HR1141 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1141 LRB099 21330 MST 47114 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to recognize the 60th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956; and

WHEREAS, A nationwide revolt against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic and its Soviet-imposed policies began on October 23, 1956, lasting until November 10, 1956; it was the first major threat to Soviet control since the USSR's forces drove out Nazi Germany from its territory at the end of World War II and broke into Central and Eastern Europe; and

WHEREAS, The revolt began as a student demonstration, which attracted thousands, marched through central Budapest to the Parliament building; one student died and was wrapped in a flag and held above the crowd, starting the revolution; as news spread, disorder and violence erupted throughout the capital; a new government formally declared its intention to withdraw from the Warsaw Pact, and pledged to re-establish free elections; by the end of October, fighting had almost stopped and a sense of normality began to return; and

WHEREAS, On November 4, 1956, a large Soviet force invaded Budapest and other regions of the country; the Hungarian resistance continued until November 10; over 2,500 Hungarians and 700 Soviet troops were killed in the conflict, and 200,000 Hungarians fled as refugees; mass arrests and denunciations continued for months thereafter; by January of 1957, the new Soviet-installed government had suppressed all public opposition; and

WHEREAS, Since the easing of tensions between the East and the West in the 1980s, the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 has been the subject of intense study and debate; at the inauguration of the Third Hungarian Republic in 1989, October 23 was declared a national holiday; and

WHEREAS, On February 13, 2006, the U.S. State Department commemorated the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution; former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice commented on the contributions made by 1956 Hungarian refugees to the United States and other host countries, as well as the role of Hungary in providing refuge to East Germans during the 1989 protests against communist rule; U.S. President George W. Bush visited Hungary on June 22, 2006 to commemorate the 50th anniversary; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the 60th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the sacrifices that were made; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Hungarian Cultural Advisory Council of Chicago.