HISTORICAL FAILURE OR POLITICAL REALISM?

THE 1956 HUNGARIAN REVOLUTION’S (MIS)HANDLING BY THE UNITED NATIONS

Abstract

After nearly 65 years of the Hungarian 1956 Revolution, several questions
remained unanswered, mainly concerning the international responses to the
Revolution and the brutal suppression of the revolt. The article examines the
possibilities and the limitations of the international organization when two
member states violate the Charter of the very organization, they are members
of. Based on current archival research concerning recently declassified
documents, the (mainly behind the scenes) activity and the (mainly
demonstrative) passivity of the UN are analyzed and explained, without
offering any excuse for the political pragmatism of the organization that was
once built on moral principles.
KEYWORDS: Revolution, International organization, Resolution, Documents
Cold War, Investigation, Witnesses