Hungary, If left to Its own devices, vould bavetatus not unlike that of Austria; officially neutral, but unofficially hostiletbe Bast and sympathetic toward tbe West.
In tbe few abort days of Hungarian freedom, tbesituation throughout the country pawned from Communist domination to regional to resistance to tbe Nagy coalition government ln Budapest to co-operation witb Itrovisional basis, and. Just before the end, to the beginningsemocratic revival.
The renewed Soviet attack came without formal warning,
but on the nightovember the Soviet troop movementstbe country andcrossing Into Hungary bad indicated some form of Soviet move was imminent. The Magy regime the previous day had sounded tbe alarm to tbe united Nations, but, almosttbe USSR had satsred into negotiations with the Nagyfor tbe withdrawal of all Soviet forces in tbe country.
On tbe morning of the 4th, when Soviet units attackedand otbar oltles, tbe Soviet generals who were talking to the two HungarianHlolstsr palan insurgent hero; and Chief of Stafftbe pretenss and arrssted tbe conferees. By0 on the same morning, Soviet troops captured tbe parliament build-ing in downtown Budapest aod arrested Its occupants. Premier Nagy and several of his Nagy bad bad time only to announce tbe attack over Radio Budapest at nd to make bis last urgent call for Western military assistance.
Original document.
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