In need of a massive manpower infusion by 1942, Berlin turned to many countries for support, among them to Hungary. Foreign Minister Ribbentrop traveled to snow-covered Budapest in January, 1942, wearing his military style uniform, in this photo being received ceremonially by Foreign and Prime Minister Bardossy. The German Foreign Minister put pressure on the reluctant Hungarians, including references of the future disposition of Northern Transylvania, until finally Bardossy and Horthy acceded to Berlin’s wishes and agreed to send a sizeable army to the Russian front, in addition to the division-sized unit already fighting there since June, 1941.


Ribbentrop Pressures Hungary, 1942

For the sake of arranging the details of Hungary’s large-scale military participation in the Russian campaign, Marshall Keitel, saluting here at his official ceremonial reception on cloudy Hero’s Square, followed Ribbentrop to Budapest during January, 1942. Berlin’s original demand for Hungary’s total military participation was eventually scaled back to about fifty-percent of her military resources, upon the latter’s insistence. Keitel promised that the Reich would supply the heavy equipment necessary, like tanks and the like, for beefing up the Hungarian Second Army with sufficient modern hardware for reaching the technological fighting level of the opposing Red Army.

Marshall Keitel Visits Budapest, 1942


Religious services managed to lift the spirit of the Hungarian troops far-away from home, like this one held at Uriv, in part by hinting at the possibility of divine support in a situation generally troubled by a great deal of uncertainty.
