Similarly both new leaders proved capable desiring reforms in the country. In Hungary however, reforms were demanded on a different level, as the Hungarians had no desire in keeping Communism and staying in the Warsaw Pact. Nagy’s government wanted free elections, impartial courts and farmland restored to private ownership. They wanted the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary and as I mentioned their withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact, as well as to become neutral in the Cold War. The new American President, Eisenhower, was actually prepared to support new independent Hungary.
In Czechoslovakia however, current leader Dubcek, new the outcomes of the Hungarian revolt and so did not want to make the same mistakes. He specifically told the Soviet leader Brezhnev, that the Czechs have no intention in leaving the Warsaw Pact as the Hungarians did but less censorship, more freedom of speech and a reduction in the secret police. As more and more changes took place there was even talk of allowing another political party to be set up as a rival to the Communists, the Social Democrats Party.
In both cases the Soviet response wasn’t a positive one, but different actions were taken. In Hungary Khrushchev was ready to accept some of the reforms but he could not accept Hungary leaving the Warsaw Pact. In Czechoslovakia the USSR was worried that eventually Czechoslovakia would also want to leave the Warsaw Pact and these ideas would spread throughout Eastern Europe like a domino effect. This would cause lots of problems for Communist leaders who would be expelled or even executed. In both cases the USSR took a different order of actions. In Hungary Soviet Troops went in straight away and fighting took place. The Hungarians did not give in and after 2 weeks an estimate of 30,000 Hungarians were killed. In Czechoslovakia however the USSR tried to slow Dubcek down. Polish and East German troops performed public training exercises on the Czech border. No economic sanctions were placed or the Czechs would ask the West for help. Even though the tension seemed to ease when Dubcek promised not to leave the Warsaw Pact, Czechoslovakia was invaded on 20th August 1968. In Czechoslovakia unlike Hungary however, there was little violent response although many Czechs refused to cooperate with the Soviet Union and Dubcek was removed from power.
The end results were similar as well. Both leaders were removed from power yet Nagy was executed whilst Dubcek just downgraded. In Hungary Khrushchev placed a new leader, Janos Kadar who crushed all the resistance and about 35,000 anti-Communists were arrested and 300 executed. He introduced some of the reforms demanded by the Hungarian people but remained in the Warsaw Pact.
In Czechoslovakia the mood from a pro-Soviet country turned to one, which resented the Soviets. Ideas of reforms were silences and the Brezhnev Doctrine took place. This forbade any Communist country to leave the Warsaw Pact and set up any other government party’s.
Overall in my opinion the basic draw round of both events was similar. A revolt occurs as people are frustrated with the rule, new leaders, new reforms and the Soviet negative response with the countries go back to were they started. When the details come in however situation begin to different at the level of frustration the type of reforms the order of actions taken place and so on. I think the situations are more similar then different though since both countries had the same basics.