48

The revolutionary phenomenon can be grasped through the morphology of collective action and the mechanisms that adapt themselves to the chain of events. A revolution can break out only within a favorable political culture. Two Central European political cultures, of Hungary and Poland, convey the capacity for revolution. As a witness and small time participant (nonetheless a participant), I have a bias. I do not perform here the historian’s work. I wish to share my view of the revolution of 1956 which has remained unchanged for the last fifty years. It could remain unchanged, since living outside of Hungary, I was subjected neither to the propaganda of the reestablished communist regime that influenced people’s thoughts for 33 years nor to nationalist and liberal post-modern speeches that were in fashion since the regime change.