Throughout
history, there have been many revolutions that fight for certain causes. However, what exactly is a revolution? According to the dictionary, a revolution is the usually violent attempt by many people to end
the rule of one government and start a new one.[1] This definition is incomplete, because simply
defining a revolution does not show its impact on the actual countries that are
revolting. In order to find these
impacts, one has to research a time period of which there were many
revolutions, which is exactly what our group decided to do. The Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics, commonly known as the USSR, was the largest communist
republic in the world. It overtook the
governments of many countries, forcing the communistic beliefs onto the
people. Those who did not support this
party were either imprisoned or killed. Not only did this happen in the USSR
and its surrounding countries, but also many countries throughout Europe. The
revolutions in all of these countries, violent and non-violent, eventually led
to the collapse of communism in the USSR, changing the world forever.
One of the
revolutions that led to the downfall of communism in the USSR was in Poland. This was known as the Solidarity movement. Beginning
in 1981, the Solidarity movement was a non-communist trade union. Solidarity was the first step towards
independence for the Polish economy and government. Before this movement began, workers who
opposed the communistic work force were killed. In 1970, the Polish police
killed strikers who were protesting the government and the economy. In 1980, there was a sudden rise of the price
of food. People who worked in the
shipyard, Gdansk, demanded that they be paid higher wages to compensate for the
increase in prices. Unable to convince
the government, they organized a sit-in and refused to work until all of their
demands were met. They demanded an increase the worker’s pay, reinstallation of
a memorial for those who were killed in 1970, reinstatement for some of the
workers who publicly criticized the communist regime, and “the creation of
self-governing trade unions.” The communist government agreed to all of the
demands, except for the trade unions. Despite
this rejection, the workers continued to protest the communist regime. Their actions inspired other countries to
begin revolting against communism. Realizing that the country could not thrive
without the workers, the communist government began negotiating with them. On
August 31, 1980, Solidarity became official, thus starting the beginning of the
end of communism in Poland.[2]
In September
of 1956, a large group of Hungarian students gathered together and marched
through Budapest in protest against the Soviet regime. They marched to a radio station and
broadcasted their demands to be free from the control of the USSR. When those inside the radio station were
arrested, the other students outside the building began to uproar. This led to the secret Soviet police firing
at the students. After news of this
protest spread, the government began to collapse. The Soviets decided to send in troops and
artillery to help stabilize the government again. In order to protect
themselves against the Soviet military, the people of Hungary formed militias
and began attacking the troops. On November second, the Soviets sent in more
troops and weapons to surround Hungary.
At this point, five thousand tanks surrounded the capital city. Over twenty thousand people were killed and as
many as two hundred thousand had fled Hungary. Soon after, the Soviet police were forcibly
disarmed and withdrew from the country.[3] However, this did not completely end
communism in Hungary. In 1989, the
economy was suffering. There was
inflation, massive amounts of debt, and many suffered from poverty. The communist leader, János Kádár, and the
communist regime were compelled to recognize the collapse of communism due to
the failing status of the country.
The
revolutions in these countries were devastating. Many people were killed and forced to leave
their homes. To a student, this is just information on a piece of paper. In
order to really understand the events of these revolutions, I interviewed
someone who lived them, my grandmother, Maria. Listening to her relive her
horrible living conditions, and the other tragedies she encountered made me
understand more about her personality, lifestyle, and the way she is. Here is
her story*:
“I was born in Budapest on April 7, 1941.
I am the oldest of four siblings. My father died when I was ten, leaving my
mother to raise us by herself. She had
no family to help her, so my brother and I helped out all we could. We lived on a tiny farm, smaller than the
average apartment in New York City. Our
farm didn’t have many animals or plants.
We had a few pigs, chickens, and a couple of tomato and lettuce
plants. There was not much to eat
either. If there wasn’t enough food for
the entire family, my mother and I often went without. We didn’t have any money to buy clothes, so
my mother and I made them ourselves from the materials from the clothes that
didn’t fit us anymore. When I was
fourteen, my little sister, Theresia, died.
I remember being sad, but secretly a little relieved that we didn’t have
to provide for her. Of course I would
never tell my mother that, but I think she secretly knew how I felt, and I
think she secretly felt the same, but I won’t speak for her. Not long after Theresia died, my mother
became angry. She would often publicly
speak badly about the government. With
it being a communist society, this was not allowed. One day, the police came into our house, beat
my mother, and took her to prison. I was
petrified for the safety of my brothers, but I knew that I had to take care of
them. It was about a week until we saw
her again. She was different, quieter,
and not as optimistic. Some time passed
and we lived our day-to-day struggles. I
dropped out of school and helped my mother because she was getting old. When she died, my brothers and I made the
decision that we could no longer stay in Hungary. We were able to leave the country with some of
our neighbors, who also decided to leave. We were lucky, because we were able
to legally come to the United States. I was able to find work in a department
store, and my brothers worked in factories.
We lived with our neighbor from Hungary, who helped take care of
us. I thank everyday that I had
her. If it weren’t for her, my brothers
and I would have died. I was happy
living in New York, but I missed my mother and our farm. Life got a little easier when I met your
grandfather. We met in a church not far
from my apartment. About a year later,
we got married and had your father and uncle. My brothers also met their wives
and had children, and we went our separate ways. I found out many years later that my youngest
brother was sexually molested by some of the Soviet soldiers in Hungary. He never told me the details, but would you
expect him to? I think about my
childhood every day. And everyday I am
grateful for the life I have now.
“I feel that what I went through made me
a stronger person. Look where I am now,
I have a home, enough food to eat, enough clothes to wear, an amazing husband,
two healthy and successful children, and six beautiful grandchildren. My life in Hungary definitely made me
appreciate the freedom that this country has to offer. Even when this country seems to be at its
worst, I know that there is an even worse alternative to the living conditions.
If my mother was able to come with this country, I know that she would’ve
kissed the floor and appreciated it for all its worth.”
Works
Cited
2. Filipowicz, H., “Journey to Gdansk”: An
Introduction, Performing Arts Journal,
Vol. 6 No. 2, (1982), pp. 63-65.
http://www.jstor.org.proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/stable/pdfplus/3245016.pdf?&acceptTC=true&jpdConfirm=true
3.
Myers,
D.P., “Hungary and the World Nations,” World Affairs, Vol. 120 No. 1, (Spring
1957), pp. 3-10
http://www.jstor.org.proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/stable/pdfplus/20669337.pdf?&acceptTC=true&jpdConfirm=true
[1]
Merriam-Webster http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revolution
[2] Filipowicz, Halina,
“Journey to Gdansk”: An Introduction, 1982, 63-64.
[3] Myers. Denys P., World
Affairs, Vol. 120 No. 1, Spring 1957, 3-10.
*
I had to edit her interview. My grandmother’s first language is not English,
and she uses very strong language.
By Samantha Garger
By Samantha Garger
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