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Revolution in Hungary: Impact and Influence on the Countries of the Soviet Bloc and the Socialist Camp

The annual English language issue (2026/4.) of Betekintő looks back on the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. This is perhaps the most significant event in the contemporary Hungarian history: every subsequent political system — the Kádár regime and the politicians of the 1989–90 transition — treated it as a point of reference. Indeed, in today’s fast-changing Hungarian public discourse, 1956 is once again taking on symbolic significance.

During the days of the revolution, or in the period of the subsequent repressions, world-renowned philosophers and writers, such as Hannah Arendt and Albert Camus, had to revise their previous ideas and theses on power, society, and the communist system. The 1956 Hungarian Revolution also had an impact on French and Italian domestic politics through the destabilization of the communist parties there. While much research has been done on the regional impact and influence of the revolution, there is still no comprehensive overview of its consequences in the countries of the Soviet bloc and the socialist camp.

1956 did not bring about any immediate, decisive change in these countries. Nevertheless, it is reasonable to ask whether the events influenced social movements, the tone of the press, ideology, and the thinking of political leaders. Did the events prompt the authorities to take action against those who wanted to respond to the events in Hungary? What was the connection between the impact of the Hungarian Revolution and the regional, geopolitical, and ideological changes of the time, such as the Warsaw Pact, the 20th Congress of the CPSU, the de-Stalinization process, and the Suez Crisis?

It is questionable whether the Hungarian Revolution emerged as a real point of reference, or a significant factor in contemporary social or political reception, or if it was merely a pretext in the context of internal processes that were already underway. It is also worth considering over what time scale the effects of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution manifested themselves in each country: whether the memory of the revolution could be measured in weeks, months, or even years or decades. The fourth issue of Betekintő (2026) aims to contribute to academic discourse by incorporating new research findings from ÁBTL research fellows. It also opens the floor to colleagues from institutions of the European Network of Official Authorities in Charge of Secret Police Files.

With this call for papers, Betekintő wishes to contribute to the further development of a wide-ranging exchange of views. To include in this year’s thematic issue, the editorial team are looking for studies and reviews of related publications that also take state security into consideration and add new perspectives to the academic discourse on the topic.

The abstracts of up to 300 words should be sent by the deadline below. The maximum length of papers is 40,000 characters (including spaces). Please note that only manuscripts prepared in accordance with our citation guidelines (Chicago Manuel of Style: Notes and Bibliography Style) will be accepted. For more information, please click here: https://www.betekinto.hu/en/for_our_authors

Abstract submission deadline: June 30, 2026.

Manuscript submission deadline: November 30, 2026.

Please send abstracts and manuscripts to the official email address of the editorial office: betekinto@abtl.hu

Best wishes,

Péter István Pap

Editor-in-Chief

Betekintő