Who led the Soviets when they invaded Hungary in 1956?

Khrushchev told the delegates,

It is here that Stalin showed in a whole series of cases his intolerance, his brutality, and his abuse of power ... he often chose the path of repression and physical annihilation, not only against actual enemies, but also against individuals who had not committed any crimes against the party or the Soviet Government.

The Secret Speech, while it did not fundamentally change Soviet society, had wide-ranging effects. The speech was a factor in unrest in Poland and revolution in Hungary later in 1956, and Stalin defenders led four days of rioting in his native Georgia in June, calling for Khrushchev to resign and Molotov to take over.

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25 Comments

wbgaither

I disagree with your choice. Nikita Khruschev became premier in 1958.After the death of Stalin in 1953,there was no declared premier or leader from 1953 to 1958. Georgy Zhukov(Soviet Defense Minister) led the Soviets into Hungary.

Bernd Rittersporn

Hard to tell what you mean by "who led the Soviets". Also, the explanation neither explains nor confirms the answer to the question. I wonder how this got approved as is.

Bill Coe

After Stalin died in 1953, four men joined together to lead the country: Georgi Malenkov, Lavrenti Beria, Vyacheslav Molotov, and Nikita Khrushchev. As head of the KGB, Beria was perceived as a threat to the other three, and they arranged for his execution. As Soviet Premier in 1953, Malenkov oversaw the first signs of the Soviet “peace offensive,” in which a series of overtures to the West indicated the beginning of a change in party policies. By 1955, however, Khrushchev had consolidated his power, forcing Malenkov to resign as Premier due to his close ties with Beria, and Khrushchev emerged as the sole leader.