The Honved infantry traveling on this truck, most likely a Ford, was fortunate not to have to advance on foot, like so many of the other units, although trains were used for the same purpose as well. For the Hungarian young men, this was an emotional event, as they were joyfully recovering what had been "their" province for ten centuries.

Hungarian Troops Advance, Ruthenia, 1939

Though a minority of the total population, Hungarians in the province welcomed their recovery by what they considered to be their 1000- year-old motherland. The sign reads: "Welcome, brothers!"

Magyars Welcome Honved Troops, 1939

The province in question, situated in the NE corner of old Great Hungary dismembered at the Treaty of Trianon, even today does not have a well established name. In the course of time, it has been referred to as Ruszinko, Ruthenia, Karpatalja, now as Subcarpathian Ukraine, and even quite a few more.

As the Hitlerian drive to the East began, Czechoslovakia became one of the first targets. With the German occupation of Bohemia and Moravia in March, 1939, Slovakia had a chance to become independent as well. The province's Ruthene majority tried to do the same , which the local Magyars contested. Besides, Hitler decided on a hands-off approach, thereby giving a chance for action by neighboring Budapest.

For the Hungarians, an occupation of Ruthenia seemed like a natural development, that of recovering a lost province. Besides the region had strategic importance vis-a-vie the Soviet Union and to some extent in regard to Poland as well. The Hungarian public at home welcomed these course of events with great jubilation, while Regent Horthy proudly took credit for his "first territorial recovery."