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Siege of Budapest
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Siege of Budapest
The Siege of Budapest or Battle of Budapest, was a major battle fought between Soviet and Romanian forces and Hungarian and German forces for the Hungarian capital of Budapest, near the end of World War II. The Budapest Offensive began on October 29 1944, while the siege lasted from December 26 1944 to February 13, 1945. The Soviets began advancing into the suburbs of Pest in November and Budapest was encircled on December 26. The besieged defenders resisted the Soviets for approximately fifty days, although they had already exhausted most of their supplies in the first days of the fighting. The civilian population, numbering 800,000, was not evacuated, and consequently many civilians fell victim to the fighting, the intensity of which contemporary observers compared to that of the Battle of Stalingrad. During the siege, about 38,000 civilians died through starvation, military action, and mass executions of Jews in the Budapest Ghetto by the far-right Hungarian nationalist Arrow Cross Party. The city unconditionally surrendered on February 13, 1945. It was a major strategic victory for the Allies in their push towards Berlin.
On 29 December 1944, Soviet envoys delivered an ultimatum demanding the surrender of Axis forces defending Budapest. After the ultimatum was rejected, fighting within the city proper began. The Germans attempted several operations to aid the defenders, who were in an increasingly desperate situation. The most ambitious of these offensives was Operation Konrad III, in which the Germans managed to overrun some Soviet units before being stopped. However, on none of these occasions did they succeed in reaching the city, despite roughly half of the remaining German armored divisions on the Eastern Front being deployed in Hungary. The purpose of these operations was not, in any case, to evacuate the defenders, but to reinforce the city's garrison. Eventually, despite Adolf Hitler's orders, the beleaguered defenders decided to attempt a breakout. The breakout attempt began on the evening of February 11, but only a handful of soldiers managed to reach friendly lines. Shortly afterward, on February 13, the Hungarian capital came completely under Soviet control.
This battle occupies a prominent place among the urban battles of the Second World War, due to the number of casualties, the brutality of the fighting, and its prolonged duration. Historian Krisztián Ungváry opines that the struggle for Budapest was equaled only in ferocity by battles such as those for Leningrad, Stalingrad or Warsaw.
Having suffered nearly 200,000 deaths in three years fighting the Soviet Union, and with the front lines approaching its own cities, Hungary was by early 1944 ready to exit World War II. As political forces within Hungary pushed for an end to the fighting, Germany preemptively launched Operation Margarethe on 19 March 1944, and entered Hungary.
In October 1944, after successive Allied victories at Normandy and Falaise, and after the collapse of the Eastern Front following the stunning success of the Soviet summer offensive, Operation Bagration, Regent of Hungary Miklós Horthy again attempted to negotiate a separate peace with the Allies. Upon hearing of Horthy's efforts, Hitler launched Operation Panzerfaust to keep Hungary on the Axis side, and forced Horthy to abdicate. Horthy and his government were replaced by the far-right National Socialist Arrow Cross Party, led by "Hungarist" Ferenc Szálasi. As the new ultra-nationalist government and its German allies prepared the defense of the capital, IX SS Mountain Corps, consisting of two Waffen-SS divisions, was sent to Budapest to strengthen the city's defense.
The besieging Soviet forces were part of Rodion Malinovsky's 2nd Ukrainian Front. Formations that actually took part in the fighting appear to have included the 53rd Army, 7th Guards Army, portions of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, including the 46th Army, and the Romanian 7th Army Corps.
Arrayed against the Soviets was a collection of German Army (Heer), Waffen-SS, and Hungarian Army forces.
The Siege of Budapest was one of the bloodiest sieges of World War II.
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Siege of Budapest
The Siege of Budapest or Battle of Budapest, was a major battle fought between Soviet and Romanian forces and Hungarian and German forces for the Hungarian capital of Budapest, near the end of World War II. The Budapest Offensive began on October 29 1944, while the siege lasted from December 26 1944 to February 13, 1945. The Soviets began advancing into the suburbs of Pest in November and Budapest was encircled on December 26. The besieged defenders resisted the Soviets for approximately fifty days, although they had already exhausted most of their supplies in the first days of the fighting. The civilian population, numbering 800,000, was not evacuated, and consequently many civilians fell victim to the fighting, the intensity of which contemporary observers compared to that of the Battle of Stalingrad. During the siege, about 38,000 civilians died through starvation, military action, and mass executions of Jews in the Budapest Ghetto by the far-right Hungarian nationalist Arrow Cross Party. The city unconditionally surrendered on February 13, 1945. It was a major strategic victory for the Allies in their push towards Berlin.
On 29 December 1944, Soviet envoys delivered an ultimatum demanding the surrender of Axis forces defending Budapest. After the ultimatum was rejected, fighting within the city proper began. The Germans attempted several operations to aid the defenders, who were in an increasingly desperate situation. The most ambitious of these offensives was Operation Konrad III, in which the Germans managed to overrun some Soviet units before being stopped. However, on none of these occasions did they succeed in reaching the city, despite roughly half of the remaining German armored divisions on the Eastern Front being deployed in Hungary. The purpose of these operations was not, in any case, to evacuate the defenders, but to reinforce the city's garrison. Eventually, despite Adolf Hitler's orders, the beleaguered defenders decided to attempt a breakout. The breakout attempt began on the evening of February 11, but only a handful of soldiers managed to reach friendly lines. Shortly afterward, on February 13, the Hungarian capital came completely under Soviet control.
This battle occupies a prominent place among the urban battles of the Second World War, due to the number of casualties, the brutality of the fighting, and its prolonged duration. Historian Krisztián Ungváry opines that the struggle for Budapest was equaled only in ferocity by battles such as those for Leningrad, Stalingrad or Warsaw.
Having suffered nearly 200,000 deaths in three years fighting the Soviet Union, and with the front lines approaching its own cities, Hungary was by early 1944 ready to exit World War II. As political forces within Hungary pushed for an end to the fighting, Germany preemptively launched Operation Margarethe on 19 March 1944, and entered Hungary.
In October 1944, after successive Allied victories at Normandy and Falaise, and after the collapse of the Eastern Front following the stunning success of the Soviet summer offensive, Operation Bagration, Regent of Hungary Miklós Horthy again attempted to negotiate a separate peace with the Allies. Upon hearing of Horthy's efforts, Hitler launched Operation Panzerfaust to keep Hungary on the Axis side, and forced Horthy to abdicate. Horthy and his government were replaced by the far-right National Socialist Arrow Cross Party, led by "Hungarist" Ferenc Szálasi. As the new ultra-nationalist government and its German allies prepared the defense of the capital, IX SS Mountain Corps, consisting of two Waffen-SS divisions, was sent to Budapest to strengthen the city's defense.
The besieging Soviet forces were part of Rodion Malinovsky's 2nd Ukrainian Front. Formations that actually took part in the fighting appear to have included the 53rd Army, 7th Guards Army, portions of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, including the 46th Army, and the Romanian 7th Army Corps.
Arrayed against the Soviets was a collection of German Army (Heer), Waffen-SS, and Hungarian Army forces.
The Siege of Budapest was one of the bloodiest sieges of World War II.
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