
The diplomatic and military resurgence of Germany from 1936, resulted in a more complicated existence for most countries located in the “middle” of Europe.  Poland attempted to maintain an independent position between Berlin and Moscow and she also wished for  some support from Romania, Hungary, and even Italy. Hungary also anticipated the international support of Poland, Italy, and Germany too. The demise of Czechoslovakia during 1938-1939, gave Hungary the opportunity to reclaim old NE Hungary (Ruthenia) in March, 1939, thereby creating a common Polish-Hungarian frontier, celebrated in the photo above, atop the snow-covered Carpathian mountains,  showing a Polish border guard in white and a Hungarian in dark, shaking hands.


Celebrating a New Polish-Hungarian Frontier, March

No longer wearing colorful uniforms, Hungarian cavalrymen  served in the  WW2 army in a limited role, still maintaining a close bond with their horses, following more than a 1000 year of riding tradition. 

Magyar Huszar in Russia, 1941

Hitler’s plans of eastern expansion of necessity involved Poland, but since Warsaw would not accept an offered German alliance against the USSR, the Fuehrer decided to launch an attack on half-mobilized Poland in 1939 – and the war in Europe had begun.  Traditional Polish-Hungarian friendship did have some benefits for Poland.  Hungary would not participate in any military action against her, nor would Budapest offer any assistance to Germany against Poland.  When the valiant military struggle ended, many thousands of Polish refugees crossing over the new common frontiers, celebrated above by a group of Hungarian soldiers and a Polish guard,  were accepted by Hungary or were allowed passage through the country. Nor would Hungarian troops fight against the Poles during the Warsaw uprising of 1944, in fact, they played a go-between role between allied German and opposing Polish forces – both peoples being old friends of Hungary.