Istvin Bibo and the Fundamental Issue of Hungarian Democracy

Abstract

When Soviet tanks attacked Budapest on 4 November 1956, most members of the Government of Imre Nagy created during the revolution fled either into hiding or into the apparent security of the Yugoslav Embassy. One man, however, remained at his post in the Parliament, expecting to be arrested by the Russians, and hoping thereby to demonstrate before the whole world that their invasion of Hungary was an illegal act against the legitimate government of a sovereign state. Summoning foreign correspondents to a press conference in the Parliament, he prepared an appeal praising the genuinely democratic spirit of the revolution and protesting to the world against its forcible suppression. This man was Istvin Bibb, appointed only the previous day as minister of state in Imre Nagy's Government.