Imre Nagy Imre Nagy (; 7 June 1896 – 16 June 1958) was a Hungarian communist politician who served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers (''de facto'' Prime Minister) of the Hungarian People's Republic from 1953 to 1955. In 1956 Nagy became leader ...

first became Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Hungarian People's Republic ( Prime Minister of Hungary) on 4 July 1953 upon the resignation of Mátyás Rákosi, forming a government more moderate than that of his predecessor which attempted to reform the system. However, Rákosi remained First Secretary of the

ruling Rule or ruling may refer to: Education * Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE), a university in Cambodia Human activity * The exercise of political or personal control by someone with authority or power * Business rule, a rule perta ...

Hungarian Working People's Party, and he was ultimately able to use his influence force Nagy out of office in April 1955. After the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolution on 23 October 1956, Nagy was reinstated as prime minister the next day on under intense popular demand. As the Revolution progressed his government made moves towards a multi-party system, admitting non-Communist politicians to power and reforming the ruling Hungarian Working People's Party into the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party. On 3 November Nagy formed a third government with a Communist minority including all the members of the post-war coalition parties: the Independent Smallholders' Party, the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...

, and Petőfi Party. However, the very next day the Soviet Union launched a massive military invasion of Hungary, deposing Nagy and installing a new Communist government under János Kádár. Nagy and his cabinet were granted asylum in the Yugoslav Embassy in Budapest, where they refused to resign and recognize the new regime. Kádár would not arrive in Budapest until 7 November and his government would not be confirmed until 12 November, and a standoff ensued.“Occupation and Resistance.” Hungary 1953-1963, Lesson 4. ''The Institute for the History of the 1956 Revolution''

Nagy and his group were finally convinced to leave the Embassy on 22 November under a promise of safe conduct from Kádár, but they were promptly arrested upon leaving the building. Nagy would be executed after a

show trial A show trial is a public trial in which the judicial authorities have already determined the guilt or innocence of the defendant. The actual trial has as its only goal the presentation of both the accusation and the verdict to the public so th ...

on the order of Kádár in June 1958, and would not be rehabilitated until the end of Communism in Hungary in 1989.

First government (1953–1955)

Second government (24 October–3 November 1956)

Third government (3–4/12 November 1956)

References