In the fourth act Kádár confesses to Julia, recently released from prison, that he betrayed Rajk, "for the good of the party." Following Khrushchev's denunciation of Stalin at the 20th Congress Hungary decides to rehabilitate Rajk. Julia insists he have a public state funeral, which the Hungarian government assents to, though they decide not to publicize the event. Nonetheless over 250,000 people attend, triggering the events that lead to the uprising.