All supplies have been consumed, the last bullet has been loaded

[Snailman 517]

70 years ago has ended the bloodiest city siege of the Second World War. The siege of Budapest was in many aspects far more intense than the Battle of Stalingrad. Before, the soviets have never besieged a city of this size.

 

"Comrade Colonel, don't believe your eyes, the nazies are projecting that picture onto the sky. Such large city cannot exist."

 

Adolf Hitler declared the city a fortress, "Festung Budapest" and ordered a defence to the last man. By the last part of the siege the defenders evacuated from the eastern bank of the Danube river (Pest) and fortified the western part of the city (Buda) and the castle hill. Despite serious debate between the hungarian and german leadership and covert sabotage attempts - the german forces utterly demolished all the bridges of Budapest but the northern railroad bridge (which was earlier hit by USAAF bombers). One of which damaged beyond repaid and was never rebuilt.

 

 

On the 11th of February 1945 the defending forces counted 28000 including about 8000 wounded and thousands of civilian workers and refigees. The defenders held the hill of the Royal Castle, the last defensive position. A final breakout attempt was planned for the evening hours for all personnel capable of walk including civilians. Three waves were planned. Unfortunately the attempt was betrayed, and almost all people were gunned down in a horrendous massacre along the path leading out of the encircled city. Examinations of dead bodies (in mass graves) have revealed that a large number of casualties has been shot by pistol into the nape. No prisoners. Only 680 escaped. Under the castle hill, in the "Szikla" (Rock) hospital about 8000 wounded and medical personnel were shot, raped and burned alive in petrol fire by the raging soviet troops.

 

 

 

Today, 14th of February 2014 many civilian, reenactor and historical associations holding memorial celebrations, religious masses of remembrance countrywide on the Day of Honor - despite the intimidation and provocation by the state police and left hand radicals.

"Remembrance is our patriotic duty! If we forget our heroes they all died in vain. We need role models for our nation to rise out of the liberal filth and we can be the flagship of the Europe of Nations." - said the leader of the national party keeping in mind that the elections are very close.

 

(Translation by Snailman)

 

 

Edited February 8, 2014 by Snailman

[+NeverEnough 78]

Snailman, I thought I was pretty well versed in WW2 history, but I had never heard anything about the siege of Budapest.  Thanks for posting this. 

[Snailman 517]

Yes, there are many important and interesting historical events which we never heard of - or only very little. I found a lot myself through the years. Actually there are no books about it in english (especially because in the "socialist era" this topic was among the forbidden ones).

 

In this case my father (1915-1996) and his first family was involved in these events so my source of information is rather personal. I know very little about the paternal branch of my family tree which is 1/8 polish, 1/8 belarussian, 1/4 transylvanian-hungarian  .. Many people died before I was born.. and papers burned (along with people). All I know is the polish branch were involved actively in the 1919-1920 war (Lemberg/Lwow, Grodno Gomel), and later in the 1939-44 war and resistance against both the reds and nazis (also around Lwow, now Lviv, Ukraine).

 

well, sry for the sidetalk... so about the history, if I'd be a billionaire I would make several movies about some very interesting battles and events. Some of them were written in books from the authors' memoires, and are so adventurous and unbelievable that we could think they are only fiction..