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IrelandFrom Suez to Budapest with The Rest Is History
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook turn to Hungary's 1956 uprising in a discussion running more than two hours.
The Rest Is History
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The Revolution That Almost Destroyed the Soviet Empire
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- 0:53Imre Nagy's route into Communism begins with wartime captivity in Siberia.
- 9:51The Communists consolidate power through coalition politics and control of the Ministry of the Interior.
- 24:51After Stalin's death, Nagy introduces moderate reforms before Rákosi removes him from power.
- 28:34Khrushchev's denunciation of Stalin destabilises Communist governments across Eastern Europe.
- 35:46Budapest's Petőfi Circle and Júlia Rajk's public demands help turn dissent into a broader movement.
- 53:32University students draft demands for democratic reforms and the withdrawal of Soviet troops.
The Rest Is History has stayed in 1956, but moved the centre of attention from Britain's imperial crisis to Hungary's revolt against Soviet domination. Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook's new episode, "The Revolution That Almost Destroyed the Soviet Empire", drew roughly 54,000 views in its opening nine hours.
They begin with Imre Nagy, following his journey from a peasant background through wartime captivity in Siberia to Communist politics. Rather than jumping straight to the crowds in Budapest, the hosts build the political world around him: Mátyás Rákosi's dictatorship, the struggle within the party and the destabilising effect of Khrushchev's denunciation of Stalin. A debate club, a public reburial and students drafting demands become steps towards the uprising. The episode includes paid advertising segments.
It was the larger of two new uploads, accompanied by the rather more compact "Yet another fantastic moustache". The Hungary discussion is also the channel's busiest video right now. Last week's "Suez: The Strategic Disaster that Broke Britain's Imperial Status" continues drawing substantial daily viewing, while the older King Arthur investigation supplies a different sort of uncertainty: how much history lies beneath the legend?
The audience added 4,000 subscribers over the week, with daily views running modestly above their usual level. Among the neighbouring education channels, BBC Ideas is also having a livelier-than-usual viewing day, while Cogito is quieter. The Rest Is History recorded the largest weekly view gain in that group, with Budapest, Suez and Arthur all contributing to its active catalogue.
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The videos drawing views on The Rest Is History right now
- Channel
- The Rest Is History
- Subscribers
- 608,000 ▲ 4,000 this week
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 2,712,255
- Videos published this week
- 2
- Video published
- November 5, 2026
- Video views so far
- 54,045
The numbers
Here is how the channel's week looks in views and subscribers.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which river runs through Budapest, the setting of the episode's student march?
Budapest stands on the Danube, with Buda and Pest on opposite banks.