In front of the offices of the Secret Police, members of the insurrection destroy Soviet propaganda and portraits of Stalin. Budapest, 1956. Photo by Erich Lessing. "The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the government of the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 10/23 until 11/10...Despite the failure of the uprising, it was highly influential, and came to play a role in the downfall of the Soviet Union decades later."