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Primary sourcePhotograph7 June 1919

Béla Kun celebrating the capture of Kassa, 7 June 1919

7 June 1919

A photograph of Béla Kun addressing a crowd outside a building in Kassa (Kosice) on 7 June 1919, celebrating its capture by Hungarian Red Army forces.

This photograph shows Kun publicly celebrating a military victory of the Hungarian Soviet Republic he led.

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Black and white photograph of a large crowd of men in hats and coats gathered outside a stone building with arched windows. A man in a dark suit and vest stands on a raised platform, hands in pockets, addressing the crowd. A banner hangs at right, and a street lamp is visible.
Béla Kun celebrating the capture of Kassa (Kosice), 7 June 1919.

About this source

What it is

This photograph, taken on 7 June 1919, shows Béla Kun speaking from a raised platform to a large crowd outside a stone building, during celebrations of the capture of the city of Kassa (Kosice) by forces of the Hungarian Soviet Republic.

Why it matters

The image captures Kun at a high point of the Hungarian Soviet Republic's military campaign, as its Red Army advanced and took territory. As People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs and de facto leader of the regime, Kun's public appearance before cheering crowds shows how the government used such victories to build popular support.

Look closer

  • What does the size and behaviour of the crowd suggest about public reaction to the capture of the city?
  • Why might Kun have chosen to speak in public from a raised platform at this moment?
  • What does this image not tell you about how the military campaign was actually going overall?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Béla Kun on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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