First Army (Hungary)

TheHungarian First Armywas a field army of theRoyal Hungarian Armythat saw action duringWorld War II.

Commanders

• Lieutenant-GeneralVilmos Nagy- March 1, 1940 – February 1, 1941
• Lieutenant-GeneralIstván Schweitzer- February 1, 1941 – August 1, 1942
• Lieutenant-GeneralIstván Náday- August 1, 1942 – April 1, 1944
• Lieutenant-GeneralGéza Lakatos- April 1, 1944 – May 15, 1944
• Lieutenant-GeneralKároly Beregfy- May 15, 1944 – August 1, 1944
• Lieutenant-GeneralFerenc Farkas de Kisbarnak- July 25, 1944 – August 1, 1944 (acting)
• Lieutenant-GeneralBéla Miklósvon Dalnoki - August 1, 1944 – October 16, 1944
• Lieutenant-GeneralDezső László- October 16, 1944 – May 8, 1945

Background

UnderHungarian Regent,AdmiralMiklós Horthy,Hungarywas anAxisstate at the beginning of theEuropeanconflict. On 1 March 1940, theHungarian Armyformed three field armies. All three Hungarian armies saw action on theEastern Frontagainst theRed Army.Unlike theHungarian Third Armywhich took part in theinvasion of Yugoslavia(1941) and theHungarian Second Armythat fought at theBattle of Stalingrad(1942), the Hungarian First Army did not see much combat at the start of the war.

The troops of the Hungarian First Army, like all Hungarian troops, were part of the one-million-plus non-GermanAxis troopson theEastern Front.While the majority of these Axis troops wereRomanian,there were also significant contingents of Hungarians, Finns, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, Italians, Slovaks, Croatians, Frenchmen, Danes, Norwegians, Belgians, and Spaniards.

Occupation duties

The first commander of the Hungarian First Army was Lieutenant-General (orAltábornagyaccording to the Hungarian army rank) Vilmos Nagy. After 30 August 1940, under Nagy, the Hungarian First Army took part in Hungary's annexation and occupation of northernTransylvania.This region of Romania was awarded to Hungary as a condition of theSecond Vienna Award.

From 1940 to mid-1944, the Hungarian First Army saw little action other than occupation duties.

Action

By 30 April 1944, the Hungarian First Army was used to bolster Army Group South Ukraine. This army group was pushed back during theBattle of Târgul Frumosin May 1944. The Hungarians were placed in defensive positions north of theRomanian Fourth Armyand south of Army Group North Ukraine.

From 13 July to 29 July 1944, the Hungarian First Army fought against the SovietLvov-Sandomierz Offensive.At this time the Hungarians were attached to theGerman First Panzer Armycommanded by Colonel-General (Generaloberst)Gotthard Heinrici,which, in turn, was part of Army Group North Ukraine.

Hungarian soldiers in the Carpathians in 1944, near the village of Volosyanka

Later in 1944,Soviettroops entered Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary. The Romanians capitulated. The Bulgarians capitulated. The Hungarians tried to capitulate twice, but unsuccessfully. In the end, the Hungarian First Army continued its precarious existence.

On 28 December, a newly formed Hungarian government, under acting Prime MinisterBéla Miklós,officially declared war againstNazi Germany.But the Germans and the pro-German Hungarians in Hungary fought on against the Soviets. However, there are indications that some elements of the Hungarian First Army went over to the Soviets at about this time.Béla Miklóshad been the commander of the Hungarian First Army from 1 August 1944 to 16 October 1944.

Between 1 January and 16 February 1945, most of what remained of the Hungarian First Army was overrun, bypassed, or destroyed about 200 kilometers north of Budapest when the Soviet 40th Army advanced through the area. But, even after this, the Hungarian First Army did not cease to exist. The remnants fought on as an attachment toHeinrici'sGerman First Panzer Army.Fighting as they went, they moved progressively westward intoSlovakia.The army was not officially disbanded until 8 May 1945, the end of the war. That is when the last commander of the Hungarian First Army, Lieutenant-General László Dezső, surrendered.

See also

• Hungary in World War II
• Military of Hungary– 1940/45
• Second Vienna Award– 1940
• Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive– 1944
• Battle of Budapest– 1944–45
• Eastern Front (World War II)
• Second Army (Hungary)
• Third Army (Hungary)
• Gyorshadtest
• Szent László Infantry Division

References

• Abbott, Peter; Thomas, Nigel (1982).Germany's Eastern Front Allies 1941-45.New York: Osprey.ISBN978-0-85045-475-8.
• Mollo, Andrew (1981).The Armed Forces of World War II.New York: Crown.ISBN0-517-54478-4.
• Thomas, Dr. Nigel; Szabo, Laszlo Pal (2008).The Royal Hungarian Army in World War II.New York: Osprey.ISBN978-1-84603-324-7.