On September 20, the Embassy of Hungary hosted the presentation of the recently published book Failed Illusions - Moscow, Washington and the 1956 Hungarian Revolution by Charles Gati, Senior Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Professor Gati, who is considered among the top U.S. scholars on the politics of Central and Eastern Europe, left Hungary in 1956 after having participated in the revolution. Gati deals with the topic from unorthodox perspectives while his book reveals surprising new findings about the revolution and its international political context.

Ambassador Simonyi opened the event and introduced the author as a friend and an exemplary Hungarian and American patriot. He underlined the spirit of freedom that the revolution in 1956 symbolized.

Professor Gati presented his book and his main theses. He addressed the question of the unfortunate timing of the revolution in terms of the international political environment; the controversial role, and often indecisive behavior, of the martyr Prime Minister, Imre Nagy; the hesitation on the part of the Soviet leadership on military intervention and the crackdown after the lynching on Republic Square. He elaborated on his hypotheses, according to which the revolution could have succeeded given some of the mistakes had not been made in 1956.

Approximately 250 guests attended the lecture and reception at the Hungarian Embassy. Among the guests of honor were Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez; Hungary's Minister for Foreign Affairs Kinga Göncz; Director of the CIA General Michael Hayden; former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski; Former US Ambassador to Hungary Philip Kaiser; Pál Maléter, Jr., son of the late Pál Maléter, Defense Minister of the Imre Nagy government and martyr of the revolution; Jackson Diehl, Editor of the Washington Post; New York Times reporter Neil Lewis; Professor Mark Kramer.

During the Q&A session, Secretary Gutierrez, Minister Göncz and Brzezinski emphasized the significance of the revolution for the eventual democratization of Central and Eastern Europe as well as for the future of those nations still suffering under oppression.

Representatives of the U.S. and Hungarian media, many former 1956 revolutionaries, and the leaders of Hungarian American organizations also took part in the event, which was recorded by C-SPAN television.

Professor Gati, Mrs. Toby Gati, Director of the CIA General Michael Hayden and Mrs. Hayden

Mrs. Náda P. Simonyi and former US Ambassador to Hungary Philip Kaiser

Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez with the author

Ambassador Simonyi opening the event and introducing the author

Professor Gati presented his book's main theses

Hungary's Minister for Foreign Affairs Kinga Göncz honored the event and spoke about the 1956 revolution

Former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski addressing the event

Secretary Gutierrez spoke about the universality of freedom and praised the courage of Hungarians

Many posed questions from the audience

The turnout for the event was full house

Ambassador Simonyi and Secretary Gutierrez

Professor Gati was signing copies of his book that were sold at the Embassy by "Politics and Prose"

Mrs. and Secretary Gutierrez

Minister Göncz with Ambassador Simonyi