Karaszi-Kulin, Janos Daniel (Oral history)

Hungarian civilian member of Hungarian Resistance in Budapest, Hungary, 1944; partisan served with 1st Hungarian Resistance Battalion attached to Soviet Army in Hungary, 1944-1945; officer served with Hungarian People's Army Air Force in Hungarian People's Republic, 1950-1956; member of Tompa Street Group in Budapest during Hungarian Uprising, 10/1956-11/1956

REEL 1 Background in Szabolcs, Hungary, 1929-1944: family; education; employment in aircraft industry. Aspects of period as member of Hungarian Resistance in Budapest, Hungary, 1944: work with resistance group against German occupation including attempt to kill German aircraft engineer; meeting with Randolph Churchill at Josip Tito's Headquarters in Yugoslavia. Recollections of operations as partisan with 1st Bn Hungarian Resistance Battalion in Hungary, 1944-1945: joining unit, late 1944; memories of Pal Maleter; operations in central Hungary; performance of German and Soviet troops in 1945; presence of female personnel in Soviet forces; effect of Soviet Army policy of rapine; VE Day in Debrecen, 8/5/1945. Recollections of period as civilian in Hungary, 1945-1948: character of regime including black market. REEL 2 Continues: attitude towards Soviets; Soviet anti-venereal disease films; strength of regime's propaganda; work in tailoring factory; joining the Hungarian People's Army, 1948. Recollections of period as officer with Hungarian People's Army Air Force in Hungary, 1950-1956: reasons for transferring to Hungarian People's Army Air Force School, 1950; background to airforce officer executed by secret police of the State Protection Authority (AVH); atmosphere of fear under regime of Matyas Rakosi and subsequent change after Josef Stalin's death, 3/1953; membership of Petofi Circle and Hungarian Communist Party (MKP); liberalisation of regime, 1954-1955; his Hungarian Communist Party (MKP) responsibilities; period of training in Soviet Union, 5/1956. Recollections of operations as member of Tompa Street Group in Budapest during Hungarian Uprising, 10/1956-11/1956: attending demonstration in Budapest, 23/10/1956; State Protection Authority (AVH) opening fire on demonstrators, 23/10/1956; securing arms; joining Tompa Street Group; method of engaging Soviet tanks. REEL 3 Continues: his attacks on Soviet forces in Tompa Street; aid he gave to a family. Recollections of escape from Hungary to Austria after Hungarian Uprising, 11/1956-12/1957: setting up secret organisation to continue struggle; aid given to him by British Air Attache Group Captain Dennis David; how he escaped to Austria, 12/1956; life in Vienna, Austria after 12/1956; information he gave to western intelligence organisations; his trial in absentia. Reflections of Hungarian Uprising: belief in possibility of success of an uprising after 11/1956; question of western encouragment of uprising and failing to act; his return to Hungary in 1980s and re-establishing contact with Hungarian revolutionaries. REEL 4 Continues: nature of sentences passed on Hungarian revolutionaries; attitude towards Soviet nd Germans; character of 1956 Hungarian Uprising.