Popular uprisings in Poland & Hungary shake Moscow`s hold on its eastern European empire. Across the American South, & in the Union of South Africa, black people risk their livelihoods, & their lives, in the struggle to dismantle institutionalised white supremacy & secure first-class citizenship. France & Britain, already battling anti-colonial insurgencies in Algeria & Cyprus, now face the humiliation of Suez. Meanwhile, in Cuba, Fidel Castro & his band of rebels take to the Sierra Maestra to plot the overthrow of a dictator...1956 was one of the most remarkable years of the twentieth century. All across the globe, ordinary people spoke out, filled the streets & city squares, & took up arms in an attempt to win their freedom. In response to these unprecedented challenges to their authority, those in power fought back, in a desperate bid to shore up their position. It was an epic contest, & one which made 1956
- like 1789 & 1848
- a year that changed our world.