“Pursuant to provisions of Article 34 of the Charter, the Governments of France, the United Kingdom and of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America, request the inclusion in the agenda of the Security Council of an item entitled: “The situation in Hungary”, and request further that you convene na urgent meeting of the Security Council for the consideration of this item.”
Letter to the President of the Security Council, 27 October 1956”
Letter to the President of the Security Council, 27 October 1956
It has been an eventful night. We were more than 2000, gathered at the University meeting, and when the reason for presence of soviet forces in Hungary was questioned, the mood started to change. Feeling empowered, our focus shifted from student issues to democracy and real independence. Soon afterwards we were drafting demands!
Kedd, Október 23
There is fresh news. Tanks and militia sighted on the streets. There are also accounts of sniper fire, scattered across the city.
We then learned that Zhukov ordered Soviet forces to enter Budapest city centre. Two new armoured vehicle units have been spotted near Corvin Passage and Bem Statue. But there is now growing popular support to our actions, the early doubts are dissipated, and our morale is increasing. We just heard that Imre Nagy returned to power! In the meantime, the crowd burns propaganda, and the information war is raging.
I left the University and walked along the Danub towards Bem Statue, carrying some “bottles”.
Upon arrival I met Júlia and, yes, there was in fact a huge tank in the middle of the street, menacing the crowd. Just as we arrived it opened fire! We were lucky enough not to get shot. Not a moment to think twice, it is time for retribution.
We both had Molotof cocktails in our hands, we got as close as possible, and threw them at the tank, which was set ablaze. Only then we realized, for the first time, that even the mighty Soviet forces could be defeated in our home streets, with nothing more than our almost bare hands!
Afterwards, still shaking, we headed together to Széna Square, where Marta Wawelska, a common friend, joined us, she too ready to hunt down tanks.
But the militia and snipers were chasing us, after our action at Bem. We again escaped unscathed. I don’t how long we will be able to dodge the bullets…
Szerda, Október 24
A curfew was imposed, but that would not deter us, we would just have to find new ways to move around. Unexpectedly, some militia units retreated, hinting on the confusion and hesitations of their leaders. Maybe we can push them a little bit further and, who knows, they might lay down their weapons.
As an act of defiance, the national song was read at Bem Statue. Imre, who was there, promptly joined our faction. He would become handy in gathering food supplies.
At almost the same time, István Kopasz joined ranks at the University, bringing with him the expertise on small weapons and ammunitions.
As Péter Veres read the manifesto in public, István joined us at Széna square, and Julia and Marta left to Kossuk, in search for soviet tanks.
We were constantly growing in numbers and diversifying our abilities, and we could feel the support growing.
As the militia stormed the square, István opened fire and hit two of them. He could not have arrived at a better occasion, but we were concerned that the situation could escalate out control, leaving many dead or injured, many of which would be our fellow civilians. Nevertheless, we all felt that there was no turning back.
The civilian medical staff was there, at Széna, treating injured people no matter their side, nationality, or uniform, and risking their own lives on the process. A medic just got injured as some shots were aimed indiscriminately.
Time to get on the move, as it is a bad idea to stand still for too long. István and myself moved back to Bem Statue, to join Imre, and then the three of us headed to Kossuth Square. Júlia and Marta were already there and had find yet another soviet tank to target.
The momentum was on our side and for the second day in a row we blew up a tank without suffering any casualties.
However, the main hazard at the moment were not the tanks standing still on the streets, but the snipers hiding in tall buildings.
Our violent actions did not go unnoticed and, somehow, they managed to track us down. Some close calls, until being hit. Just to flesh wounds, but it took a toll on our morale. We realized how fast can all be over…
Csütörtök, Október 25
Some good news coming from the outside! It seems there is CIA involvement around. Will the Americans, finally, provide us with real support on the ground, ammunition, supply, intelligence? That might turn the tide in our favour, for good.
Meanwhile, we decided to go to the Astoria, where Valéria Pille joined us. It was time to assemble a team and strike again.
So, we went back to the University, where Imre was going to stay for a while, to prepare another batch of food supply. We could always count with support of the fellow students, and we kept insisting on making our demands heard.
Valéria asked Margit to come along, and the three of us left in search for tanks, heading first to Csepel.
There were Militia shots, both at Csepel and the University, but with no consequence.
Penték, Október 26
The overall situation remained undefined. One hand, there seems to be division on the Soviet camp, where some do not support the military intervention and are seeking for another type of solution. A couple of units are even retreating. On the other hand, the armoured units were more active than ever on the ground, probably profiting from a news blockade to avoid further international pressure.
For the better, the revolution has now its own tank! He just arrived at Corvin Passage! The battle for street control continues and we are looking forward to freeing them from Soviet tanks.
We headed to Corvin, more determined than ever, ready to take another shot at a Soviet tank. And we did! The third one to go, thanks to a joint effort with Margit and Valéria. But the success was short lived. Margit was badly hit during the ensuing fire exchange…
Later that day, still nearby Corvin, Ferenc, a communications expert, joined us, and we went, once again, back to the University, always a focal point to regroup and reorganise.
Upon Ferenc’s suggestion, we started to remove the five-point red stars from buildings, whenever possible, as a public statement that the era of Soviet control over the Budapest had come to an end.
Keep moving, I thought!
This time, I crossed the city on the back of a truck, alongside with Imre and Valéria. We went to Széna, where we organised a fighter group, and instructed them on the art of building street barricades, from whatever is available.
Not without another fire exchange with militia, another close call. This time I was well armed with a PPsh-41, ironically a soviet-made submachine gun, they used to call papasha.
I was just recovering from this exchange when I learned that Júlia and István were shot down by snipers, somewhere around Kossuth Square…
Four days, and the line separating life and death is wearing thinner and thinner.
To be continued ...
List of episodes
Ep. 1 - Serious stuff
Ep. 2 - Meet Dávid Turczi
Ep. 3 - Designer insights
Ep. 4 - At the table
Ep. 5 - I joined the revolution!
Ep. 6 - The fate of the revolution
Ep. 7 - Budapest 1956, and beyond
No comments:
Post a Comment