Battle of Budapest

The battles of Budapest is a seat which was held December 29th 1944 with the February 13rd 1945, at the end which the Soviet forces took the town of Budapest to the German soldiers S and with the Hungarian forces at the time of the Second world war. It was one of the bloodiest seats of the war, being comparable, in term of deaths, with the seats of Berlin and Stalingrad.

General situation

(for the general context to see the article Hungary during the Second world war)

At the end of 1944, Hungary remains the single satellite of Third Reich. Hitler thus makes efforts despaired to preserve its last ally, whose richnesses of the ground and basement are necessary to Germany.

The October 16th 1944, Germany forces the Régent Hungarian Miklós Horthy to resign, and to name Ferenc Szálasi, chief of the party Fasciste Hungarian, the Cross-Fléchées ( Nyilaskereszt ), like Prime Minister. Any hope of a peaceful exit for Hungary is lost.

The seat

Battle order:

Second Ukrainian face (Marshal Rodion Malinovsky): 53 divisions of infantry, 2 bodies armor-plated, 2 mechanized bodies, 2 bodies of cavalry.
Third Ukrainian face (Marshal Fyodor Tolbukhin): 31 divisions of infantry, 1 armor-plated body, 2 mechanized bodies, 1 body of cavalry, 1 brigade of infantry.
Troops hungaro-allemandes (General Karl Pfeffer-Wildenbruch): 42 divisions of infantry, 9 divisions armor-plated, 4 motorized divisions, 4 divisions of cavalry, 2 brigades motorized and of cavalry.

The surrounding of Budapest

The October 29th 1944, the Red Army begins its offensive on Budapest. More than 1.000.000 men are divided into two bodies being ruant in direction of the city, with an aim of cutting it remainder of the troops germano-Hungarian women.

The November 7th 1944, the Soviet troops enter Budapest by the suburbs east, to 20 km of the Old city. Curiously, very few inhabitants decide to leave the city.

The December 19th, after a pause, the Red Army takes again its offensive. The December 26th, the road connecting Vienna to Budapest is taken by the Red Army , thus encircling the city.

Budapest was a major target for Stalin. Indeed, the Conférence of Yalta approached and Stalin wanted to show his power with Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt. It thus sent directives to the General Rodion Malinovsky, ordering to him to take the city as quickly as possible.

The December 29th 1944, Rodion Malinovsky sent two emissary to negotiate the capitulation of the city. These emissary never returned. Several assumptions are considered. Certain English historians and Hungarian think that the emissary were carried out. Others think that they were accidentally killed on the way of the return. In any case, the Soviet commanders regarded this act as a refusal and began the seat of the city. After the offensive of the Ardennes in the west, German decides to make an offensive to release Budapest of Russian (February 1945). In spite of the presence of the " Das Reich" and of Leibstandarte S Adolf Hitler and opening in certain places German is obliged to fold up itself.

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