MAGYAR WARRIORS VOLUME 1: The History of the Royal Hungarian Armed Forces 1919-1945

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This comprehensive reference, to be published in two volumes, and the fruit of over 20 years of research, strives to provide a complete picture of the Hungarian armed forces between the years 1919-1945. It starts with a brief history of the Magyars, describes the political situation in Hungary before and during WWII, the building of the armed forces, the growth of domestic arms manufacturers, the organization of the armed forces units, and how they changed during the war. The various campaigns of the war are described in great detail, illustrated with many photographs and maps.

This first volume contains approximately 550 photographs, many previously unpublished, as well as numerous tables and maps of the various campaigns. The authors drew on official Hungarian and German archives, and a multitude of private sources, both from individuals living in Hungary and Hungarian emigres from the Western Diaspora.

Volume 2 will cover all small arms, artillery, soft-skin and armored vehicles, motorcycles, aircraft, insignia, markings, and camouflage of armored vehicles and aircraft, both of Hungarian indigenous design and those supplied by Germany and Italy, complete with technical data, production and delivery figures. An extensive selection of b/w photographs and color plates will be included.

The Hungarian armed forces (known as the Honvedseg) were built up in the 1930s, their expansion gaining momentum once Hungary became free of the strict post-WWI Trianon treaty limitations in August 1938. Politically, Hungary was looking for a strong ally, who would help it to recover at least some of the territories containing sizable Magyar ethnic populations lost after WWI. Initially, in the mid-1930s, Italy gave political assistance and supplied military material, then - on the eve of WWII - Germany also lent support.

In November 1938, Hungary managed to peacefully recover a chunk of its former territory from Czechoslovakia, followed by the Sub-Carpathian area during a brief border war in March 1939, then the northern part of Transylvania from Rumania in August 1940.

Later, in April 1941, the Bachka region and parts of Baranya were also taken back from the dismembered Yugoslavia, in a swift military action. The rub was that Hungary was sucked into the cauldron of the Eastern front, and soon the Honveds (Hungarian soldiers) found themselves deep in Soviet territory, outgunned and outnumbered by the Red Army. Later on, from August 1944, the beleaguered Honvedseg had to fight against the mighty Soviet army in defense of its own territory. Alongside tiny Croatia, Hungary remained the last German ally up to the bitter end.