Magyar Revival - A Hungary AAR

[unmerged(65186)]

I batted around a few ideas for countries to play with to take a shot at my first AAR (Hungary, Nat/Rep Spain, Italy, and even a brief thought of Afghanistan) before settling on little old Hungary. The idea of playing one of the smaller Axis nations and trying to profit as much off of the war as possible just seems like some good fun.

I plan on writing up my first actual post tomorrow, but for now, at least I can put it on the map, and throw out the obligatory "basic info" so... Alas:

- Mostly history book format, maybe with a little narrative and whatnot if I'm feeling saucy
- Played on Arma 1.3 beta, normal/normal with DAIM
- Democracies CAN start war, full IC takeover OFF, tech team takeover ON

Some minor modding, thanks to that handy editor:

- Added an HQ unit to the starting army, because I'm a little OCD about at least having the appearance of a chain of command (if only my computer could run HOI3 faster than a couple months an hour..)
- Spread Hungary's three starting infantry units out across the northern border, and made each one uniform in composition (3 Inf '18, 2 Art, 1 AT) just because it looks nice, and I want Hungary to have that old-school, infantry-and-big-cannons kind of feel.
- Changed Hungary's land doctrine path to Grand Battle Plan instead of Superior Firepower (with all the Old Guard generals, general lower tech than the big powers, it just seemed odd to me that Hungary gets the nice flashy combined arms path that the USA has)
- Started with extra money to allow me to join Axis from the start


For the most part, I'm going to try to keep things vaguely historical, at least leading up to the war. Basically, I don't plan on DoW'ing anyone until Germany invades Poland -- I'm trying to play with the mindset that Hungary is, after all, a subordinate Axis member, and Germany is calling most of the shots.

So sometime tomorrow, hopefully in the afternoon, I'll get this little inaugural effort rolling with the obligatory "leading up to the war" history spiel and a few words and screens on the starting of the game / early years.

 

[Zardnaar]

I'l come along for the ride. Not to familiar with Hungary.

 

[unmerged(166917)]

Interesting, not enough Hungarian AARs here. Subscribed.

 

[Timmie0307]

Nice as long as you will not colour the world orange with Hungary XD but a revival of the old Hungarian Empire is always nice to become one of the senior partners of the Axis...

and plz some colonies


Good luck will follow this one indeed.

Tim

 

[unmerged(130734)]

you just got subscribed! :O:O i like your historicalness, i also tend to change the doctrine to grand battle plan, and build my corps like that...

 

[The_Shepherd]

Make the Regent Hereditary! Reclaim Szekely! Leave the Nazis and Fascists Whence it is in your power! Magyars will not bow to Foreign Foes!

 

[volksmarschall]

Hungary! This should be interesting, good luck!

 

[unmerged(65186)]

And alas, the required "Here's some crap that happened before WW2" opening thread. PS, if any of you more forum-savvy folk wanna tell me how to make one of those fancy-fangled table of contents that links to each updated post, that'd be pretty spiffy. As a disclaimer, while I've done a few days worth of reading on Hungarian history, I'm by no means a scholar -- so if there are some small errors or missing pieces or whatever, chalk it up to my amateurness.

Magyar Revival

A Hungary AAR​

=========================
Inter-War Hungary

The end of World War I meant the end of the mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire and the beginning of a series of frightening and bloody revolutions in the small nation of inter-war Hungary.

In 1918, the Hungarian Democratic Republic was formed as a result of the Aster Revolution, under the leadership of President Mihaly Karolyi. Only a year later, in 1919, Hungary would be devastated by the Red Terror, a series of violent attacks and atrocities by pro-Communist elements led by Bela Kun. Kun would then go on to take control of the country, proclaiming the Hungarian Soviet Republic.

After forcing Communism on the nation, Kun and his allies quickly turned their attention to reclaiming Hungary’s pre-war territories. The Hungarian army invaded eastern Czechoslovakia, boldly declaring a “Slovak Soviet Republic” in Presov in June of 1919. After small military successes in Czechoslovakia, Kun turned the Hungarian army on Romania -- a decision that sealed the fate of his short-lived Communist regime. By August of 1919, the Romanian army had overwhelmed Hungary’s small military and occupied Budapest, deposing the communist government.

With Bela Kun and the Communists out of power, a new, conservative government stepped in to take its place. Its armies were led by Miklos Horthy, a former Austro-Hungarian Admiral who would eventually become the leader of Hungary. The Red Terror, still very fresh in the people’s memory, was replaced by the White Terror, by which anti-Communist forces executed a swift and deadly purge of pro-Communist elements inside Hungary.

When all was said and done, Miklos Horthy was installed as Regent of Hungary, a position he would continue to hold well into the second World War.

Miklos Horthy de Nagybanya, His Serene Highness the Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary

The Treaty of Trianon

On December 1, 1919, a Hungarian delegation was invited to the Versailles Peace Conference, representing the new Horthy regency. The Hungarians would end up having little, if any real say in the decisions made regarding their redrawn borders, as most of the decisions had been made without their presence or consent.

Hungary and Austria had strongly promoted the idea of self-determination; disputed territories would be allowed to vote in order to decide for themselves to which country they desire to belong. The more aggressive Allied negotiators disregarded this notion, and new borders were drawn up for a severely diminished Hungarian state. On June 4, 1920, the Treaty of Trianon made the final carvings to Hungary, resulting in a small, landlocked nation with a number of its former territories given to Czechoslovakia and Romania. Anger over the Treaty, which the majority of Hungarians considered highly unfair, would prove to be a strong driving force in Hungary’s dramatic shift to the right in the years leading up to World War II.

Horthy Hungary (Awesome Alliteration, too)

In the early years of Horthy’s reign as Regent, the Hungarian right would be split into two factions. Some chose to support Charles IV, favoring a restoration of Habsburg rule, while others took a radical nationalist stance, instead favoring a Hungarian king. The latter party would become the dominant one, and their ultranationalist ideologies would shape the growing Hungarian political machine.

Throughout the 1920s, Prime Minister Istvan Bethlen took the reins of guiding Hungary’s new political identity. By changing electoral laws, manipulating elections, and offering government jobs to his supporters, Bethlen succeeded, at least in part, in unifying the conservative groups in Hungary, and set a priority on improving relations with neighboring countries and pursuing a revision of the Treaty of Trianon. However, while Bethlen set much of the groundwork for Hungary’s political future, the real driving force of the country’s participation in World War II would be his successor.

Gyula Gombos (Hungarians love alliteration, I tell you!)

Following the Great Depression, the mood of Hungarian politics swung even further to the far right. With the radical, nationalist right growing so dramatically in its influence, Horthy was pressured into appointing Gyula Gombos to the office of Prime Minister.

Gombos had served as an army officer during World War I, and had been a strong advocate of Hungary’s independence and divorce from Austria. During the counter-revolution against the Communists, he had been active in the White Terror and had supported Horthy’s armies in retaking control of Hungary. Under Bethlen’s government, Gombos had served as Minister of Defense, and represented a strong, nationalist leader who aimed to make Hungary a single-party Fascist state, following the models of Italy and Germany.

Initially, Gombos’ capabilities were limited. Although he was now Prime Minister, the Hungarian Parliament was still filled with many Bethlen supporters who would oppose his more radical ambitions. With the backing of a secret police force, Gombos spent his first few years in office laying the groundwork for a more authoritarian state, waiting for the chance to fully realize his ambition. He also worked to position Hungary in an advantageous place in European politics, currying favor first with Italy, as Benito Mussolini voiced his support for the revision of the Treaty of Trianon. Gombos also became the first head of a foreign nation to visit Adolf Hitler after he rose to power in Germany.

Prime Minister Gyula Gombos, Hungary's Prime Minister in 1936

Prime Minister Gombos’ major breakthrough came in 1935, when he finally convinced Horthy to dissolve the current Parliament and hold new elections. which resulted in the right wing taking control of the government. With a staff of sympathizers behind him, Gombos could now move toward the realization of a true Fascist Hungary, aligned in an Axis with its European allies. (As a note of trivia, Gyula Gombos is actually credited with first coining the term “axis”).

 

[unmerged(130734)]

Very nice research - are you Hungarian btw?

 

[unmerged(65186)]

Thanks! It's amazing what you can learn with a few days on Wikipedia XD But no, I'm not Hungarian at all -- 100% Italian, through and through. Maybe at some point I'll re-play my "Italian Democratic Alliance" game without cheating like hell, and make into a crazy alternate-history AAR.

 

[volksmarschall]

Thanks! It's amazing what you can learn with a few days on Wikipedia XD [...]

Wikipedia! Who uses wikipedia these days! An excellent, update, very informative and well-written. Looking forward to more!

 

[unmerged(65186)]

First update with screenshots! Not TOO ahistorical yet, just a liiiittle bit. First actual game-time update to come tomorrow.

Making Friends

Near the end of 1935, with the Hungarian Parliament firmly in control of the right-wing nationalists, Prime Minister Gyula Gombos made it his first priority to secure diplomatic and military support for the nation's efforts to reclaim its lost lands.

Horthy's preference was to seek primary support from Italy, as Mussolini had voiced stronger support for Hungary's territorial claims. He not only agreed to back Hungary in pressing for the revision of the Treaty of Trianon and forcing Czechoslovakia to return lands to Hungary, but also promised Italy's military support if Hungary went to war with Romania or Yugoslavia.

Gombos, on the other hand, preferred to go first to Germany for support, despite the fact that Hitler had shown less eagerness to support Hungary's expansion. While he had agreed to endorse Hungary's claims on Czechoslovakia, Hitler had expressly stated that Germany would not condone a Hungarian invasion of Romania or Yugoslavia.

In the face of Horthy's arguments, Gombos maintained that while Hitler had offered less support to Hungary, the increasing power and militarization of Germany would make it a stronger primary ally in the long run. He further insisted that, over time, Hungary could gain more favor from Germany, and that Hitler's mind could be changed regarding Romania and Yugoslavia.

Horthy continued to protest, but it quickly became clear that Gombos and the ultranationalists wielded far too much power. Begrudgingly, the Regent acquiesced to Gombos' insistence. In December of 1935, Horthy and Gombos travelled to Germany, where the alliance between Germany and Hungary was made official, marking Hungary as the first nation to join the Axis.

Miklos Horthy and Adolf Hitler in Berlin, after Hungary formally entered the Axis (December 1935)

The cementing of the alliance between Germany and Hungary further emboldened the already courageous Gombos and his supporters, and provided a swell of political momentum that led Hungary into a series of military and political reforms beginning in 1936.

On the Road to War

Hungary's alliance with Germany proved two things. First, it showed rather clearly that, while he was not by any means powerless, Horthy was not the one in the driver's seat of the Kingdom of Hungary. Gombos held the true keys of power in Hungary, with a cabinet full of radical supporters, among which was Minister of Security Ferenc Szalasi, the founder and leader of the Arrow Cross Party, an outspoken National Socialist party that strongly supported Hungary's cooperation with Germany. With Szalasi heading the Hungarian secret police, and the nation's politicians on his side, Gombos seemed to have secured the freedom to guide Hungary according to his wishes.

The Hungarian cabinet, January 1936
1 - Miklos Horthy, the sovereign but somewhat declawed leader of Hungary
2 - Gyula Gombos, the ambitious shot-calling Prime Minister
3 - Ferenc Szalasi, founder of Hungary's "Arrow Cross Party"

After installing Szalasi (both to consolidate his power and to curry favor with Hitler), Gombos turned his attention to the expansion of the Hungarian army and the kingdom's preparation for war. As of the beginning of 1936, Hungary had only one field army, consisting of nine Infantry corps and led by Field Marshall Sonyi, stationed along the northern border with Czechoslovakia. The First Army's equipment was sorely outdated, with most of its men carrying rifles and manning artillery that had been used in World War I. If Hungary was to become a meaningful member of the Axis, it would need the best weapons available. The government contracted MAVAG, Hungary's leading railroad corporation, to produce new weapons and equipment for the army's infantry, while Janos Voros, an officer in the military, began drawing up tactical scenarios for possible invasions of Czechoslovakia and Romania.

Research teams at work... Why is a railroad company better suited to infantry upgrades than the actual arms manufacturer?

Throughout 1936, the army commenced a preliminary draft aimed at creating a second field army of the same size as Sonyi's First Army. Prime Minister Gombos entered into a series of trade agreements with Germany and Italy to balance the flow of critical resources into the country, allowing for the smooth manufacturing of equipment for the infantry regiments that would be raised by the 1936 draft.

The Hungarian First Army, commanded by Field Marshall Sonyi

 

[unmerged(166917)]

Very informative update.
I think that the Germans are going to be useful allies (especially in terms of Blueprints).
Oh btw do you have an airforce?

 

[FPChris]

Great AAR so far, not to little text, not to much.

 

[unmerged(65186)]

FPChris: No, I scrapped the meager little pair of air units that Hungary starts with... I don't think they would have made -all- that big of a difference, and plus they start the game outdated and under-strength, so they suck up IC for upgrades and reinforcements in the early game. I wanted to be able to focus all my early-game IC on producing and upgrading infantry -- for air power, at least for now, I'll rely on the Luftwaffe to control the skies.

Karaiskandar: My thanks! I try to strike a balance between being informative enough to keep things interesting, but not drowning people in text.

If all goes well, I should have an update this afternoon that'll run from the beginning of the game up to just before the war with Poland.

 

[unmerged(166917)]

Karaiskandar: My thanks! I try to strike a balance between being informative enough to keep things interesting, but not drowning people in text.

You're welcome!
So no air force for now, with the LW on your side it makes sense indeed. Useful Germans.

 

[unmerged(65186)]

Time for the first gameplay update! Starting from the beginning of the game, and covering up through August 1939, right before the war with Poland. This might turn out to be a longer post since it covers almost three years, but subsequent updates will cover shorter spans of time.

Disclaimer: I AM using the money cheat, but only to make it possible to conduct diplomacy -- at almost $80 a shot for influencing nations, there's no way I could work on relationships with other countries with Hungary's meager budget. I won't use the cheat to actually -generate- a cash flow... Just to keep the balance even while I work on diplomacy.

===========

Military Reorganization and the 1936 Draft

Further emboldened by Hungary's standing as Germany's first ally in the Axis, Prime Minister Gombos and his supporters began 1936 by ordering a massive expansion of the Hungarian army. With the army in shreds after World War I, however, a new force would have to be built from the ground up. Without a great standing army to feed from, Gombos instituted a draft in 1936, hoping to raise what would eventually become a permanent, professional Hungarian army.

Assisted by technical specifications and blueprints provided by Germany, Hungary was able to modernize its industrial capabilities to prepare for war-scale production, and to equip its newly-raised divisions with new model rifles, equipment, and artillery guns. Under Gombos' military reform and draft, another 18 new divisions and 10 new brigades would be raised to fight for the kingdom.

The Anti-Comintern Pact

Beginning with the reoccupation of the Rhineland in March of 1936, Germany made a series of increasingly bold moves, both territorially and politically to set the stage for what would become the Second World War. In February of 1937, Germany authored the Anti-Comintern Pact, extending the invitation to Italy and Japan to share information and cooperate in containing the influence of the Soviet Union. Japan, dealing with a direct Soviet border with Manchukuo, readily accepted the German offer of cooperation. Italy, however, chose to back away from the pact, refusing to sign it.

This action soured relations somewhat between Germany and Italy, but it also provided a political opportunity for Hungary. Following Italy's refusal, Hungarian Foreign Minster Kalman Kanya signed the document on Hungary's behalf, taking Italy's place as the third signatory of the pact. Despite the kingdom's relative small size and lack of military strength, Kanya and Gombos hoped that stepping up to embrace the Anti-Comintern Pact would raise Hungary's stature in German eyes, and serve as a first step toward increased support and favor from Germany.

The End of Czechoslovakia and the Beginning of Greater Hungary

In 1938, Hitler succeeded in manipulating Czechoslovakia, successfully forcing the nation to surrender the Sudetenland to German control. Hitler, however, was not content to control merely a portion of western Czechoslovakia; in March of 1939, through a series of clandestine efforts to destabilize the country, he successfully forced the effective surrender and dissolution of the Czech state.

While Tiso would have proved a reliable puppet in a puppet state of Slovakia, Hitler chose instead to grant the eastern portion of Czechoslovakia to Hungary; Bratislava, Zilina, Banska Bystrica, Kosice, and Presov all fell to Hungarian control, nearly doubling the size and industrial output of the kingdom. The First Army was quickly moved from the southern border with Yugoslavia, and redeployed into Hungary's regained lands, manning the border with Poland. Following the partitioning, popular support for the Arrow Cross Party and Hungary's alliance with Germany skyrocketed to an all-time high.

Hungarian soldiers bearing the insignia of the Arrow Cross Party march through Bratislava, just weeks after the partitioning of Czechoslovakia

Hungary following the Czech partition, March 1939

Danzig or War

Throughout 1936-1939, Germany's aggressive territorial expansion had been met with little more than diplomatic rebukes from the Allied Nations, and the expansion of the Third Reich was permitted to run its course. Even when Germany forced Lithuania's hand into surrendering Memel, little real action was taken in response to it.

That would change in August of 1939.

In early August, Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, drawing up the plans for the partitioning of Poland between the two nations, as well as agreeing upon which eastern European countries would be conquered by the Soviets, and which would be left for Germany to occupy. As the Germans applied pressure to Poland to surrender the city of Danzig, the Allies finally took a stand when the United Kingdom guaranteed Poland's full independence in the event of German aggression. On August 30, 1939, Hitler issued the ultimatum to Poland: surrender Danzig, or face war with Germany. Encouraged by the UK's promise of support, Poland defiantly refused Hitler's demands, and invited war against the Axis -- thus began World War II.

German, Hungarian, and Polish forces at the onset of the war

The Invasion of Poland

On the surface, Hungary was the loyal and committed ally, rallying its troops to the Polish border to support Germany in its occupation of Poland, faithfully fulfilling its duties as a member of the Axis. The Hungarian army, which had swelled from 10 divisions in 1936 to 28 divisions at the outbreak of the war, fully mobilized along the border with Poland.

The prevailing mindset in Budapest, though, was that there was a profit to be gained for Hungary in this battle, as well. Directly across the border from Zilina was Poland's second-largest industrial center, in Cracow. Field Marshall Sonyi, commander of the Hungarian First Army, proposed that Hungary take the initiative and occupy Cracow before German soldiers arrived. By claiming Cracow before the Germans, Hungary could then press for the rights to keep it following the occupation of Poland, and its industrial resources could be used to build up the Hungarian army.

Prime Minister Gombos approved, and directed Field Marshall Sonyi to draw up a battle plan for the swift occupation of Cracow.

Field Marshall Sonyi's plan for the Hungarian occupation of Cracow

Under Field Marshall Sonyi's plan, troops from the First Army in Zilina would advance into Cracow, supported by troops from the First and Second Armies in Kosice. The assault in Zilina would also be aided by the Royal Magyar Dragoons, a two-division-strong cavalry force under the leadership of Lt. General Stomm. Ideally, after the initial assault on Cracow succeeded, the fast-moving cavalry would arrive first, claiming the industrial center for Hungary before German troops arrived to continue the attack deeper into Poland. With Cracow secured, troops from Kosice would advance to occupy Przemysl, ensuring that Cracow could not be assaulted from its flanks, and that it would be safely held until the end of the invasion.

Czechoslovakia had only been the first step. Soon, in time, the dream of Greater Hungary would finally be realized.

===========

So there it is! The game's actually rolling, and it's time to fight some Poles. For the randomly interested, here's a little summary of other world events that happened during the first three years.

Yearly Highlights

1936
- Moved slider one step to Standing Army
- February: Japan crushes the 2-26 Coup
- March: Germany reoccupies the Rhineland
- April: Italian annexation of Ethiopia
- July: Spanish Civil War begins, all possible countries except France intervene
- December: Nationalists declare victory in Spanish Civil War

1937

- Moved slider one step to Hawk Lobby
- February: Germany and Japan sign Anti-Comintern Pact, Italy refuses
- June: Japan declares war on China and the unified front
- November: Japan forms puppet state of Mengkukuo

1938

- Moved slider one step to Hawk Lobby
- February: Not too important, but interesting, Japan does not seek German recognition of Manchukuo (never seen them do that before)
- March: Stalin's officer purge, Germany annexes Austria
- September: Germany claims Sudetenland, Japan declares victory over China and creates puppet state

1939

- Moved slider one step to Hawk Lobby
- January: Japan annexes Communist China
- March: Czechoslovakia partitioned between Germany and Hungary; Germany claims Memel; UK guarantees independence of Poland; Italy declares war on Albania
- April: Italy annexes Albania
- August: Germany and Russia sign historical Molotov-Ribbentrop pact; declares war on Poland

 

[unmerged(166917)]

Good progress so far! You were lucky that the Germans decided to give you the control of Slovakia.

 

[unmerged(65186)]

I've played around with Hungary a few times in the past, and it seems like if you're in the Axis there's a fairly high chance that Germany opts to partition instead of making a puppet Slovakia.

 

[unmerged(166917)]

I see, quite possible indeed.