Hungarian Revolutionary Worker-Peasant Government
헝가리 혁명 노농 정부
The Hungarian government set up under János Kádár as prime minister on 4 November 1956, together with the second Soviet intervention, and the official name used by the Hungarian government until 1972. It justified its formation by saying that the weakness of Imre Nagy's government and the counter-revolutionary elements who had infiltrated the movement endangered the achievements of socialism. The first Kádár government was sworn in on 7 November 1956 and lasted until January 1958; its task was to crush the revolution and restore communist power.
In depth
Formation
The list of ministers was read out by Khrushchev at the meeting of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee on 3 November to the Hungarian leaders brought to Moscow, among them János Kádár, chosen to replace the Nagy government. It is also called the "Szolnok government" after the town where it was formed. At 5.05 a.m. on 4 November an unidentified radio station in Uzhgorod (Ungvár) first broadcast the news: Ferenc Münnich read an open letter announcing that he, Kádár, Antal Apró and István Kossa had broken with the Nagy government on 1 November, and Kádár read out the list of the new government.
Appeal and programme
The "Appeal to the Hungarian People" said that the mass movement begun on 23 October had the noble aim of correcting the crimes of Rákosi and his associates and defending national independence and sovereignty, but that the weakness of the Nagy government and the growing influence of counter-revolutionary elements who had infiltrated the movement had endangered the achievements of socialism, the people's state and worker-peasant power. The cabinet consisted of Kádár (prime minister), Münnich (deputy prime minister and minister of the armed forces and public security), György Marosán (minister of state), Imre Horváth (foreign affairs), Kossa (finance), Apró (industry), Imre Dögei (agriculture) and Sándor Rónai (trade); the other posts were to be filled after the restoration of legal order by members of other parties and non-party people loyal to people's democracy. Marosán, Dögei and Rónai reportedly learned of their appointment from the radio. The accompanying fifteen-point programme accepted some of the movement's demands while undertaking to restore order with Soviet help.
Afterwards
The members were sworn in at Parliament on 7 November. The government negotiated with workers' councils such as the Central Workers' Council of Greater Budapest while arresting their leaders and dissolving them, and it directed the reprisals against participants in the revolution. The first Kádár government lasted until 28 January 1958. The name "Hungarian Revolutionary Worker-Peasant Government" remained the official name of the government of the Hungarian People's Republic until the constitutional amendment of 1972 restored the name "Council of Ministers".