As the Anarchists Saw It The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 in the Spanish Libertarian Press

Abstract

The international repercussions of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and its various press interpretations have been the subject of much research, but as yet we know almost nothing about the way in which the representatives of an ab ovo revolutionary movement such as the anarchist saw the causes, context, process and possible consequences of the Revolution. This paper reconstructs how the anarchists of the period evaluated the events in Hungary, using contemporary articles from the two most important periodicals of the Spanish exiled libertarian movement in France, the CNT in Toulouse and the Solidaridad Obrera in Paris. In doing so, it offers readings that differ from the mainstream perception, as well as novel critical observations and specific parallels, which are an important complement to the public historical understanding of the 1956 Revolution. The study also provides useful contributions to the understanding of the mid-20th century international anarchist movement's view of revolutions in general, its perception of the Soviet Union and attitudes and subsequent practices in relation to the entire Cold War conflict.