Hungary in World War II

Hungary in World War II

During World War II, the Kingdom of Hungary joined the Axis powers to try to get back land it had lost and improve its economy. By the late 1930s, Hungary had formed close ties with Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany to help it recover from the Great Depression. Hungary wanted to bring areas where ethnic Hungarians lived back into its borders.

Hungary officially joined the Axis powers in 1940 and later helped attack Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. As the war went on, Hungary tried to make peace, but German forces made Hungary keep fighting. In 1945, Soviet troops captured Budapest after a long battle.

The war caused many losses in Hungary, with many soldiers and civilians losing their lives. Cities, including Budapest, were badly damaged. After the war, Hungary’s borders were set back to what they had been before 1938.

Movement to the right

In Hungary, big changes were happening in the 1930s. The country was struggling after a big economic problem called the Great Depression and because of a treaty from the First World War called the Treaty of Trianon. This treaty took away most of Hungary's land, so many people in Hungary wanted it back. Leaders started working more closely with Germany, which helped Hungary's economy grow but also made the country depend on Germany.

Extreme love of the country grew stronger. A man named Ferenc Szálasi started a group that copied Nazi ideas. Hungary also tried to change the Treaty of Trianon by making deals with Germany. Some leaders tried to limit the number of Jewish people in certain jobs, but these laws did not satisfy everyone, and political fights continued during this time.

Territorial expansion

Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy helped Hungary get back some land it lost after World War I. This happened through the 1920 Treaty of Trianon. Hungary gained land through two main awards: the First Vienna Award and the Second Vienna Award.

In October 1938, after the Munich Agreement changed Czechoslovakia, Hungary spoke with the new Czecho-Slovak Republic about areas where many Hungarians lived. In November 1938, the First Vienna Award let Hungary take parts of southern Slovakia and Carpathian Ruthenia. In March 1939, Hungary took the rest of Carpathian Ruthenia.

The Second Vienna Award in September 1940 gave Hungary part of Transylvania. Later, after invading Yugoslavia in April 1941, Hungary took some areas from Baranja, Bačka, Međimurje, and Prekmurje.

Administration of Greater Hungary

Main article: Administrative divisions of the Kingdom of Hungary (1941–45)

After two agreements called the Vienna Awards, Hungary got back some areas it had lost before. This meant that some special temporary areas were split up again to look like they did before 1920.

The area known as Sub-Carpathia was supposed to have its own special rules so that the local Rusyn people could help govern themselves. Plans for this were made, but after World War II started, these plans were stopped. Instead, Sub-Carpathia was divided into three parts, called Ung, Bereg, and Máramaros. Both the Hungarian and Rusyn languages were used there for official matters.

Military campaigns

Invasion of Yugoslavia

Main article: Invasion of Yugoslavia

In 1940, Hungary signed an agreement with Germany. In 1941, Germany asked Hungary to help attack Yugoslavia. Hungary agreed, hoping to get back some land.

Invasion of the Soviet Union

Hungary did not join Germany’s attack on the Soviet Union right away in 1941. Later, Hungary decided to join to protect its own interests. Hungarian forces fought and faced heavy losses in battles such as the Battle of Stalingrad.

German occupation of Hungary

In 1944, Germany occupied Hungary to stop it from making peace with the Allies. New leaders took control, and the country suffered as it was caught between the fighting sides.

Soviet occupation of Hungary

Soviet forces entered Hungary in 1944. After a long battle, Budapest fell to the Soviets in early 1945. The war in Hungary ended in April 1945, with Soviet forces in control.

Retreat into Germany

Some Hungarian troops retreated into Austria and Germany as the war came to an end in 1945.

List of major engagements

This is a list of battles and other fighting events in World War II where Hungarian soldiers were involved.

Oppression at home

The Holocaust

Further information: The Holocaust in Hungary

In March 1944, German soldiers took control of Hungary. Soon after, many Jewish people were taken away to places far away where they faced very hard conditions. Most of these people were sent to a place called Auschwitz-Birkenau, where many sadly did not survive.

Forced labor

In 1939, Hungary started a system where certain groups of people, mostly Jewish individuals, were made to work very hard without their choice. Many of these workers were sent to fight far away and faced dangerous conditions. Sadly, many did not return.

Resistance movement

Further information (in Russian): Hungarian resistance movement during World War II

In 1941, people in Hungary protested against Germany. On March 15, 1942, many people gathered in Budapest to ask for an independent Hungary. Some groups, including the Communist Party, worked against the war, but many leaders were arrested.

Opposition groups tried to work together to end the war on Germany’s side. In May 1944, many groups joined to call for a new democratic Hungary after the war. They planned to fight against German forces, but they could only do a little.

Some resistance fighters came from nearby countries and had different views. There were groups from the Soviet Union, but they did not get much support. After the war, the story of resistance was told in different ways.

During the Battle of Budapest, some Hungarian prisoners joined forces with the Soviet Union.

Peace treaty

See also: End of World War II in Europe and Beneš decrees

By 2 May 1945, Hitler had died and Berlin surrendered. On 7 May, General Alfred Jodl, the German Chief of Staff, signed the surrender of Germany. On 23 May, the "Flensburg Government" ended. On 11 June, the Allies agreed to make 8 May 1945 the official "Victory in Europe" day.^: 298 

The Treaty of Peace with Hungary signed on 10 February 1947 returned Hungary’s borders to what they were before 1938. Many people of German heritage living in Hungary moved to Germany. Hungary became a republic in 1946 and later joined countries influenced by the Soviet Union. In 1949, it became known as the People’s Republic of Hungary, until big changes happened in 1989.