Like much of China, the Cultural Revolution (known more officially as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution) is mired in mystery and intrigue. Few would recognize – let alone fathom – that almost 45 million Chinese (estimates vary from 30 to 45 million) died during a period of roughly twenty years between the Great Leap Forward in…
Tag: communism
The Hungarian Revolution of 1956: The Event that Shook the World
The events surrounding the 1956 Hungarian Revolution are closely linked to my family. My grandparents and my father fled Hungary after the revolution to settle and build a new life in Canada. The events in Hungary demonstrated to the world the true face of communist oppression in Eastern Europe, and ripped a hole in the…
Is History Really Over?
“In 1989, as the Cold War entered the bottom of the ninth inning, political scientist Francis Fukuyama wrote a memorable essay entitled “The End of History?” And despite the question mark in the article’s title, the argument resolved itself in a straightforward answer: “Yes.” It was a nifty bit of Hegelian reasoning, filtered through the…
Soviet Ghosts: an Empire in decay – in pictures
The countries of the former Eastern bloc are full of abandoned monuments to the “glory” of the Soviet Union. Risking arrest and radiation, photographer Rebecca Litchfield took a road trip through the ruined hospitals, barracks, prisons and spy stations to produce a haunting ghost story in bricks and mortar. http://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2014/jul/10/soviet-ghosts-an-empire-in-decay-in-pictures
Hungary 1956 revolt: Bela Biszku jailed for war crimes
BBC News – Hungary 1956 revolt: Bela Biszku jailed for war crimes A former Hungarian interior minister has been found guilty of war crimes over the suppression of the October 1956 uprising against communist rule. Bela Biszku, 92, was convicted of ordering security forces to open fire on civilians, killing 49 people. The anti-communist revolt toppled…
We Made It Happen | Celebrating 25 Years Since the Fall of Communism
We Made It Happen | Our Victory Over Communism Twenty-five years ago, we made it happen. We defeated communism. This blog celebrates that victory and pays tribute to our heroes who fought for our freedom and brought the Iron Curtain down. Celebrate with us! Tell us your own story or one from your family. Perhaps you…
