Two Foreign Office telegrams reporting back to London on the situation in Hungary from 25-26 October 1956 (Catalogue ref: FO 371/122376)
Transcript
CONFIDENTIAL
FROM BUDAPEST TO FOREIGN OFFICE
Cypher/OTP FOREIGN OFFICE AND WHITEHALL DISTRIBUTION
Mr. Fry
No.430 D. 4.04 p.m. October 25, 1956
October 25, 1956 R. 4.08 pm. October 25, 1956
EMERGENCY
CONFIDENTIAL
…
The Hungarian Tricolours without the Communist emblem, now flying on many public and other buildings throughout the city, while orderly crowds carrying their flags and singing patriotic songs are moving about at will. Without controlling the Government they appear to have come as close to controlling Budapest as is ever likely.
- But casualties have been very severe, even amongst the women and children, and the populace are terrified of massive reprisals. The success of this revolt against Communism is clearly in the balance and, as I see it, we have a magnificent opportunity to tip the scales. Is there not justification for placing the situation at once before the United Nations, giving the widest publicity to our action? The mere fact of our application would be beneficial.
- But you will already have considered the possibilities open to Her Majesty’s Government. I would therefore offer only my [grp. undec.? clear] impression that the fleeting moment is here.
Foreign Office please pass Priority to Moscow and Warsaw as my telegrams Nos. 27 and 18 and Saving to Bucharest, Prague and Bonn as my telegrams Nos. 26, 27 and 6.
[Repeated to Moscow and Warsaw, and Saving to Bucharest, Prague and Bonn]
ADVANCED COPIES
Sir I. Kirkpatrick Private Secretary Sir J. Ward
Head of Northern Department Head of News Department
Head of Information Research Department.
Transcript
CONFIDENTIAL
FROM BUDAPEST TO FOREIGN OFFICE
Cypher/OTP FOREIGN OFFICE AND WHITEHALL DISTRIBUTION
Mr. Fry
No.451 D. 7.02 p.m. October 26, 1956
October 26, 1956 R. 7.38 pm. October 26, 1956
EMERGENCY
CONFIDENTIAL
Use of railway wagons, tram lines, flagstones, and anything else on which they can lay hands, large crowds have, from early this morning, been erecting barricades beyond Var and other hills of Buda. Their intention appears to be to prevent Russian reinforcements entering the town from the south west, one direction from which they might be expected to come.
- Heavy fire has continued throughout the day Gellert hill region and there have been occasional sharp bursts of fire in many localities. Heavy mortar and tank fire is in progress now on eastern outskirts of Pest and fighting has also spread to new areas of Buda, notably that west of Var.
- Unconfirmed reports continue to reach me that units of Hungarian army are attempting to enter Budapest to assist the people. True or not, it is obvious that the people could not have resisted so long and so successfully without help from the Hungarian Army and access to its equipment. All bridges over the Danube except that at the north end of Margaret Island are blocked by Russian tanks and, as my Military Attaché is reporting to War Office, large numbers of Russian fighting vehicles bearing numbers hitherto not noted in Hungary have appeared.
- Such news as I have from the country is confined to wireless broadcasts which will already be available in London. I am told that Miskolc wireless station is in the hands of the Nationalists and is broadcasting on 345 metres.
…
- The political situation is, if anything, even more confused than military. The Budapest Radio announcements that we have heard today have been unimportant. Neither Kadar nor Nagy has been mentioned by name, and the imminent announcement that was promised by the Central leadership some six hours ago has not materialised.