The Diplomatic Response of a Small European Country to the Hungarian Insurrection of 1956: Belgium
Fejérdy, Gergely
The Diplomatic Response of a Small European Country to the Hungarian Insurrection of 1956: Belgium - 2007.
78
After Stalin’s death, Belgium, a small country which was particularly interested in creating peace and a sound balance of power on the European continent, was committed to détente, although Belgium remained suspicious. During the Hungarian uprising in autumn 1956 a governmental delegation was in Moscow but was informed about the events only when they got back. The Soviet intervention in Hungary made Brussels indignant and confirmed what Belgium had already feared : Moscow’s policy had not evolved since 1945. It was in keeping with the idea that Belgium intervened before the international organizations. Sometimes at odds with Brussels, the Belgian legation’s leader in Budapest who followed the events there, tried to promote the idea of a neutral Belgian policy. Belgium, concerned with its security and a member of NATO, however, followed the channels of cooperation with its Allies. Not only did the Hungarian uprising reveal the Soviet policy’s true face in the eyes of Brussels but it also froze the relations between Belgium and Hungary for a few years.
The Diplomatic Response of a Small European Country to the Hungarian Insurrection of 1956: Belgium - 2007.
78
After Stalin’s death, Belgium, a small country which was particularly interested in creating peace and a sound balance of power on the European continent, was committed to détente, although Belgium remained suspicious. During the Hungarian uprising in autumn 1956 a governmental delegation was in Moscow but was informed about the events only when they got back. The Soviet intervention in Hungary made Brussels indignant and confirmed what Belgium had already feared : Moscow’s policy had not evolved since 1945. It was in keeping with the idea that Belgium intervened before the international organizations. Sometimes at odds with Brussels, the Belgian legation’s leader in Budapest who followed the events there, tried to promote the idea of a neutral Belgian policy. Belgium, concerned with its security and a member of NATO, however, followed the channels of cooperation with its Allies. Not only did the Hungarian uprising reveal the Soviet policy’s true face in the eyes of Brussels but it also froze the relations between Belgium and Hungary for a few years.
Réseaux sociaux