People of the Revolution and the USSR
- Ferenc Münnich Münnich Ferenc Hungarian communist who backed Soviet intervention with Kádár in 1956 and became prime minister after the revolution was crushed
- Mátyás Rákosi Rákosi Mátyás Architect of Hungary's Sovietization who built one-party rule through 'salami tactics'
- Imre Nagy Nagy Imre Premier for thirteen days
- József Révai Révai József Overseer of culture in the Rákosi era
- Ernő Gerő Gerő Ernő Hungary's last Stalinist First Secretary; his three months in power ignited the revolution
- Mihály Farkas Farkas Mihály Defence minister in Rákosi's ruling foursome
- Gábor Péter Péter Gábor Founder of Hungary's secret police, and its prisoner
- László Rajk Rajk László Interior minister who built the ÁVH secret police, then fell as the first major victim of Stalinist show trials in Eastern Europe
- János Kádár Kádár János Architect of 'goulash communism', enforcer of the 1956 reprisals
- Béla Király Király Béla The general and contested witness of 1956
- Géza Losonczy Losonczy Géza A reform communist journalist
- Pál Maléter Maléter Pál A soldier caught between negotiation and armed resistance
- András Hegedüs Hegedüs András A young premier who bore responsibility at the revolution’s threshold
- Sándor Kopácsi Kopácsi Sándor A police chief who stood between state orders and guns aimed at the people
- Károly Grósz Grósz Károly Hungary's last old-guard party chief, caught between reform and retreat and overtaken by both