Army of Hungary. Hungarian troops

Lieutenant Colonel S. Kononov

The military-political leadership (VPR) of the country considers the armed forces as one of the main tools for the implementation of the main goals public policy in the field of security. Proceeding from this, an important direction of the Hungarian government's military activities is the improvement and development of the Armed Forces in the interests of adapting them to new challenges and threats to national and international security.

The Armed Forces of Hungary * include the ground forces and the air force, as well as formations, units, institutions and services of central command. Their total number about 25 thousand people (including 3.5 thousand civil servants). In wartime, in the interests of the Armed Forces, border troops, organizationally part of the Ministry of Justice and Law Enforcement (about 10 thousand people), can be involved.

In accordance with the constitution, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces is the president, who exercises overall leadership through the minister of defense ( civilian), appointed by the head of state at the suggestion of the prime minister. The tasks of operational command and control of troops (forces) in peacetime and wartime are assigned to the chief general staff VA.

Since November 1, 2004, the national armed forces have been recruited on a contract basis. The order of military service is regulated by the Laws "On Defense and the Hungarian Army" of 2004, "On the Status of Contract Servicemen" of 2001 and other legislative acts.

In accordance with the governing documents, service in the Hungarian army can be served by citizens of the republic, both male and female, who have reached the age of 18, who are not members of political parties or movements, who have no criminal record, who have been recognized as fit for health reasons and who meet the qualifications for replacement. vacancies.

The minimum period for which a contract can be concluded for officers and non-commissioned officers is five years, the maximum is 20 years, for non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel of contract service, two years and 15 years, respectively.

The age limit for contract military service is 57 years for generals, 52 for senior officers, 45 for junior officers and non-commissioned officers, and 40 for sergeants and soldiers.

The solution of the issues of manning the Hungarian army is entrusted to the main personnel department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces through two regional mobilization commands (Eastern and Western) subordinate to it for accounting and recruitment of personnel.

Mobilization commands select candidates for admission to military universities and for contract service in the positions of officers, non-commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel after they have completed appropriate training courses at the University of National Defense (Budapest) and at the central training base(Ssntendre), as well as keep records of reserve servicemen and organize training camps and other additional training events with them.

Military construction in Hungary is carried out in accordance with the plan for reforming the Armed Forces, calculated for the period until 2016. In particular, measures are being taken to improve the command and control system of the armed forces, optimize their combat strength, number and locations, bring the organizational structure of formations and units in line with NATO criteria, as well as to re-equip troops. The main goal of the military reform is to create in the country a modern, mobile armed forces capable of solving problems independently and as part of the Allied Armed Forces of the bloc both on the national territory and outside it.

At the initial stage of the implementation of the plan for the reorganization of the armed forces in 2007, the structure of the bodies of the highest military command was optimized. There was also a full integration of the General Staff of the VA into the structure of the Ministry of Defense, and the number of personnel in the central office was reduced by a quarter (currently 500 people). The number of services and institutions directly subordinate to the Minister of Defense decreased from 38 to ten. At the same time, some of the structures became part of civilian ministries and departments.

In addition, the Joint Command of the Hungarian Army (OK VA) was formed on the basis of the commands of the branches of the armed forces, OK of logistics and support, as well as the command of the Budapest garrison.

At present, the total number of bodies of the highest military command, as well as formations, units, institutions and services of central subordination is 9 thousand people.

Ground troops(11 thousand people) are the main and most numerous type of aircraft. They are designed to conduct hostilities independently and in cooperation with the Air Force to protect national territory, as well as as part of multinational groupings of troops (forces) of the North Atlantic and European Alliances in the event that Hungary's obligations within these organizations are fulfilled in various regions of the world.

The direct command of the ground forces is carried out by the commander of the OK VA through his deputy for ground forces.

The Hungarian ground forces include: two infantry (5th and 25th) brigades, two regiments (43rd communications and control support, 64th rear), three battalions (34th special operations, 37th engineer and 93 -th radiation, chemical and biological defense), as well as the "Bakony" combat training center.

In addition, the commander of the OK VA subordinates the Hungarian military contingents (about 1,000 people) that are outside their territory as part of multinational groups of troops (forces) participating in peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the UN, NATO and the European Union.

The ground forces are armed with 145 T-72 tanks, 660 armored personnel carriers BTR-80 / -80A, 400 field artillery guns of 100 mm and more, 82-mm mortars, anti-tank weapons (ATGM "Fagot", "Konkurs" and "Metis" ).

Operational and combat training (OBP) of the Hungarian Army is aimed at training military command and control bodies and maintaining the required level of combat and mobilization readiness of formations and units for the successful fulfillment of tasks as intended. At the same time, due to the insufficient funding of the Ministry of Defense and the need to save money allocated for the MBP, the Hungarian military leadership focuses its main efforts on the training of headquarters and formations allocated to the NATO Joint Armed Forces and the EU Response Force. Under these conditions, the number of ground forces involved in operational-tactical exercises is, as a rule, limited.

The main forms of training of operational level headquarters are staff training and games, command and control, as well as participation command staff SV in the exercises of the coalition forces, conducted both on the territory of Hungary and abroad. As part of the combat training of subunits and units assigned to multinational formations participating in peacekeeping missions, NATO priority forces and combat tactical groups of the European Union's response forces, the tasks of blocking crisis areas, protecting facilities, escorting convoys, etc. are being practiced. Combat training activities within the 5th and 25th Infantry Brigades are carried out mainly in the "company - battalion" link.

Direct guidance air force(5 thousand people) is carried out by the commander of the OK VA through his deputy for the Air Force.

The Air Force has two air bases (fighter and helicopter), the Papa base airfield, an anti-aircraft missile regiment consisting of two anti-aircraft missile divisions (Cube and Mistral), and a radio engineering regiment.

In addition, the IA command is currently taking measures to prepare the Papa base airfield for the deployment of a multinational heavy air transport squadron on its territory, which is being formed as part of the group's joint project. European countries on the acquisition at the initial stage of three C-17A Globemaster-3 military vehicles manufactured by the American Boeing corporation. The arrival of the aircraft at the home base is planned during 2009, and the achievement of full operational readiness of the new aviation formation is scheduled for 2010.

The Air Force is armed with: 26 combat (12 MiG-29, 14 JAS-39 "Gripen"), five military transport An-26 and eight training L-39 "Albatross" aircraft, 25 attack helicopters Mi-24, 20 Mi-8 and Mi-17 combat support helicopters, 61 medium-range and short-range missile launchers.

Operational and combat training in the Air Force is mainly aimed at practicing the tasks of detecting and destroying an air enemy, including in difficult weather conditions, by existing air formations and ground air defense systems, organizing interaction and air support for ground forces, landing special forces and conducting search and rescue operations.

Flight personnel are trained in Hungary and abroad - at one of the Canadian Air Force air bases. In accordance with the 17-year program, candidates who graduated from civilian universities are required to complete a basic military training course within two months on their territory, and then they are sent to Canada for two years to complete a basic military and flight training course. Further training is carried out as part of training and combat units deployed at the 59th and 86th airbases of the Hungarian Air Force.

In addition, training for military aviation navigators, air traffic controllers, flight safety specialists in military educational institutions of a number of NATO countries is organized annually for the Hungarian military personnel.

The need for strict financial savings has a significant impact on the organization of the BP and in the Hungarian Air Force. In order to reduce the costs of conducting combat training activities and save the resource of flight equipment, simulators are used as much as possible. For this reason, in 2008, the air raid of Hungarian combat and military transport aviation pilots was significantly lower than the level established in the NATO countries. The results of the pilots of the JAS-39 Gripen fighters are slightly higher. However, due to the wear and tear aviation technology It is still difficult to maintain the required level of flight training for pilots of MiG-29 aircraft and helicopter pilots.

Due to the lack of sufficient practice among the flight personnel in the Hungarian Air Force in 2008, three flight accidents occurred during training flights. As a result, three units of aviation equipment were lost, the military cable was killed, and three more received injuries of varying severity. So, on January 31, in the area of Obala (central Hungary), as a result of a pilot error while practicing landing on an unprepared site, a Mi-8 helicopter from the 86th helicopter airbase crashed. One person was killed, three were wounded.

On April 17, a MiG-29 fighter (59th air base) crashed at the Kecskemet airfield. As it turned out, the accident was due to a pilot error while landing. The pilot successfully ejected.

On June 20, in the area of Feherdjarmat (eastern Hungary), while returning to the airfield after completing a training mission, an L-39 training aircraft (59th Aviation Base) crashed. The conducted investigation established that the main reasons for this flight accident were the crew's violation of the flight program and errors in piloting. The emergency rescue equipment did not work in the normal mode, both pilots were killed.

In general, the need for strict economy of the allocated funds has a noticeable Negative influence to organize and conduct combat training in the Hungarian army. Nevertheless, despite insufficient funding, the leadership of the republic's Armed Forces strives to maintain and increase the combat effectiveness of units and formations, while maintaining the general orientation of the OBP to increase the readiness of headquarters and troops (forces) for combat use in regional and local conflicts, as well as participation in crisis management operations as part of multinational groups.

In accordance with the plans for the development of the Hungarian armed forces, the main efforts in the course of their construction are focused on increasing the combat capabilities of formations and units, including through the modernization of existing and the purchase of new weapons systems. So, as part of the implementation of programs for the technical re-equipment of the ground forces, measures are continued to modernize the BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, update the vehicle fleet, improve the tactical link communication system, as well as supply the troops with modern individual means of radiation, chemical and biological protection.

At the same time, due to a lack of financial resources, the command of the Armed Forces was forced to postpone until a later date the implementation of programs for re-equipping formations and units with modern weapons and military equipment systems of Western production (German light armored personnel carriers, British 105-mm towed howitzers, mortars of 60 and 81 mm calibers).

In the air force, after the completion of the formation in 2007 of the 59th airbase of the fighter squadron, which is armed with 14 JAS-39 Gripen combat aircraft of Swedish production, measures are being taken to equip these fighters with American-made missile and bomb weapons. In 2009-2010, it is planned to supply the Hungarian Air Force with AIM-9L Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, as well as high-precision bombs with a laser guidance head.

During 2009, it is also planned to repair and modernize up to ten Mi-8 (Mi-17) helicopters. The purchase of new models of combat support helicopters, the need for which is estimated at no less than ten units, is scheduled after 2010.

In addition, the construction of the third radar post, equipped with an Italian-made RAT-31DL early warning station (Tubesh mountain, Mechek mountain range), is underway. Previously, two similar posts were equipped in the areas of the Bükk and N. p. Bekeshchaba. Construction, installation and commissioning work at the facility is scheduled to be completed by mid-2009. After that, the military leadership of Hungary intends to carry out a set of organizational and technical measures to include the three radars in the joint NATO air defense system.

Military industry of the Hungarian Republic has relatively limited capabilities and is not able to fully meet the needs of its armed forces. The factories of the country produce a fairly narrow range of military products, mainly light small arms, ammunition, radio electronic means, cars and special equipment for engineering troops and RCB protection. Certain state-owned enterprises are engaged in the repair and maintenance of heavy weapons and military equipment in service. In addition, some enterprises, using cooperative ties with foreign partners, participate in the development and production of individual elements of weapons systems. Independent research and development projects on the creation of advanced weapons and military equipment are not carried out in the country.

57 enterprises with various forms of ownership are engaged in the production of military products, seven of which form the basis of the national military industry and receive more than 90% of all orders from the country's defense ministry.

Organizationally, the enterprises of the military-industrial complex are united into the Hungarian Defense Industry Association. Almost all of them are certified according to ISO-9001 quality control standards and are legally entitled to supply goods and services for the NATO Joint Armed Forces.

A significant place in the military-industrial complex of the country is occupied by factories for the production, repair and modernization different types VVT: "Kurrus" (armored vehicles), "Arsenal" (air defense systems) ^ "ArmKom" (communication systems), RABA (cars different types), "Radiant" (radio equipment), "Videoton" (radio electronics) and "Pinter-Muwek" (metalworking).

In addition, in September 2008 in Nyirtelek ( Eastern Hungary), a technical center for the repair of aircraft missiles of the AGM-65 Maverick type, manufactured by the American company Raytheon, was created. This technical center became the second in Europe (the first was opened in Spain in 1999) and has already begun work on the repair and maintenance of the Maverick missiles entering service with the Hungarian Air Force.

At the same time, due to the reduction of budgetary appropriations allocated for military needs, the state of the country's military-industrial complex, especially those that are completely dependent on orders from the Ministry of Defense, continues to deteriorate. For their financial recovery and retention of qualified personnel, the government considers it possible to combine a number of facilities into joint-stock companies, which will be the property of the Moscow Region. In 2007, the Danube Aviation Company JSC was created in this way. In the future, it is planned to carry out similar measures at the "ArmCom", "Arsenal" and "Kurrus" plants.

Other enterprises of the Hungarian military industry are forced to find a way out of this difficult situation on their own and are actively using the possibilities of conversion of production.

Thus, the activities of the Hungarian leadership during the implementation of the military development program are aimed, despite the persisting financial problems, at the creation of modern mobile armed forces that meet the criteria of the Alliance and are able to successfully solve tasks to ensure both national and coalition interests.

Lovers of rewriting history should read dry numbers. brief description the Hungarian army and its actions during the Second World War. Which is practically in full force up to last day fought against the anti-Hitler coalition.

The main purpose foreign policy Hungary was the return of territories lost after the First World War. In 1939 Hungary began to reform its Armed Forces (Honvédség). The brigades were deployed into army corps, a mechanized corps and an air force were created, prohibited by the Trianon Treaty of 1920.

In August 1940, in accordance with the decision of the Vienna Arbitration, Romania returned Northern Transylvania to Hungary. The eastern Hungarian border passed along the strategically important line - the Carpathians. Hungary concentrated the 9th ("Carpathian") corps on it.

On April 11, 1941, Hungarian troops occupied a number of areas in northern Yugoslavia. Thus, Hungary returned part of its lost in 1918 - 1920. territories, but became completely dependent on the support of Germany. The Hungarian army met almost no resistance from the Yugoslav troops (except for the April 8 raid by Yugoslav aircraft on German military bases in Hungary) and occupied main city the Yugoslav left bank of the Danube, Novi Sad., where there were massive Jewish pogroms.

The armed forces of Hungary by the middle of 1941 numbered 216 thousand people. They were led by the head of state with the help of the Supreme Military Council, the General Staff and the War Ministry.

Military parade in Budapest.

The ground forces had three field armies, three army corps each (the country was divided into nine districts according to the zones of responsibility of the army corps) and a separate mobile corps. The state army corps consisted of three infantry brigades (Dandar), a cavalry squadron, a mechanized howitzer battery, an anti-aircraft artillery battalion, a reconnaissance aircraft link, a sapper battalion, a communications battalion, and rear units.

The infantry brigade, modeled after the Italian two-regimental division, according to the peacetime state had one infantry regiment of the first stage and one reserve infantry regiment (both of three battalion composition), two field artillery divisions (24 guns), a cavalry detachment, air defense companies and communications, 139 light and heavy machine guns. Regimental platoons and heavy weapons companies each had 38 anti-tank guns and 40 anti-tank guns (mainly 37 mm caliber).

Standard infantry armament consisted of a modernized 8mm Mannlicher rifle and Solothurn and Schwarzlose assault rifles. In 1943, during the unification of the weapons of Germany's allies, the caliber was changed to the standard German 7.92 mm. In the course of hostilities, 37 mm German-made anti-tank guns and Belgian-made 47 mm anti-tank guns gave way to heavier German guns. The artillery used Czech-made mountain and field guns of the Skoda system, howitzers of the Skoda, Beaufort and Rheinmetall systems.

The mechanized corps consisted of Italian CV 3/35 tankettes, Hungarian armored vehicles of the Csaba system and light tanks of the Toldi system.

Each corps had an infantry battalion equipped with trucks (in practice, a bicycle battalion), as well as an anti-aircraft and engineering battalion, and a communications battalion.

In addition, the Hungarian Armed Forces included two mountain rifle brigades and 11 border brigades; numerous labor battalions (usually formed from representatives of national minorities); small units of the Life Guards, Royal Guards and Parliamentary Guards in the capital of the country - Budapest.

By the summer of 1941, the battalions were equipped with tanks by about 50%.

In total, the Hungarian ground forces had 27 infantry (mostly framed) brigades, as well as two motorized, two border chasseurs, two cavalry, and one mountain rifle brigade.

The Hungarian Air Force consisted of five air regiments, one long-range reconnaissance battalion and one paratrooper battalion. The number of the aircraft fleet of the Hungarian Air Force was 536 aircraft, of which 363 were combat ones.

1st stage of the war against the USSR

On June 26, 1941, unidentified planes raided the Hungarian city of Kassa (now Kosice in Slovakia). Hungary declared these planes Soviet. Currently, it is believed that this raid was a German provocation.

On June 27, 1941 Hungary declared war on the USSR. The so-called "Carpathian Group" was sent to the Eastern Front:

First Mountain Rifle Brigade;
- the eighth border brigade;
- mechanized corps (without a second cavalry brigade).

On July 1, these forces invaded the Ukrainian Carpathian region and, engaging in battles with the Soviet 12th Army, crossed the Dniester. Hungarian troops occupied Kolomyia. Then the mechanized corps (40 thousand people) entered the territory of the Right-Bank Ukraine and continued military operations as part of the 17th German army. In the Uman region, as a result of joint actions with German troops, 20 Soviet divisions were captured or destroyed.

Hungarian soldier with an anti-tank gun. Eastern front.

In October 1941, the corps, after a rapid 950-kilometer throw, reached Donetsk, losing 80% of its equipment. In November, the corps was recalled to Hungary, where it was disbanded.

From October 1941, the first mountain rifle and eighth border brigades in the Ukrainian Carpathian region were replaced by newly formed security forces brigades with numbers 102, 105, 108, 121 and 124. These brigades included two reserve infantry regiments armed with light weapons, an artillery battery and a squadron cavalry (only 6 thousand people).

In February 1942, the Germans moved the 108th Brigade of the Security Forces to the front line in the Kharkov region, where they suffered significant losses.

2nd stage of the war against the USSR

In the spring of 1942, Germany's need for more soldiers on the Soviet-German front forced the Hungarians to mobilize their second army of 200,000 men. It consisted of:

3rd Corps: 6th Brigade (22nd, 52nd Infantry Regiments), 7th Brigade (4th, 35th Infantry Regiments), 9th Brigade (17th, 47th Infantry shelves);

4th corps: 10th brigade (6th, 36th infantry regiments), 12th brigade (18th, 48th infantry regiments), 13th brigade (7th, 37th infantry shelves); 7th Corps: 19th Brigade (13th, 43rd Infantry Regiments), 20th Brigade (14th, 23rd Infantry Regiments), 23rd Brigade (21st, 51st Infantry shelves).

In addition, the following were subordinated to the army headquarters: 1st armored brigade (30th tank and 1st motorized infantry regiments, 1st reconnaissance and 51st anti-tank battalions), 101st heavy artillery division, 150th motorized artillery division, 101st motorized anti-aircraft battalion and 151st engineer battalion.

Each brigade had an artillery regiment and support units, the number of which was identical to that of the brigade. After October 1942, a reconnaissance battalion was added to each of the brigades, formed from newly created mobile units (which united cavalry, motorized riflemen, cyclists and armored units). The armored brigade was formed in the spring of 1942 from two existing mechanized brigades and is equipped with 38 (t) tanks (the former Czechoslovak LT-38), T-III and T-IV, as well as Hungarian Toldi light tanks, Chaba armored personnel carriers ( Csaba) and self-propelled guns "Nimrod" (Nimrod).

Germany offered to reward those who distinguished themselves in Eastern Front Hungarian soldiers with large land plots in Russia.

Under the command of Colonel General Gustav Yani, the Second Army arrived in June 1942 in the Kursk region and moved to forward positions along the Don south of Voronezh. She was supposed to defend this direction in case of a possible counteroffensive by Soviet troops. In the period from August to December 1942, the Hungarian army fought long and exhausting battles with Soviet troops in the Uryva and Korotoyak area (near Voronezh). The Hungarians did not succeed in eliminating the Soviet bridgehead on the right bank of the Don and developing an offensive on Serafimovichi. At the end of December 1942, the Hungarian Second Army went over to a passive defense.

During this period, the territory of Hungary began to be subject to air raids. On September 5 and 10, Soviet long-range aviation struck Budapest.

Hungarian troops in the Don steppes. Summer 1942

At the beginning of the winter of 1942, the Hungarian command repeatedly turned to the German command with a request to provide the Hungarian troops with modern anti-tank guns - the shells of the outdated 20-mm and 37-mm guns did not penetrate the armor of Soviet T-34 tanks.

On January 12, 1943, Soviet troops crossed the Don River across the ice and broke through the defenses at the junction of the 7th and 12th brigades. The 1st Armored Brigade, which was subordinate to the German command, was pulled back and received no order to counterattack the enemy. The indiscriminate retreat of the Hungarian army was covered by units of the 3rd corps. The losses of the 2nd Army amounted to about 30 thousand soldiers and officers killed, and the army lost almost all of its tanks and heavy weapons. Among the fallen was the eldest son of the Regent of the Kingdom - Miklos Horthy. The remaining 50 thousand soldiers and officers were taken prisoner. This was the largest defeat of the Hungarian army in the entire history of its existence.

Hungarian soldiers killed at Stalingrad. Winter 1942 - 1943

3rd stage of the war against the USSR

In March 1943, Admiral Horthy, seeking to reinforce the troops inside the country, withdrew the second army back to Hungary. Most of the reserve regiments of the army were transferred to the "Dead Army", which turned out to be the only association of Hungarian troops that actively fought on the Soviet-German front. Its military units were reorganized and received new numbers, although this process was more likely designed for the German ally than for the Russians. Now the Hungarian army included the 8th corps (5th, 9th, 12th and 23rd brigades) stationed in Belarus and the 7th corps (1st, 18th, 19- I, 21st and 201st brigades).

This army, first of all, had to fight the partisans. In 1943, artillery and reconnaissance units were deployed to battalions. Subsequently, these Hungarian units were combined into the 8th Corps (which soon became known at home as the "Dead Army"). The corps was formed in Kiev, and was tasked with protecting communications from Polish, Soviet and Ukrainian partisans in northeastern Ukraine and in the Bryansk forests.

In mid-1943, the Hungarians decided to reorganize their infantry brigades on the German model: three infantry regiments, 3-4 artillery battalions, and an engineer and reconnaissance battalion. The regular infantry regiments of each of the corps were combined into "mixed divisions", the reserve regiments into "reserve divisions"; All mechanized units were reassigned to the first corps, based on the recreated 1st Armored Division, the newly formed 2nd Armored Division and the 1st Cavalry Division, formed in 1942 from the former cavalry brigades.

The border guards group of the 27th Light Division acted as the third regiment throughout the 1944 campaign. Mountain and border battalions were not reorganized, but in Transylvania they were reinforced by 27 Szekler militia battalions. The lack of weapons seriously delayed this reorganization, but eight mixed divisions were ready by the end of 1943, and reserve divisions by the spring of 1944. Most of them were transferred to the "Dead Army", which German command refused to send to Hungary and which now consisted of the 2nd reserve corps (the former 8th, 5th, 9th, 12th and 23rd reserve divisions) and the 7th corps (18th and 19- I am reserve divisions).

Armored divisions were stationed at the forefront of the Soviet-German front. The tank battalions were equipped with the Hungarian medium tanks Turan I and II. The combat readiness of the crews after several years of the war was at a high level.

In addition, eight battalions of assault guns were added to them. At first it was supposed to equip them with new assault guns of the Zrinyi system, but the guns were enough for only two battalions, while the rest were armed with 50 German StuG IIIs. Initially, the divisions were numbered from 1 to 8, but later they were assigned the numbers of the corresponding mixed divisions to which they were supposed to be attached.

4th stage of the war against the USSR

In March - April 1944, German troops entered the territory of Hungary to guarantee its further loyalty. The Hungarian army was ordered not to resist.

After that, for the first time, a full mobilization was carried out. In May 1944, the 1st Army (2nd Armored, 7th, 16th, 20th, 24th and 25th Mixed and 27th Light Divisions, 1st and 2nd Mountain Rifle brigade) was sent to the Ukrainian Carpathian region. She was also transferred to the 7th corps of the "Dead Army", which was already leading fighting in this direction.

The 1st Hungarian Panzer Division tried to counterattack the Soviet tank corps near Kolomyia - this attempt ended with the death of 38 Turan tanks (Turan) and the rapid withdrawal of the 2nd Hungarian Armored Division to the state border.

By August 1944, the army was reinforced with the remaining regular divisions (6th, 10th and 13th mixed). However, the army soon had to retreat to the Hunyadi line in the north of the Carpathian section of the border, where it took up defensive positions. Meanwhile, the elite 1st Cavalry Division linked up with the 2nd Reserve Corps in the Pripyat area. The division distinguished itself during the retreat to Warsaw and was awarded the right to be called the 1st Hussar Division. The entire corps was repatriated shortly thereafter.

Romania's transition to the side of the USSR in August 1944 exposed the southern borders of Hungary. On September 4, the Hungarian government declared war on Romania. To obtain new formations, training units of infantry, armored, cavalry divisions and mountain rifle brigades were united in depot divisions or "Scythian" divisions (Scythian). Despite the loud name "division", they usually consisted of no more than a couple of battalions and batteries of artillery and soon, together with some formations from the 1st Army, were transferred to the 2nd Army (2nd Armored, 25th Mixed, 27th light, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th and 9th "Scythian" divisions; 1st and 2nd mountain rifle brigades, Tsekler militia units), which quickly moved into Eastern Transylvania ...

The newly created 3rd army (1st armored, "Scythian" cavalry, 20th mixed, 23rd reserve, 4th, 5th and 8th "Scythian" divisions) was transferred to Western Transylvania. She had to stop the Romanian and Soviet troops, which began to cross the South Carpathian passes. The 3rd Army managed to create a defense line along the Hungarian-Romanian border. In the Arad region, the 7th assault artillery division destroyed 67 Soviet T-34 tanks.

The Soviet command tried to convince the commander of the 1st Army, Colonel-General Bela Miklys von Dalnoky, to oppose the Germans, but he eventually decided to retreat to the west. The 2nd Army, which had fallen into a stalemate, also retreated.

On September 23, 1944, Soviet troops entered the territory of Hungary in the Battony region. On October 14, 1944, a Soviet ultimatum to Hungary followed, demanding a ceasefire within 48 hours, breaking all relations with Germany, starting active military operations against German troops, and also starting to withdraw its troops from the pre-war territories of Romania, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia.

On October 15, 1944, M. Horthy accepted the terms of the ultimatum, but the Hungarian troops did not stop fighting. The Germans immediately arrested him and put the leader of the ultranationalist Arrow Cross party, Ferenc Szálasi, at the head of the country, vowing to continue the war to a victorious end. The Hungarian army more and more came under the control of German generals. The corps structure of the army was destroyed, and the three active armies were reinforced by German military formations.

Otto Skorzeny (1st from right) in Budapest after the completion of Operation Faustpatron. October 20, 1944

The German command agreed to the creation of several Hungarian SS infantry divisions: the 22nd SS Volunteer Division Maria Theresia, the 25th Hunyadi, the 26th Gombos and two others (which never were formed). During the Second World War, Hungary gave the largest number of volunteers to the SS troops. In March 1945, the 17th SS Army Corps was created, called "Hungarian", since it included most of the Hungarian SS formations. The last battle(with American troops) corps took place on May 3, 1945.

Campaign poster "In spite of everything!"

In addition, the Germans decided to equip four new Hungarian divisions with modern weapons: Kossuth, Görgey, Petofi and Klapka, of which only Kossuth was formed. The most effective new military formation was the elite Szent Laszlo paratrooper division, based on the paratrooper battalion.

The composition of the formed divisions was as follows:

Kossuth: 101st, 102nd, 103rd Infantry, 101st Artillery Regiments.

"Saint Laszlo": 1st parachute battalion, 1st, 2nd elite infantry regiments, 1st, 2nd armored regiments, 1st and 2nd reconnaissance battalions, two river guard battalions, anti-aircraft battalion.

The Hungarian armored forces received modern German tanks and self-propelled artillery units: 13 Tigers, 5 Panthers, 74 T-IVs and 75 Hetzer tank destroyers.

5th stage of the war against the USSR

On November 4, 1944, Soviet troops approached Budapest, but already on November 11, their offensive collapsed as a result of fierce resistance from German and Hungarian troops.

At the end of December 1944, the 1st Hungarian Army retreated to Slovakia, the 2nd Army was disbanded, and its parts were transferred to the 3rd Army, stationed south of Lake Balaton, and the 6th and 8th German armies, who occupied positions in Northern Hungary.

On December 26, Soviet troops of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian fronts completed the encirclement of the Budapest grouping of German and Hungarian troops. Budapest was cut off, it was defended by a mixed German-Hungarian garrison, which consisted of the 1st armored, 10th mixed and 12th reserve divisions, assault artillery group "Bilnitser" (1st armored, 6th, 8th , 9th and 10th artillery assault divisions), anti-aircraft units and volunteers of the Iron Guard.

On January 2 - 26, 1945, counter-attacks by German and Hungarian troops followed, trying to unblock the encircled grouping in Budapest. In particular, on January 18, Hungarian troops launched an offensive between Lakes Balaton and Velence and on January 22 occupied the city of Szekesfehervar.

On February 13, 1945, Budapest capitulated. Meanwhile, the bloodless 1st Army retreated to Moravia, where it occupied a defensive line that lasted until the end of the war.

On March 6, 1945, Hungarian and German troops launched an offensive in the area of Lake Balaton, but on March 15, Soviet troops stopped it.

In mid-March 1945, after the failure of the German counteroffensive in the area of Lake Balaton, the remnants of the 3rd Army turned west, and the 1st Hussar Division was destroyed near Budapest. By March 25, most of the remnants of the 3rd Hungarian Army had been destroyed 50 kilometers west of Budapest. The remnants of the 2nd Armored, 27th Light, 9th and 23rd Reserve Divisions, as well as the 7th and 8th "Scythian" divisions surrendered to the Americans in North Austria, while the rest of the units (including the " St. Laszlo ") fought on the Austrian-Yugoslav border and only in May 1945 surrendered to British troops.

During the battles for Budapest in the winter of 1945, as part of Soviet army Hungarian formations appeared.

During the Second World War, Hungary lost about 300 thousand soldiers killed, 513 766 people were taken prisoner.

Participation in Revolution of 1848-1849 in Hungary
World War I
Occupation of Transcarpathian Ukraine by Hungary (1939)
Slovak-Hungarian War
The Second World War
Hungarian uprising of 1956
Operation Danube (1968)
war in Afghanistan (since 2003)
Iraq war (2003-2004)

History

Austro-hungary

Hungarian self-defense units were formed during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848-1849. They took part in battles against the Austrian army, as well as against the actions of national minorities in Hungary, who also demanded their independence. After the suppression of the uprising, the self-defense forces were disbanded.

In accordance with the agreement of 1867, Hungary was allowed to have its own military establishment (Magyar Királyi Honvédség) as part of the imperial armed forces of Austria-Hungary. For the training of officers of the Hungarian army, the military academy "Louis" was created.

Hungarian soldiers as part of the Austro-Hungarian troops participated in the suppression of the boxing uprising in China.

Hungarian military units participated in the First World War as part of the Austro-Hungarian army. After the collapse of Austria-Hungary in the fall of 1918, the armed forces of Austria-Hungary ceased to exist. On October 17, 1918, the Hungarian parliament broke the union with Austria and proclaimed the country's independence.

1918-1920

On March 21, 1919, the Hungarian Soviet Republic was created, the formation of the Red Guard, led by Matthias Rakosi, began, from March 25, 1919, it was reorganized into the Red Army, but during the hostilities against Romania, Czechoslovakia and supporters of the restoration of the Kingdom of Hungary, the republic was destroyed.

On August 9, 1919, the new Hungarian government announced the re-establishment of the National Army ( Nemzeti Hadsereg).

On June 4, 1920, Hungary signed the Trianon Peace Treaty.

1920-1938

Honved during this period was recruited for hire, consisted of 7 brigades:

1st brigade ( 1.vegyesdandár), headquarters in Budpest
2nd brigade ( 2.vegyesdandár), headquarters in Szekesfehervar
3rd brigade ( 3.vegyesdandár), headquarters in Szombathely
4th brigade ( 4.vegyesdandár), headquarters in Pecs
5th brigade ( 5.vegyesdandár), headquarters in Szeged
6th brigade ( 6.vegyesdandár), headquarters in Debrenc
7th brigade ( 7.vegyesdandár), headquarters in Miskolc

On April 5, 1927, Italy and Hungary signed an agreement on friendship, cooperation and arbitration in Rome, according to which Italy began supplying arms to Hungary.

In 1928, the creation of armored units began: in addition to armored vehicles (the use of which was not prohibited by the Trianon Peace Treaty), three British Carden-Lloyd Mk.IV tankettes and six Swedish Strv m21 / 29 light tanks were purchased for the army. In 1931, 5 FIAT-3000B tanks were purchased from Italy, in 1934 - the first 30 CV33 tankettes, in 1936 - another 110 CV35 tankettes. In addition, one Landsverk L-60 tank was purchased from Sweden in 1936.

In the 1930s, there was a rapprochement between Hungary and fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. On November 2, 1938, following the results of the Vienna Arbitration, Hungary, with the support of Germany, received 11,927 km² of the territory of Czechoslovakia with a population of 1 million people. In 1938, Hungary abolished the restrictions on the armed forces imposed by the Trianon Treaty. The number of brigades in 1938 was increased to 21, in 1939 to 24.

On February 24, 1939, Hungary joined the Anti-Comintern Pact. In 1939-1940, the restructuring of the Hungarian economy for military needs began - the government adopted a five-year program for the development of weapons, 900 industrial enterprises were placed under military control, military spending was increased (if in 1937-1938 they were 16%, then by 1941 - 36%).

In April 1941, Hungary took part in the invasion of Yugoslavia. On April 12, 1941, in pursuit of the retreating units of the 1st Yugoslav Army, Hungarian troops occupied the area between the Danube and Tissa rivers, later, they occupied Bachka.

Also, in April 1941, the units of the Hungarian army were strengthened border protection on the border with the USSR. Directly at the line of the Soviet-Hungarian border, army observation posts, trenches and machine-gun points were equipped, and the deployment of field telephone lines began. In early June 1941, the border zone along the Soviet-Hungarian border was transferred to the military administration.

By June 22, 1941, the Hungarian armed forces consisted of three field armies and a separate mobile corps, 27 infantry, 2 motorized, 2 rangers, 2 cavalry and 1 mountain rifle brigade, as part of the air force (5 air regiments, 1 division of long-range aviation reconnaissance) 269 combat aircraft.

Until the morning of June 23, 1941, Hungary was limited to active reconnaissance of the territory of the USSR, without starting hostilities. On the morning of June 23, 1941, at border post No. 6, a group of 60 German and Hungarian soldiers crossed the border with the USSR, the 5th border outpost of the 95th border detachment of the USSR border troops entered the battle with the violators. During the battle, Soviet border detachments retreated from the border line and entrenched themselves at the edge of the forest, Hungarian soldiers did not dare to pursue the border guards and retreated to Hungarian territory, but the enemy fired and bombed the border post several times. The units of the 3rd, 4th and 5th commandant's offices of the 94th border detachment guarding the border with Hungary from June 22, 1941 until the morning of June 23, 1941, detained 5 border violators, 3 of whom were servicemen of the Hungarian army, and one more was an agent of foreign intelligence. At six o'clock in the morning on June 24, 1941, fire was opened from the territory of Hungary on the 13th outpost, under the cover of artillery fire, the Hungarian infantry battalion crossed the border and the outpost entered into battle with it, a calculation of the 76-mm regimental gun of the Red Army arrived to support the outpost. After almost three hours of fighting, Hungarian troops suffered significant losses and retreated to Hungarian territory. On the morning of June 25, 1941, the border was attacked by regular units of the Hungarian army. On June 27, 1941 Hungary officially declared war on the USSR.

On October 1, 1941, the Hungarian government authorized Hungarian citizens to serve in SS units and troops, while the Volksdeutsche volunteers were recruited and registered by the German organization Volksbund.

In March 1942, the new Prime Minister of Hungary, M. Kallai, announced that “the fight against Bolshevism” was the main task of Hungary; fulfilling its obligations to Germany, in April 1942, Hungary sent the 2nd Hungarian Army to the USSR, and in June 1942, it pledged to increase the number of Hungarian volunteers in the SS troops from 20 thousand to 30 thousand in exchange for rewarding land plots " actions in the East ”.

In addition, Hungary increased the number of troops fighting the NOAJ partisans in the occupied territory of Yugoslavia (by the end of 1942, three Hungarian divisions participated in operations against the Yugoslav partisans).

On March 18-19, 1944, with the support of Germany, a change of government took place in Hungary. On March 22, 1944, the new Hungarian government pledged to continue the war alongside Germany. The territory of Hungary was occupied by German troops, the Hungarian troops were transferred to the German military command.

By mid-1944, the total number of Hungarian troops reached 700 thousand people, the number of Hungarian troops on the eastern front was constantly increasing: from 113 thousand in mid-1943 to 373 thousand by mid-1944.

On October 15-16, 1944, with the support of Germany, a coup d'etat was carried out in Hungary, and the head of the Hungarian fascist Arrow Cross Party, Ferenc Salasi, came to power.

On the same day, October 16, 1944, the commander of the 1st Hungarian Army, General B. Miklos, with a group of officers went over to the side of the USSR. Subsequently, on December 2, 1944, the Hungarian National Independence Front was created in the city of Szeged, which included the Communist Party of Hungary, the Social Democratic Party, the National Peasant Party, the Small Farmers' Party, the Bourgeois Democratic Party and a number of trade union organizations; later, the creation began local authorities authorities - national committees. On December 21-22, 1944, a coalition Provisional Government was formed in Debrecen, headed by General B. Miklos. The government included 3 communists, 6 representatives of other parties and 4 non-party members. On December 28, 1944, the Provisional Government declared war on Germany and on January 20, 1945, concluded an armistice with the USSR and the Western allies.

Hungarian troops continued to fight on the side of German troops until the end of the war.

The losses of the Hungarian armed forces on the side of the Axis countries on the Eastern Front during the war amounted to 809,066 soldiers killed, died of wounds and diseases and missing, as well as 513,766 prisoners

In addition, Hungarian citizens served in SS units and troops (in the spring of 1944, the 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division was formed from Hungarian volunteers; in November - December 1944, the 25th, 26th and 33rd SS divisions were formed. , and in 1945 the formation of the 17th Hungarian SS Corps began). In total, up to 40 thousand Hungarians and 80 thousand Volksdeutsche Germans living in Hungary served in SS units and troops.

Hungarian People's Army

On December 27, 1944, the Soviet command decided to create a railway construction detachment from Hungarian military personnel. Later, in mid-January 1945, the formation of the 1st railway construction brigade began on the basis of the detachment, which was completed in February 1945. The brigade numbered 4,388 personnel, the brigade commander was Captain Gabor Dendes.

In the battles for Budapest, together with Soviet troops, 18 separate companies of Hungarian volunteers took part, most of which were subordinate to the 83rd Marine Rifle Brigade.

On February 11, 1945, 300 soldiers and officers of the 6th Infantry Regiment of the Hungarian Army went over to the side of the Soviet troops, including the regiment commander, Lieutenant Colonel Oskar Varikhazi and several staff officers. Later, from the Hungarian soldiers who went over to the side of the USSR during the battles for Hungary, the Buda Volunteer Regiment was formed, the commander of which was O. Varikhazi, and his deputy was Arpat Pangrats. By the time the fighting for Budapest ended, the regiment consisted of 2,543 troops. Later, the regiment took part in hostilities against German troops in Hungary.

In general, in January - April 1945, two (1st and 3rd) Hungarian railway brigades were created and operated on the 2nd Ukrainian Front, and at the beginning of May 1945, two (1 1st and 6th) Hungarian divisions. The 1st and 6th Hungarian divisions did not have time to take part in hostilities at the front, but individual units of the 6th Hungarian division took part in the disarmament of the remaining enemy groups in the Austrian Alps.

In addition, over 2,500 Hungarians served in the Bulgarian People's Army at the end of the war (drivers, signalmen, warehouse workers, medical personnel and guides).

The USSR provided assistance in the creation of Hungarian military units - only in the period until May 1, 1945, the 2nd Ukrainian Front transferred to Hungary 12,584 rifles and carbines, 813 machine guns, 149 mortars, 57 artillery pieces, 54 vehicles, as well as engineering and clothing equipment, medicines and food.

In March 1946, the army units ("border guard troops") participating in the protection of the country's borders formed a separate command of the Hungarian border troops.

After the signing of a peace treaty on February 10, 1947 at the Paris Peace Conference, the creation of units of the Hungarian army began, on June 1, 1951, which received the name of the Hungarian People's Army ( Magyar Néphadsereg).

On October 4, 1951, the first special-purpose unit was created in Sehesfehervar - a separate paratrooper battalion.

In 1956, units of the Hungarian army participated in the suppression of anti-government armed uprisings, 40 officers of the Hungarian People's Army were awarded the Orders of the Hungarian People's Republic, over 9 thousand VNA servicemen were awarded medals. The 37th Infantry Regiment, which distinguished itself during the hostilities, commanded by Major Imre Khodosan, was transformed into the Budapest Revolutionary Regiment.

Later, a military reform was carried out, during which the size of the army was reduced and a new uniform was adopted for military personnel (the traditional uniform of the Hungarian army was returned with some changes).

In 1968, Hungarian troops took part in the suppression of the Prague Spring.

In 1976, the "Law on the Protection of the Motherland" was adopted, according to which the duration urgent service was two years

In 1989, the number of Hungarian armed forces exceeded 130 thousand [ ]

Post-socialist period

In October 1989, the Hungarian government decided to transform the country into a parliamentary republic. Military reform began.

March 15, 1990 Hungarian People's Army was renamed the Hungarian Army ( Magyar Honvédség).

The government of the country has committed itself to increase military spending to 2% of GDP by 2006 so that the level of military spending matches the level of NATO countries.

Hungary took part in the Iraq War from July 2003 to December 21, 2004. The losses of the Hungarian contingent in Iraq amounted to 1 serviceman killed and at least 40 wounded.

Hungary takes part in the war in Afghanistan. In February 2003, a medical contingent was sent to Afghanistan, which operated under German command until December 2003. Later, on August 1, 2004, the first combat unit, a light infantry company, and later other military units, arrived in the country. The losses of the Hungarian contingent in Afghanistan are at least 7 soldiers killed and at least 12 wounded, as well as several pieces of equipment.

State of the art

The most numerous type of armed forces is the Ground Forces. The Air Force is the second largest. In addition, there are "naval" units patrolling the Danube.

Hungarian Defense Minister Ferenc Dyuhacs announced a reduction in the number of the Armed Forces from 30 thousand to 22 thousand, stating that Hungary no longer needs to strengthen its armed forces on the borders of the state in order to prepare to repulse the alleged enemy. Their goal is to counter conflicts and manifestations of terrorism within the country.

There are 30 T-72 tanks in service.

Notes (edit)

the military balance 2010 p. 140
// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.

FOREIGN MILITARY REVIEW No. 8/2002, pp. 18-21

GROUND TROOPS

Major S. KONONOV

The Hungarian Republic is an independent state. The area of the territory is 93 thousand km2. The population of the country (as of February 1, 2001) is 10,197 thousand people. Hungary shares borders with Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, FRY, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria. ...

The ground forces are the main type of the country's armed forces (Armed Forces). They are designed to conduct hostilities independently, in cooperation with the Air Force and Air Defense Forces as part of NATO joint forces, both on the national territory and, if allied obligations are fulfilled, outside it.

After Hungary's accession to the Alliance, given the discrepancy between the level of combat capability and combat readiness of the national armed forces modern requirements NATO and the country's leadership have taken measures to improve the military structure of the state. To this end, in 2000, it developed a program for reforming the armed forces, including the ground forces. Its main provisions, affecting the ground forces, were aimed at improving military control bodies, changing the organizational and staff structure of troops, redeploying units and subunits, developing a communications system and combat control etc. Great importance was also attached to raising the level of combat training of troops, working out the issues of practical interaction of the ground forces of Hungary and other NATO countries.

As a result of the reorganization carried out in 2001, on the basis of the main headquarters of the ground forces, the command of the Ground Forces (Szekesfehervar, Fig. 1) was formed, subordinate directly to the Chief of the General Staff of the Hungarian Armed Forces. Institutions and units not intended for direct participation in hostilities have been withdrawn from the ground forces and reassigned to two newly created commands: the mobilization and united command of support and rear. As a result, the number of the actual ground forces amounted to 13,000 servicemen (the mobilization command - 7,000, the combined support and rear command - 3,600).

Currently, the ground forces include: five brigades - 5.25 and 62 mechanized (mbr), 101 mixed artillery (sabr), 37 engineering (ibr);

three regiments - 1st mixed light (lp), 5th anti-aircraft missile (zrp) and 64th logistics (pto); five separate battalions - 24th and 34th reconnaissance (RB, Fig. 2), 43rd communications (bns), 93rd chemical defense (bnkhz), 5th military police, as well as 5th separate company electronic warfare (orREB).

The main tactical formation of the ground forces is a mechanized brigade, the typical structure of which includes: a headquarters, a headquarters company, two mechanized and tank battalions, a self-propelled artillery and anti-tank battalions, an anti-aircraft missile battery, an engineer battalion, a logistics battalion, three companies (reconnaissance, communications and chemical protection) and a medical center. The brigade is capable of conducting combat operations both as part of an army corps and independently.

In accordance with the operational designation, the formations and units of the ground forces were divided into reaction forces, main defensive forces and reinforcement forces.

Rice. 2. Servicemen of the reconnaissance battalion in the exercises

The response force is designed to be deployed first in the interests of a settlement crisis situations, ensuring the mobilization and operational deployment of the main defense forces, as well as for actions as part of the NATO response force. In addition, during peacetime, response forces can be deployed to deal with natural disasters and man-made disasters... They are subdivided into immediate reaction forces (RRF) and rapid deployment forces (RRF). The reaction forces are staffed according to wartime states exclusively with regular military personnel and contract servicemen.

The basis of the SNR is the 1st Mixed Light Regiment (formed in 2000 on the basis of the 88th Rapid Reaction Battalion) with attached combat and logistics support units. They include one mechanized battalion from a mechanized brigade, as well as combat and logistical support units.

The main defense forces include formations, units and subunits of the ground forces, which are in a lower combat readiness than the reaction forces and deployed in wartime. Their main task is to participate (independently or jointly with the Allied forces) in the first and subsequent defensive or offensive operations.

The reinforcement forces (reserve forces) are designed to replenish the losses of the active army and create an operational reserve. They will be based on the 15th Reserve Mechanized Brigade (Szombathely), formed before or during the war on the basis of the training centers of the mobilization command. The reserve forces will also include institutions and units of logistic support of central subordination.

Rice. 3. BTR D-944, which is in service with the Hungarian Army

According to Hungarian military experts, in the event of a threat of a large-scale armed conflict, the number of personnel of the ground forces while maintaining the available amount of weapons and military equipment(B and BT) can be increased threefold. To ensure their full mobilization deployment, the necessary stocks of military and military equipment, military property, food, etc. are created in advance. Budapest), artillery weapons (Tapioseche), missile weapons (Nyirtelek), communications property (Nyiregyhaza), chemical property (Budapest), as well as ammunition storage bases (Pustavach) and materiel (Budapest).

Currently, according to the foreign press, the Hungarian Army is armed with 753 tanks (515 T-55 and 238 T-72), 490 BMP-1, more than 1,000 armored personnel carriers BTR-80 and D-944 (Fig. 3), about 300 towed howitzers (BG) D-20 of 152 mm caliber, 151 122-mm self-propelled howitzer "Gvozdika", 230 122-mm BG M-30, 56 MLRS BM-21, about 100 mortars of 120 mm caliber, more than 370 ATGMs, 45 SAM "Mistral".

Most of the weapons and military equipment are outdated, but the command of the Hungarian army plans to start modernizing it and replacing it with modern models only after 2006. This is due to insufficient funding of the armed forces and disabilities the Hungarian military industry, which, within the framework of the international division of labor that existed in the Warsaw Treaty Organization, had a narrow specialization in the production of only radio-electronic equipment, some types of artillery weapons, ammunition, as well as component parts for armored vehicles.

The military industry of Hungary mainly includes assembly plants for the artillery and rifle, radio-electronic and ammunition industries. The armored industry is represented by the Kurrus enterprise (Gödelle), which modernizes and repairs armored vehicles and small arms... At the same time, the government of the country has developed a long-term program providing for a complete renewal of the army's fleet of off-road trucks (it is planned to purchase more than 13,000 vehicles for the Armed Forces, created by Hungarian designers from the Raba plant (Gyьерr).

The recruitment of ground forces is carried out on a mixed principle with military service, called up for urgent military service, regular military personnel and serving on a contract basis. The term of active military service on conscription is currently six months. Recruits initially enter one of the three training centers (in the cities of Sabadsallash, Szombathey, Tapoltsa) of the mobilization command, where they undergo single military training for two months, and then are sent for further service directly to combat units.

The training of candidates for non-commissioned officers is carried out in the central military school non-commissioned officers(city of Szentendre). It admits civilian youth and persons who have completed compulsory military service, aged 18 to 30 years.

The main military educational institution in Hungary, which trains personnel officers for the ground forces, is the M. Zrini National Defense University (Budapest), which has three main faculties (military science, military management and military-technical) and three additional (combined arms , aviation and air defense, military engineering).

Graduates of the main faculties of the University of National Defense (UNO) receive a higher general and military education, master's degree and officer rank (primary or regular). Before being assigned to appropriate positions in the troops, according to the profile of the training they received, they undergo an internship (lasting from six to 12 months), after which it is considered that the officer has the necessary knowledge. The term of subsequent service must be at least five years.

Graduates additional faculties UNO get higher general education with a bachelor's degree, secondary military education and primary officer rank. Before being appointed to the post, they also undergo training, and the term of service in the military should, as a rule, be at least three years. With such professional training, officers can subsequently receive a master's degree by completing a two-year course of study at one of the main faculties of the UNO or at a foreign military educational institution. These diplomas are now recognized on a par with diplomas educational institutions countries of Western Europe.

The training program for special qualifications provides for training in various courses at the faculties of the UNO both as career officers of the land forces who have received professional military training, and specialists who have been recruited into the Hungarian army or recruited into the Ministry of Defense with a civilian education. It is carried out in stages, as a rule, before the appointment of officers to higher positions. There should be periods of service in the troops of two to three years between the stages.

V last years the number of Hungarian officers studying in military educational institutions of NATO countries, primarily the USA, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, and France, has significantly increased.

The military-political leadership of Hungary pays considerable attention to increasing the level of professionalization of the army by increasing the number of junior officers, non-commissioned officers and persons serving on a contract basis. At the same time, the number of contract servicemen is planned to increase 1.7 times by 2004.

According to the command of the Hungarian army, the new structure of the ground forces and the system of training military personnel meet modern requirements and make it possible to fulfill the tasks set by the military-political leadership of the country and the Alliance.

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Fans of rewriting history should familiarize themselves with the dry numbers of a brief description of the Hungarian army and its actions in World War II. Which, almost in full force, fought the anti-Hitler coalition until the last day.

The main goal of Hungary's foreign policy was to return the territories lost after the First World War. In 1939 Hungary began to reform its Armed Forces (Honvédség). The brigades were deployed into army corps, a mechanized corps and an air force were created, prohibited by the Trianon Treaty of 1920.

On April 11, 1941, Hungarian troops occupied a number of areas in northern Yugoslavia. Thus, Hungary returned part of its lost in 1918 - 1920. territories, but became completely dependent on the support of Germany. The Hungarian army met almost no resistance from the Yugoslav troops (except for the April 8 raid by Yugoslav aircraft on German military bases in Hungary) and occupied the main city of the Yugoslav left bank of the Danube, Novi Sad, where mass Jewish pogroms took place.

The armed forces of Hungary by the middle of 1941 numbered 216 thousand people. They were led by the head of state with the help of the Supreme Military Council, the General Staff and the War Ministry.

Military parade in Budapest.

The mechanized corps consisted of Italian CV 3/35 tankettes, Hungarian armored vehicles of the Csaba system and light tanks of the Toldi system.

Each corps had an infantry battalion equipped with trucks (in practice, a bicycle battalion), as well as an anti-aircraft and engineering battalion, and a communications battalion.

By the summer of 1941, the battalions were equipped with tanks by about 50%.

In total, the Hungarian ground forces had 27 infantry (mostly framed) brigades, as well as two motorized, two border chasseurs, two cavalry, and one mountain rifle brigade.

1st stage of the war against the USSR

On June 27, 1941 Hungary declared war on the USSR. The so-called "Carpathian Group" was sent to the Eastern Front:

First Mountain Rifle Brigade;
- the eighth border brigade;
- mechanized corps (without a second cavalry brigade).

Hungarian soldier with an anti-tank gun. Eastern front.

In October 1941, the corps, after a rapid 950-kilometer throw, reached Donetsk, losing 80% of its equipment. In November, the corps was recalled to Hungary, where it was disbanded.

In February 1942, the Germans moved the 108th Brigade of the Security Forces to the front line in the Kharkov region, where they suffered significant losses.

2nd stage of the war against the USSR

In the spring of 1942, Germany's need for more soldiers on the Soviet-German front forced the Hungarians to mobilize their second army of 200,000 men. It consisted of:

3rd Corps: 6th Brigade (22nd, 52nd Infantry Regiments), 7th Brigade (4th, 35th Infantry Regiments), 9th Brigade (17th, 47th Infantry shelves);

Germany offered to reward the Hungarian soldiers who distinguished themselves on the Eastern Front with large allotments of land in Russia.

During this period, the territory of Hungary began to be subject to air raids. On September 5 and 10, Soviet long-range aviation struck Budapest.

Hungarian troops in the Don steppes. Summer 1942

Hungarian soldiers killed at Stalingrad. Winter 1942 - 1943

3rd stage of the war against the USSR

The border guards group of the 27th Light Division acted as the third regiment throughout the 1944 campaign. Mountain and border battalions were not reorganized, but in Transylvania they were reinforced by 27 Szekler militia battalions. The lack of weapons seriously delayed this reorganization, but eight mixed divisions were ready by the end of 1943, and the reserve divisions by the spring of 1944. Most of them were transferred to the "Dead Army", which the German command refused to send to Hungary and which now consisted from the 2nd reserve corps (former 8th, 5th, 9th, 12th and 23rd reserve divisions) and 7th corps (18th and 19th reserve divisions).

4th stage of the war against the USSR

In March - April 1944, German troops entered the territory of Hungary to guarantee its further loyalty. The Hungarian army was ordered not to resist.

After that, for the first time, a full mobilization was carried out. In May 1944, the 1st Army (2nd Armored, 7th, 16th, 20th, 24th and 25th Mixed and 27th Light Divisions, 1st and 2nd Mountain Rifle brigade) was sent to the Ukrainian Carpathian region. It was also transferred to the 7th corps of the "Dead Army", which was already conducting hostilities in this direction.

Otto Skorzeny (1st from right) in Budapest after the completion of Operation Faustpatron. October 20, 1944

The German command agreed to the creation of several Hungarian SS infantry divisions: the 22nd SS Volunteer Division Maria Theresia, the 25th Hunyadi, the 26th Gombos and two others (which never were formed). During the Second World War, Hungary gave the largest number of volunteers to the SS troops. In March 1945, the 17th SS Army Corps was created, called "Hungarian", since it included most of the Hungarian SS formations. The last battle (with American troops) of the corps took place on May 3, 1945.

Campaign poster "In spite of everything!"

The composition of the formed divisions was as follows:

Kossuth: 101st, 102nd, 103rd Infantry, 101st Artillery Regiments.

"Saint Laszlo": 1st parachute battalion, 1st, 2nd elite infantry regiments, 1st, 2nd armored regiments, 1st and 2nd reconnaissance battalions, two river guard battalions, anti-aircraft battalion.

The Hungarian armored forces received modern German tanks and self-propelled artillery units: 13 Tigers, 5 Panthers, 74 T-IVs and 75 Hetzer tank destroyers.

5th stage of the war against the USSR

On November 4, 1944, Soviet troops approached Budapest, but already on November 11, their offensive collapsed as a result of fierce resistance from German and Hungarian troops.

At the end of December 1944, the 1st Hungarian Army retreated to Slovakia, the 2nd Army was disbanded, and its units were transferred to the 3rd Army, stationed south of Lake Balaton, and the 6th and 8th German armies, occupied positions in Northern Hungary.

On February 13, 1945, Budapest capitulated. Meanwhile, the bloodless 1st Army retreated to Moravia, where it occupied a defensive line that lasted until the end of the war.

On March 6, 1945, Hungarian and German troops launched an offensive in the area of Lake Balaton, but on March 15, Soviet troops stopped it.

During the fighting for Budapest in the winter of 1945, Hungarian formations appeared in the Soviet army.

During the Second World War, Hungary lost about 300 thousand soldiers killed, 513 766 people were taken prisoner.