Telegram from the Budapest KGB Station concerning the latest developments in the city following the popular uprising

To Comrade Mikoyan, A.I.


I am reporting about the situation on 28 October 1956.

1.From the network of agents, which has contact with the insurgents, doubt is arising about whether to continue the struggle. The more active part of the opposition wants to continue fighting, but says, however: if we do stop for a while, we must still keep our weapons in order to attack again at an auspicious moment.

2.On 27 October, an agent of friends of the writer [Ivan] Boldizsar [a journalist member of the democratic opposition-J.G.] met with the leaders of the opposition group. The agent sounded the alarm about the meeting that was going on in connection with the street fighting. The other participants at the meeting decided to support the new government and expressed their intention of calling the insurgents and persuading them to stop the fighting.

3.In many regions local organs and party workers dispersed, and then established various "revolutionary" national and other committees, which are beginning their "activities" disarming the security organs. For example, the revolutionary committee in Miskolc organized a meeting in front of the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and they forced the workers to lay down their arms and they tortured those who protested. On the same day, a battalion of internal troops was disbanded and spread out among the buildings by this revolutionary committee. In the town of Zalaegerseg, the revolutionary committee disarmed the security organs, and the officials were driven out of the regional limits. These facts apply to other regions as well. There are also examples of actions to the contrary. For example, in some regions, a national militia comprised of students, youth, and private soldiers of the national army are restoring back order in the cities.

4.In the city of Budapest after yesterday's meeting of the new Ministry of Internal Affairs, regional apparatuses of security and police began to renew their work. To avoid provocation, the employees of the security organs are dressed in police uniforms.

5.An organized observation of the American embassy confirms that the employees of the embassy are leaving the city with their things. The Americans Olivart and West in a conversation with one of the agents of our friends said if the uprising is not liquidated in the shortest possible time, the UN troops will move in at the proposal of the USA and a second Korea will take place.

This morning on Budapest radio there was a speech by an active participant in [Joseph] Ertovi's group of criminals, who was arrested in the military editorial board who said that he is summoning the youth to lay down their weapons, since the new government under Nagy is a guarantee of the fulfillment of the people's demands. They asked Ertovi why he wrote on a leaflet "Temporary Revolutionary Government"? To that Ertovi replied that it was because at that time they had not recognized the government, but that now he wouldn't sign it that way, because the present government is legitimate.

In the city of Budapest today everything is peaceful, except isolated strongholds of street fighters. However, there are three hotbeds, where insurgents have dug in positions.

SEROV


Transmitted by special line
28.X.56 [28 October 1956]