The Hungarian Army During the Cold War (1944–1991)

Abstract

According to generally recognized historiography, the history of the Hungarian Army – or Hungarian People’s Army – after 1945 can be partitioned into four phases. First of these is the transition period between 1944 and 1948, when the foundations of the Communist Party controlled and led the Army, with the ‘democratic’ label were laid in 1948. Satiating Soviet requirements or better put demands an extensive increase of the armed forces lasted until 1953, which was followed by a phase with a drastic decrease in the size of the Hungarian People’s Army until 1956, once again courtesy of a new Moscow decision. The 1956 Revolution and War of Independence and the reprisals following it is also a significant period for the Hungarian People’s Army. In the concluding part of the article we can read about events related to our topic in the period until 1991. This phase is about the curtailing of Hungarian sovereignty which was followed by the reclaiming of independence both within the Army and generally.