In March 1944, troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front approached the border of the USSR and Romania. For almost three years, the Soviet people waged a bloody war with the Nazi invaders on their territory. Now it was necessary to free all the European territories captured by the Nazis from the brown plague. But before the final victory there was still more than a year.
Only in September 1944, the Soviet army managed to capture Bulgaria and Romania and immediately reach the borders with Hungary and Czechoslovakia. The fighting in Hungary was particularly fierce and heavy casualties. In general, the operation to free the country took more than six months. To understand the reason for these events, one should turn to the history of Hungary's entry into the war. We will also talk about how the liberation of Budapest by the Soviet troops (briefly read about this in the article).
Hungary's entry into the war with the Soviet Union
The results of the First World War caused discontent of the Hungarian people. Deprived of a huge number of its territories, the country longed to return them back. This was precisely the main reason that pushed the government of Miklos Horthy into the arms of Germany. Trying to enlist the support of Hitler in its claims to the Yugoslav and Czech lands, Hungary announced its withdrawal from the League of Nations and joined the Tripartite Pact.
De facto, the country entered the Second World War in April 1941, becoming a member of the Hitler attack on Yugoslavia. The war with the Soviet Union began for the Hungarians on June 27, 1941. In total, they sent several hundred thousand soldiers to the eastern front, most of whom died or were taken prisoner near Stalingrad. It should be noted that units of the 2nd Hungarian army in the USSR were particularly cruel, destroying not only soldiers, but also civilians.
By 1944, it became clear that the defeat of Germany was only a matter of time. In such circumstances, the Horthy government began to look for ways out of the war. Negotiations have been outlined with England and the United States, which did not go past Hitler's attention. The FĂĽhrer, fearing betrayal, achieved the entry of German troops into Hungary and the creation of a pro-German government in the country. Arrests of prominent figures advocating for the cessation of allied relations with Germany began.
But all these actions didn’t really help. The situation was aggravated in August 1944, when Romania ceased to support Germany and accepted the conditions of the Soviet Union, speaking on the side of the anti-Hitler coalition. Horthy made desperate attempts to agree with the Soviet government on the cessation of mutual hostilities. But these plans never came true.
Hitler and his puppet government, led by Salashi, unleashed real terror in Hungary. All educational institutions stopped their activity in the country and total mobilization was announced. Hungarians declared the supreme race throughout the Danube territory. The deportation of Jews to Nazi death camps resumed.
The beginning of hostilities of the Red Army in Hungary
The advance of the Red Army units throughout Hungary was hampered by fierce resistance from Hungarian and German groups. Still, many years of propaganda and anti-Soviet agitation have done their job. Most Hungarians were ready to support even the Salashi reactionary, but not to enter into an alliance with Russia.
True, among the highest military ranks of Hungary there were those who preferred to lay down their arms and stop the bloodshed. So, in October the commander of the 1st Hungarian Army B. Miklos surrendered and called on the soldiers to follow his example on the radio. More than 10 thousand of his subordinates also laid down their arms. Similar acts were recorded among some parts of the 2nd and 3rd Hungarian army. But it was a drop in the ocean.
The main mission to defeat the Carpathian-Transylvanian enemy group was assigned to the troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front under the command of Marshal Malinovsky and the 4th Ukrainian Front under the command of General Petrov. According to the plan of the Headquarters, they were to capture the passes through the Eastern Carpathians, overcome them and develop an offensive in the area of ​​the Tisza River.
The directions of the main attacks had to be adjusted several times. This is because the forces of the 2nd Ukrainian Front did not succeed in fulfilling the order of the Headquarters. The massive counterattacks of the enemy prevented this. But, despite the difficult military situation, the Malinowski army at all costs had to overcome the mountains of Transylvania and make their way to Debrecen. This operation would have succeeded in encircling German forces in the Carpathians.
A new offensive was scheduled for October 6th. In addition to the Soviet troops, 22 Romanian divisions took part in it. The forces of the 2nd Criminal Code far exceeded those of the enemy. The problem was only in the long length of the front line (800 km) and inadequate rear support. And the fault was the railways and roads destroyed by the retreating Germans through Romania.
Luck in the offensive was on the side of the Soviet troops. It’s just that the Germans didn’t immediately understand the importance of the direction to Debrecen, focusing its main forces on the approaches to Budapest. Having realized it, they hastily began to transfer five mechanized divisions under Debrecen. But it was too late.
On October 6, the swift offensive of the Soviet troops began. All attempts by the Nazis to stop their progress were unsuccessful. Neither road mining nor air raids helped. In just one day, the Red Army advanced 50 km, causing significant damage to the enemy’s manpower and equipment.
By October 10, Soviet divisions formed a 100-kilometer wedge in the enemy’s defense. And on October 20, Debrecen was finally captured. This was an important achievement during the offensive operation, given that Debrecen was the largest stronghold of the Nazis and the second largest city in Hungary.
The second stage of the Debrecen operation
Alas, the capture of the Debrecen completely withdraw from the game the Hungarian army failed. The next most important settlement was the city of Nyiregyhaza. The city blocked the most convenient exits to ferries across the Tisza River. The command of Army Group South, which was responsible for this sector of the front, tried with all its might to keep the village, at the same time trying to regain control of Debrecen. From October 22 to 27, fierce battles were fought in the Nyiregyhaz region. As a result, the city was taken. But at what price!
The main participant in the fighting, General Pilev’s horse-mechanized corps, lost nearly 10 thousand officers and sergeants, about 17 thousand privates, hundreds of weapons, 250 tanks, etc. Decent damage was also inflicted on the enemy forces. But the main thing - by October 28, the Debrecen operation was completed, and a third of the territory of Hungary was in the hands of the Soviet army. The offensive took 23 days and allowed to move inland up to 275 km. However, it was not possible to surround the German and Hungarian units. They withdrew, taking new frontiers of defense, each of which, we must pay tribute to them, was held with great fierceness by all principles of tactical military skill.
The first stage of the Budapest operation
The Soviet offensive on Budapest and the subsequent seizure of the city is one of the largest and most complex operations of the war. On a vast front (420 km), the command concentrated huge forces: the 2nd Ukrainian Front, the 3rd Ukrainian Front (commander - Marshal Tolbukhin), the 1st and 4th Romanian armies and the Danube military flotilla. The liberation of Budapest from the Nazis lasted more than three months.
On October 29, the superiority of the Soviet side in terms of the number of soldiers and weapons was obvious. That is why the Headquarters depicted the bright prospects for a lightning attack on Budapest. Malinowski was not even given the five requested days to train army units.
The liberation of Budapest by Soviet troops began on October 29 with the forces of units of the 46th Army (2nd UV). In the early days, it developed very successfully. The demoralized units of the Hungarian army in disorder retreated to Budapest. On November 5, no more than 15 km remained before the external defensive Budapest contour. And then the liberation of Budapest from the Nazis slowed down. Bad weather conditions and poor supply played a role. Plus, at Headquarters it was decided to regroup the troops so as not to risk the forces of the 2nd and 4th mechanized corps, which were the first to break through to the Hungarian capital.
Both corps were assigned to the 7th Guards Army, which fought on the west bank of the river. Yews, expanding the bridgehead. By November 4, they managed to capture just three settlements: Szolnok, Abony and Tsegled. The most difficult moment of the offensive operation was the forcing of the Tisza. Floods significantly increased the water level in the river. The rebuilt ferry facilities were destroyed by enemy fire. If certain groups managed to cross, then the Germans immediately counterattacked them from the flanks, trying to cut them off and smash them.
Second Offensive on Budapest
The second attack on the city began on November 11. By this moment, the German-Hungarian group in this sector had decent forces, and the 2nd Criminal Code suffered significant losses. But even in this situation, the numerical superiority still turned out to be on the side of the Soviet units.
After a little artillery preparation, the troops of the 7th Guards Corps went on the offensive in the direction of Yasberen and Hatvan. The horse-mechanized corps of General Pilev and the 23rd Tank Brigade plus the 4th and 6th Guards Cavalry Corps were to the east. They were to capture the city of Dendes.
The large-scale full-fledged offensive was very much hindered by the mudsliding, understaffing, the loss of a large number of officers, and the lack of wire connection. German-Hungarian units accounted for significantly worse. They were sorely lacking ground units. But the activity of German aviation increased. But even in the sky, thanks to the 5th Air Army, the advantage remained behind the 2nd UV.
November 25, Soviet units captured the city of Hatwan - this was the last success of the second attack on Budapest. The capital of Hungary was in a semicircle. But for the last throw, the Soviet troops needed time to prepare.
The capture of Budapest
A new offensive began on the morning of December 20 by separate forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. They needed to make their way to the Danube River west of Esztergom. Such a throw would complete the encirclement of enemy forces in the Budapest area.
The fast forward was greatly hindered by the difficult terrain: a large number of hills and barrows did not allow the effective maneuvering of mechanized units. Moreover, the Nazis used each hill as strongholds.
On December 22, the 6th Panzer Army (2nd UV) and units of the 3rd Ukrainian Front managed to unite in the vicinity of the mouth of the Gron River. By the end of December 27, they managed to surround all the Hungarian-German units northwest of Budapest. Their total number was 188 thousand (10 divisions and a number of separate units).
Now it remained to free Budapest. But it turned out to be very difficult. The western part of the city was turned into a powerful fortified area. Plus, by order of Hitler, additional forces were drawn from Germany to Budapest. And he replaced the commander of the Army "South", appointing O. Weller to this position instead of I. Frisner.
On December 29, the Soviet side decided to send the parliamentarians with a proposal for surrender: the group of captain Ostapenko to Buda, the group of captain Steinmets to Pest. The proposal was not accepted, and the parliamentarians were killed. The elimination of enemy forces began.
From January 2 to 26, the German command made several attempts to drive back the Soviet troops and launch a counterattack. At this point, most of the German tank and motorized divisions were concentrated near Budapest. But the mechanized units of Malinovsky and Tolbukhin managed to repel all enemy attacks.
Fights in the city
To conduct hostilities in Budapest, the Budapest troop group was organized under the command of I.M. Afonin (and from January 22, I.M. Managarova). It consisted of four rifle corps, the 83rd Marine Brigade, units of the 5th Air Army, artillery units and the 7th Romanian Corps, and 183 tank brigade.
The liberation of Budapest was approaching, but a lot of blood still had to be shed to this event. By January 18, Soviet units, with Romanian support, broke through to the eastern regions of Pest and captured the left-bank part of the city, although the Germans fought desperately for almost every building. The battles were fought underground, in sewer communications. In Pest, one hundred thousandth garrison of Germans was surrounded. But part of the opponents managed to break out of the ring. Having blown up several bridges across the Danube, they managed to take refuge in Buda.
It took almost four weeks to capture the right-bank part. Although initially Marshal Tolbukhin allocated no more than a day to this operation. It had to be carried out by forces of small assault brigades. It was decided not to use aviation, so as not to destroy the historical part of the city. For the same reason, the use of artillery was very limited.
Several thousand Hungarian soldiers voluntarily surrendered and wished to cooperate with units of the Red Army took part in the battles for Buda. On February 13, after a desperate attempt to break through, the remnants of the German garrison under the command of Pfeffer-Wildenbruch threw a white flag and surrendered. The release date of Budapest is February 13, 1945.
While Moscow, by order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, saluted the victorious fighters, units of both fronts tried to liquidate groups of 500-600 Germans and Hungarians who had escaped from Budapest. The main task of their destruction was assigned to the 46th Army of the 3rd UV.
In total, during the operation to liberate Budapest (end date - 02/13/1945), about 50 thousand enemy soldiers were destroyed and 138 thousand captured.
Medal "For the capture of Budapest"
In April 1945 (the year of the liberation of Budapest by Soviet troops), when it was already clear to everyone that the final defeat of Germany was a short time, the head of the rear, General Khrulev, commissioned a group of artists to draft medals for the liberation and capture of strategically important European cities. After a detailed review of all the proposed sketches by the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces on June 9, 1945, a decree was signed on the establishment of the medal “For the capture of Budapest”. It was awarded to all direct participants in the assault on the Hungarian capital, who participated in the battles from December 20, 1944 to February 15, 1945. In total, more than 360 thousand people were awarded with the medal for the liberation of Budapest. If a soldier was awarded posthumously, then his medal along with the award certificate should have been given to close relatives as a keepsake.
The medal for the liberation of Budapest (the photo you have the opportunity to see in the article) was supposed to be mounted on the left side of the chest. She goes first in a row, and in the presence of a medal "For the victory over Japan" - the second.
Coin dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War
On February 14, 1995, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of victory in World War II, a coin of 3 rubles was issued.
- Obverse : the denomination and year of issue are written at the top along the edging, and the BANK OF RUSSIA at the bottom. In the middle (in a dotted rim) is the image of the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin, on the inside of the rim is a monogram of the MMD mint.
- Reverse : depicts four Soviet soldiers (battle against the background of architectural monuments of Budapest). On the circumference of the inscription: "The liberation of Europe from fascism", "Budapest 02/13/1945" (above and below, respectively).
Assistance to the Red Army in the restoration of Hungarian statehood
The Soviet leadership thought about restoring the Hungarian state machine long before the end of the Budapest operation. The main task for him was the design of pro-Soviet parties. Their basis was to be the local anti-fascist bloc and members of the Hungarian Communist Party who returned from exile.
On December 2, the Hungarian National Independence Front was established in the country. His national committees subsequently provided significant support for the complete elimination of fascist forces in Hungary. It was they who oversaw the restoration of the destroyed Hungarian economy. .
So that these state structures could function quietly, the Military Council of the 2nd UV was instructed to provide them with food, fuel, and guarded premises.
On December 28, 1944, the GNP decided to withdraw from the fascist coalition and declare war on Germany. Hungary entered into a truce not only with the Soviet Union, but also with Great Britain and the USA. At the time of the truce, the Union Control Commission functioned in the country, the head of which was entrusted to Voroshilov.
After the capture of Budapest, the functions of supplying the local population with food were entrusted to the Soviet command. More than 5 tons of bread and 100 tons of cereals were transferred to residents. And Soviet soldiers simply fed small Hungarians from field kitchens.
Budapest Liberation Results
During the Budapest operation, units of Army Group South suffered massive irreparable damage. She lost 56 divisions and brigades. Germany lost its last ally and Hungarian oil. The transfer of 37 divisions by the Wehrmacht from the eastern front to Hungary and their subsequent destruction created the prerequisites for a more rapid advance of the Soviet units to the west. The capture of Budapest allowed the Red Army to even more closely embrace the southern wing of the enemy army and facilitate a further attack on Vienna and Prague.
The development of the strategy and tactics of warfare by the Soviet units. The Budapest operation revealed command errors in the conduct of such hostilities.
The main negative result was irreplaceable human losses. The operation to liberate Budapest from the Nazis (end date - February 13, 1945) was recognized as the most bloody of all European military operations. Victory went at the cost of more than 80 thousand lives of soldiers. Over 240 thousand were injured.