Seed of the Magyar - Hungarian A.A.R.

[Elastic Fish]

Bloody Sunrise

“This day shall be marked down as the inevitable culmination of unjustifiable fascist aggression. Now, in an hour such as this, no quarter can be given. I can only hope that what gains the enemy have already achieved have not caused the balance of power to swing irreversibly against us. The only option available to us is to resist with every ounce of strength in our bodies and our spirit. If we can weather the fierce storm of barbarism that will all too soon be thrown upon ourselves and the French, then the scales will tip in our favour, and this great alliance of all nations can sweep onward to victory.”

-- Churchill speaking in the House of Commons directly after war was declared.

“Our nation has been taken by surprise. Our people never expected that despicable aggression would propel us into another great conflict. We had hoped, along with our allies that the territorial claims of the Axis powers could be contained, that their appetite for power could be satiated. Only with the eye of hindsight can we see what a mistake we have made. For their crimes, not just against the American people, or our allies, but also their own, innocent citizens, they must be brought to justice, their wrongdoings punished.”

-- Roosevelt addressing Congress after hearing that war had been declared.

“We have been reasonable, to the limits of reasonableness. We have been willing to let these snakes fatten and strengthen under our noses, all in the interests of peace. After France lost the flower of her young men in the Great War, we had hoped that the Germans, Austrians and Hungarians would feel the same way, too. We see now how short a memory their people possess. My countrymen, we have been catapulted into a war once again. All we can do is fight, and win.”

-- Lebrun, speaking to the French people in his office.

“The day has dawned, and what has been done cannot be undone. The ‘Allies’ have brought upon themselves a war, of which we did not desire. Our Hungarian friends, simply exacting righteous revenge for the great injustices performed on them in a controlled manner, seeking to administer the Turkish lands with all calm and without bloodshed, have been repeatedly denounced as ‘expansionist’ by the Great Empires of the West. Even as Eastern Europe stands proud, unified and strong, the tottering democracies crow to one another and plot vicious schemes to derail us and our brothers. These inhuman acts have led us to war. They have brought upon themselves their final fate, and it is a fate which they deserve completely. Let them cower before the might of our united countries. To war!”

-- Hitler, at a public rally.

“Centuries ago, Rome ruled over the Mediterranean. With a wise hand, the Caesars oversaw the greatest period in our grand history. The people were happy and prosperous, our armies unmatched across France and Africa, and our temples glorious. I tell you now that those days will be witnessed again in the days and months to come! The time has passed for long debate over what may have caused this conflict, what remains, is to win victory, and restore past glories to our nation!”

-- Mussolini, at a military parade in Milan.

“So, let this dark business begin again, let the bloody sunrise pour sanguine light across the world once more. Come, there is work to do.”

-- Horthy, to his cabinet.

 

[Baltasar]

Finally, action !

 

[Elastic Fish]

As if there wasn't action enough before!

Yes, things are indeed hotting up...

 

[Elastic Fish]

Sickle and Scythe: The First Fourteen Days.

Just as intended, the beginning of war had come to the Allies as a complete surprise. There were no ultimatums or guarantees; all of central and eastern Europe was under Axis control, and there was no one left to guarantee. Naively, the French and British had expected the threat to die down, whilst the Americans believed their role to be over, thinking that their joining the Allies had prevented any chance of war. As winter turned to spring in 1940, time would soon reveal just how wrong they were.

The three leading European fascist nations had planned well. On the Lebanese border, Hungarian desert forces were ready for a great offensive sweeping down toward Suez, all but unopposed. On the Swiss border, Italians, Austrians and Germans waited uneasily in their trenches, yearning for the go-ahead. In Hungary preparations had been on-going since the nation had joined the Axis. All other moves were but preliminaries, a necessary measure to accumulate the wherewithal to begin the great struggle.

Clear steps to mark the beginning of the true build up, however, had begun only on the 26th of September 1939. The entire First Hungarian Army (assigned the First Tank Corps as well) was issued Directive 1939T2, part of Operation Üget (Canter), the relocation of men and material to the German borders with the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The use of trains and other public transport was decided against; the men would not be softened up, rather toughened by weeks of marching!

First Army begins its long march through to the West.

Infantry hitch a ride on a tank as they move towards Germany, Northern Hungary, late September 1939.

At the same time, a less practical achievement was reached. For the first time, Hungary had a navy. Unarmed and slow her first flotilla might be, but she was only designed for transporting men. Her first duty: to transport a garrison division (with sizeable military police contingents) to Crete.

The Hungarian navy rests at port, ready for action.

Second Army was deployed to the border with Syria, there to sweep down, detouring through Iraq, before rolling on to the Suez Canal. This would at the very least deny the Allies a vital convoy route, but would more likely tie up thousands of men in a futile attempt to hold back the Hungarians, who had diverted an entire army to the assault on the Near East.

All elements of the Hungarian Second Army were assigned to the Near East Front.

The tanks of First Army drove faster than anticipated. Forward elements had reached their assigned positions under a month after they had set out, at 1700 on the 12th of October. Although good news, their speed would not bring forward war, as fighting a winter war, even if only for a week or two, would be disastrous to Axis progress.

Leading elements of the First Tank Corps reach their positions.

Hungarian reconnaissance vehicles wait behind the lines, waiting to move up to final positions.

The infantry took rather longer to march through Germany. Every man and vehicle, aeroplane and artillery piece was assembled and at ready by mid-day on the 7th of January 1940. Christmas on the march had not been easy, but the men were tough, and knew why they were there, even if their commanders had not told them.

All Hungarian First Army divisions had reached their final destinations and awaited their trial by fire.

The troops may have marched away, but Hungarian factories were still present and working harder than ever. The first combat vessel of the Royal Hungarian Navy, a light cruiser, was under construction, to be ready by March 1941. She was largely a pointless gesture, but her announcement made morale soar. Remembering the troubles in previous conflicts, many extra convoys had been produced, with more under construction. Escorts were built too, ready to give any careless raider a nasty surprise. Hungary would not be starved of resources. As ever, more garrison divisions were in training, their presence necessary to deter revolt. More tanks, too, were being built, along with another wing of interceptors.

Hungarian production listings are shown, accurate to January 1940.

The January and February of 1940 soared by. The ominous date drew nearer, and the storm clouds descended over the skies of Belgium and Holland. By 2300 on the final day of February, High Command rested on a knife edge. The entire cabinet and all high ranking commanders waited around a radio, ears ready for the voice that would confirm that war had been declared. The troops were awake in Germany, white-knuckled hands clasped against rifles and wide eyes staring straight ahead. As hoped, the reply came at midnight. The first seconds of the season of rebirth confirmed that this, and many seasons to come, would be a dark time.

Late at night on the final day of winter, war was declared, and the fate of millions sealed forever.

Days later, and the attacks had proceeded as planned. In Luxembourg, line after line of defence was crumbling. In the Netherlands, what few troops the Dutch could throw into the fray were relentlessly swept aside and in Eupen, even a large force of over 30,000 Belgians seemed doomed to defeat. In the skies over Luxembourg, bombers killed hundreds a day.

Bombers over Luxembourg took their toll on the outnumbered defenders.

In the East, German and Polish troops that had rested on the Soviet border to help convince any Allied spies that the Germans did not see the West as a priority rushed westward. In Czechoslovakia, every available division began marching to the front.

Germans and Poles move to the West.

Czech troops begin moving to the front.

The Swiss, who did not have the troop numbers to cover their long border with Axis powers, seemed all but ready to buckle and disintegrate. The combined German, Austrian and Italian force seemed poised to rip the Swiss apart.

The situation in Switzerland, in the early hours of war.

Italian desert forces swung into action in Somalia, moving into unguarded British positions. Whether there were even any British troops in the area was unknown.

Italian troops in Somalia move towards British territory.

The Kriegsmarine had been busy. Since the beginning of hostilities, very many U-Boat teams had been active in the North Sea. Whether they were trying to break out through the Channel, whether they were content with patrolling East of Britain, and whether they had actually sunk anything, was unknown. High Command was pleased that the Germans seemed wholly committed to the war.

U-Boote in den Nordsee! [Note: I hope my German’s right! Let me know how bad it is please!]

On the ground, the Belgians mounted the fiercest resistance. Eupen had all the features of a potential bloodbath, and High Command was on its guard. An immense casualty count would be disastrous for the Belgians, but they were small in the grand scheme of things, whilst the damage done to Hungary would be great. It was hoped that the culmination of the ‘Great Plan’ of High Command could come to fruition soon.

Eupen; the battle favoured the Hungarians, but the Belgians and French continued to pour troops in, hoping to stall the enemy advance.

It looked rather a lot like the ‘Great Plan’ would indeed be a success. The Dutch were as weak, perhaps weaker, than expected. If enough progress could be made, the war could be won before troops set foot on French soil. Whether the progress in The Netherlands would be enough was yet to be seen.

Venlo, weakly defended by the Dutch, falls to the Hungarians.

After only two days of war, the last defenders of Luxembourg were routed. The nation surrendered unconditionally. The first of much Hungarian subjugation to come of the weak Western nations, it was clear. Nevertheless, the Germans decided the fate of Luxembourg, and decided to install a puppet regime.

Luxembourg surrenders.

The same Hungarian forces that assaulted Luxembourg proceeded to defend it from counter attack.

By 1800 on the 3rd of March, areas of Syria were beginning to fall under Hungarian control. There was no visible opposition, so the advance depended wholly on how fast the Hungarians could march.

Syria begins to fall.

At the same time as these gains were being reported from the East, a report came from the Axis forces in Switzerland. No long-lasting resistance had so far been met. In many places, their advance went totally unhindered, whilst even were there were troops occupying the imposing fortifications pre-built by the Swiss, the fight they put up was weak and they were easily broken.

The strategic report from Switzerland, as shown to High Command; the news was better than had been expected, given the terrain and fortifications in Switzerland.

Nijmegen fell to the Hungarians soon after Venlo. The defences put up there were found to be inadequate. The troops were not properly stocked with ammunition and the quality of trenches and other emplacements were very low. If this was the same throughout The Netherlands then surrender would certainly be a ‘when’, not an ‘if’.

Nijmegen is taken.

All the while, Hungarian bombers, sometimes alongside the Luftwaffe, and sometimes alone, were flying constant sorties to help swing the balance decisively in favour of the Hungarians in Eupen. Their largest kill count for one sortie rested at an incredible mark of approximately 300 enemies for no aircraft losses and eight lightly damaged.

The remarkably successful bombing of the Belgians at Eupen; the astounding record was a sign of the good progress of the Axis.

[NOTE: This happened for one day only. Does anyone have any ideas about why?

]

Progress in The Netherlands had been rapid to say the least. Any resistance found was so weak as to be of no worry to any units. Companies reported attacking and routing brigade size units.

Progress in The Netherlands had been spectacular.

The bombing sorties, which had done so much damage and inflicted so many casualties on the Belgians at Eupen, had to be called off on the 9th. Both interceptor wings and the bomber wing had to cease all combat operations until further notice, as they were at risk of becoming totally annihilated.

The bombing ceases.

The next strategic report that High Command received from Switzerland was even better than its predecessor. Huge tracts of land had been taken from the Swiss with little or no conflict. How soon the Swiss were to surrender was unknown, but it was likely that they would hang on, at least till Bern was taken.

The second Strategic report from Switzerland sent by the Germans that High Command received.

Along with the report on Switzerland, the Germans included a report from Denmark, which had proved capable of even less resistance than the Swiss and Dutch combined. The country was already all but on its knees, and the Germans looked forward to a relatively peaceful annexation of the country. Also enclosed was a personal letter from Hitler to Horthy. The two men seemed to have become firm friends, and the Führer thanked Horthy for the total commitment of his soldiers and his nation to the task ahead of them, and the German leader also commented on the ease with which Hungarian forces had despatched the Dutch and Belgians.

The progress report from Denmark is sent by the Germans. Progress was all but unobstructed.

Nothing else of note happened in the final two days. Progress continued in Belgium and The Netherlands, and steady gains were being made in the East. So far, the war was a rather good one for the Axis.

 

[timkoningskelp]

Just read the whole thing, and I must say I'm very much impressed by your progress.

Haven't seen too many Hungarian AAR's and this one surely is a very good one.

So I'm looking forward to the next update!

 

[Baltasar]

Good progress, but you are seriously overstacking your forces in Eupen, which results in more casulties for your forces. Either send in a higher ranking officer or remove some units from the attack...

 

[HecNev]

Nice update and good start!

Though I wonder why you deployed so many forces to the Western front. After all, the Germans should be able to handle that one on their own quite well.

U-Boote in den Nordsee! [Note: I hope my German’s right! Let me know how bad it is please!]

The right thing to say is "U-Boote in der Nordsee"

 

[Elastic Fish]

OK guys, thanks for the comments and for keeping on reading my AAR!

@ timkonigskelp

Great to have a new reader, and glad you like it!

@ Baltasar

Good call! I had totally forgotten that I just mindlessly despatched however many troops are there directly to Eupen. I hadn't realised at the time that the stacking penalties would be so bad. Your advice will be immediately put into action (once again, your wise counsel is much appreciated).

@ HecNev

I meant to write 'der' I promise! *hangs head in German shame*

You make a valid point, the Germans could take France on their own (with Poland), but THAT WOULD BE BORING! You guys wouldn't like to just watch me crawl through Syria and Iraq unopposed whilst the Germans do all the hard work would you? I am Hungary, I meet logic with overwhelming force, and the French too!

*grabs club and runs in general direction of France*

"Előre!"

 

[Elastic Fish]

Without Ceasing!

The final seventeen days of March, 1940, were seen by many at the time as the beginning of the end. On all fronts, the old world was being pushed back. The new young powers of the day were relentless. The Fascists were on the march, and a great and terrible march it was. Millions marched together, in step, towards the decadent cities of the West. Transcending borders and ethnicities, and bringing all under its power together, as one great, unopposable spearhead of power, Fascism was also seen by many as the future, the new power. Whether all this would be true, was yet to be seen. America had not yet flexed her full strength. The U.S.S.R. had remained ominously silent, as neutral as Father Time. Whether it, too, would intervene could only be speculated. These were unique times.

Not least were they unique times for Hungary, the once minor nation from the poor side of Europe. Now she held vast stretches of land, and military power to prove a match to many of the Allies. Her troops were some of the only men on the front with real combat experience, hardened by campaigns across South-Eastern Europe and Asia. Her peoples were young and, despite occasionally resentful of the firm state that watched over them, surprisingly unified. Now her young men eagerly threw themselves against the tottering democracies of the Allies. Implored by King and Country to ‘Előzetes szüntelenül!’ (‘Advance without ceasing!’) Her soldiers marched to war, ready to give all to win all.

High Command began its meeting on the 15th of March with the Italian report, sent with more than a little pride from the Italian General Staff, whose army had been thought of as largely second-rate. Their progress had indeed been good, most likely because the bulk of French troops were in the North.

Italian progress in the South of France had been excellent.

Directly after the Italian report had been filed, the Eastern maps were re-drawn by High Command. The only changes to be made were on the coast, where progress towards Beirut continued unhindered. Whether any resistance lay ahead, before Beirut of inside the city, was unknown.

Eastern advances by the Hungarians were slow, but steady.

Three days after High Command had ended the 15th of March meeting, more news filtered through from the East. The offensive in Iraq had begun. For just over 100 dead, the Hungarian Second Army had killed over 500 Iraqis and pushed them back from fully half of the border. The other half was held by British forces, made of sterner stuff. Despite their superior training and equipment compared to the Iraqis, Hungarian troops could still go toe to toe with them when numbers were even, and with a numerical advantage like the one present in the East, victory was not to be long denied.

The first breakthrough in Iraq came against local forces, incapable of major resistance.

By this time, much of the Netherlands had been taken over by the Axis. Hungarian troops were moving through the streets of Amsterdam, steadily removing enclave after enclave of resistance. German forces had comprehensively eliminated any Dutch military presence in most of the rest of the country. Even the Czechs were arriving to help with clean-up operations.

The strategic situation in the Netherlands was excellent.

Meanwhile, the Hungarian troops that had smashed into Luxembourg were now driving into Arlon, in Belgium. There, they met some opposition, but wherever battle was joined, it swung in favour of the Hungarians.

The attack at Arlon seemed to favour the Hungarians.

Just to the North of Arlon, the other two major flashpoints in the ‘Battle for Belgium’, as the British press termed it, were taking place. At Eupen, the mainstay of the Belgian army was fighting a losing battle against Hungarians and Germans, whilst at Leuven a retreating Dutch unit which mostly comprised of disorganised stragglers and a lone Belgian reservist division were desperately trying to delay a Hungarian drive forward.

Hard-fought battles at Eupen and Leuven involved very large numbers of troops.

British troops had provided the first resistance to the Hungarian advance into Syria. The lone division had resisted for a short time, but was overwhelmed by the 21st, suffering over 1500 casualties, whilst the attacking Hungarians only lost around half that.

The first resistance encountered in Syria was easily overwhelmed by the Hungarians.

At 0800 on the next day, the biggest battle since World War One ended. At Eupen, the core of the Belgian army, alongside several French divisions, had attempted to stave off the Hungarian advance. Had they succeeded, the whole advance would have been put in jeopardy and the risk of a counter-attack immense. However, Hungarian numbers, skill and quality had won the day decisively. The French and Belgians lost nearly 10,000, but were only able to kill 6,000 Axis troops. Nevertheless, Hungary could not afford to win many more battles like that without risking running out of men.

Eupen, the biggest battle of the war, ended with a French and Belgian defeat.

The immediate counter-attack was half hearted, and lasted only a few hours before the Allies pulled back to lick their wounds, unaware of the disaster that awaited them.

The Allied counter-attack at Eupen was easily repulsed.

Hungarians pose for the camera after the capture of Eupen, well aware that they had fought in one of history’s great battles.

The same day, Arlon was secured by Hungarian troops. Again, the Allies suffered around double the casualties of the Hungarians. Divisions that had previously been removed from the Eupen offensive were quickly redeployed to Luxembourg to defend against counter-attack.

Arlon falls to the Axis. French casualties were high.

Hungarian infantry marching into Arlon; they had met little resistance.


Only two hours later, reports began to filter through that Iraqi and British troops were now pulling back all along the border, with no reinforcements in sight. This was welcome news, as it was hoped that soon; all Allied defence in the East could be broken, allowing an effectively free advance.

Two hours after the fall of Arlon, all Allied troops began retreating from the Iraqi border.

Leuven fell on the 23rd. The Belgians and Dutch had always managed to rush one more division into the fray, just as it seemed that they would have to fall back. Eventually however, they were beaten back, suffering over three times the deaths of the Hungarians.

The Allies were defeated at Leuven, although they had held out longer than expected.

A Hungarian supply unit (also with reinforcements) moves into Leuven.

At this point, High Command was greatly pleased to realise that it’s ‘Great Plan’ was now fully attainable. A concentrated strike into Namur by the Hungarian troops in Leuven and into Neufchâteau with troops from Luxembourg would cut off all the troops defeated at Eupen, along with all soldiers in the heavily fortified areas around Liege, thereby destroying much of the Belgian army and several crack French divisions.

The Hungarian ‘Great Plan’ began to come to fruition after the taking of Leuven.

The good news continued to pour in. Neufchâteau was cleared of enemy forces by 1600 on the 23rd. Namur was now the final route in and out of the pocket-to-be. High Command could only hope that it would fall quickly.

Neufchâteau fell fast, leaving Namur as the one corridor connecting the isolated Belgians to their supplies.

Hungarian troops move forward, desperate to close the gap.

Early on the next day, the last resistance in Amsterdam ceased. The Hungarian infantry tasked with securing the city had done so excellently, and with minimal civilian casualties. However High Command cared little for The Netherlands, as all eyes turned on Namur.

Amsterdam was taken with little major resistance from the beleaguered Dutch.

The Belgians had dug in at Namur, and resistance was fierce. However, even when only attacked from one side, the Allies were barely able to hold back the Hungarians. The second pincer, from the South, was moving ever closer.

Fighting at Namur was very tough; the Belgians had had time to prepare.

By the First of April, fighting at Namur still raged. Despite this, High Command still received it’s full strategic report.

Iraq

Syria

Libya

Southern France

Switzerland

Maginot Line

Southern Belgium

Central Belgium

Northern Belgium

The Netherlands

China

Somalia

 

[shenaniganz14]

Very Nice work. Has the extra part Hungary has played in the war changed the invasion of France's expected date? Why not send troops to Brussels?

 

[Elastic Fish]

There was never really a timetable for all of this. Oops, I mean...

The strict timetable, that has so far been made unnecessary due to the gallant advances of our troops, had always included the Hungarian troops!

Of course, I did invade about two months before the Germans did in real life...

The motorised division in the province next to Bruxelles is a Czech expeditionary force. Since it was originally a reserve division, it has since returned to reserve levels (really weak). As such, it is incapable of actually attacking...

 

[Elastic Fish]

Thunderclouds

High Command was furious. Horthy was furious. The Hungarian people were furious. Her troops on the ground were furious. All the hard work of the encirclement of Belgian troops in and around Liege had been for naught. The Germans, in a sudden advance, an advance which they had failed to inform their allies about, simply squeezed the Belgians out of the pocket before it could be closed. Thousands of men, entire divisions of troops, and massive volumes of equipment were free to fight again. The entire war had been set back by an indeterminable length. How many more lives would be lost could not be guessed at.

The plans were hastily readjusted. Three tendrils would make up the Hungarian force. The Northern arm would sweep west a short distance inland, cutting off and eliminating coastal units. The central and Southern groups would both head to Paris, from different positions.

The new advance, after the ‘Great Plan’ was made worthless, was an attempt to retain the initiative and prevent reorganisation.

Breakthroughs were quickly made. The troops that had escaped from the clutches of Hungarian soldiers would need weeks to fully reorganise, and this could not be allowed to happen. Therefore, attacks were fierce and decisive.

Belgian lines at Hirson were quickly broken.

The advance in Western Europe might have been hindered, but progress in the East continued, with more French Colonial territory being seized by Hungarians, despite British resistance. With Beirut captured, all supplies had to come from impoverished Iraq, despite the British puppet having to deal with its own Hungarian invasion.

The Syrian situation continued to improve.

Despite the Belgian setbacks, High Command’s map of Western Europe was looking more and more grey and green. The French, Belgians and British were never present in enough strength to seriously impede the Axis advance, but nevertheless, the speed of forward movement slowed down noticeably, as divisions began to show between German units and Hungarian troops. They now largely advanced alone, and cooperation was minimal when they were fighting together. Hitler had tried to repair relationships with Horthy by allowing Hungarian administration of Brussels, but this had had little effect. The Axis alliance was showing signs of wear.

Advances of Western Europe were good, but all was not well in the Axis camp.

Alongside advances in Syria and Lebanon, Hungarian forces had steadily progressed towards Baghdad in Iraq. Although infrastructure was poor, and some units found themselves short of supplies on occasion, the Iraqis were never able to hold back the invaders for long.

Yet another victory in Iraq was won by the Hungarians, where progress had been decidedly slow and steady.

Meanwhile, the failure of the Belgian encirclement was somewhat avenged by the surrounding of several Allied units in the forests near Soissons. Most of these formations were at the brigade level, and were already disorganised and nearly totally incapable of attempting a breakout.

The encirclement at Soissons was useful, but had none of the strategic importance of the Belgian encirclement.

Intelligence provided to the Hungarians strongly suggested that Allied troops inside the pocket were already very disorganised.

All troops in the Soissons pocket surrendered the same day that they were encircled. Fears of huge casualties assaulting the Allies in dug in positions in the forest were unnecessary. 32,000 Allied troops marched into captivity. It was a great blow, but would never have the same effect as its failed predecessor.

Fighting at Soissons ended with a large Allied defeat.

Horthy congratulating Hungarian troops on their successes at Soissons.

On the 26th of April, Hungarian infantry began a move on Paris. French resistance was the toughest it had ever been, despite their low troop numbers. It proved to High Command that the French soldier was not a poor fighter, just badly led, organised and positioned.

Infantry begin the assault on Paris.

A Hungarian tank moves ever closer to Paris.

By this time, the small Hungarian air force had had time to repair and reorganise. The fighters were back in the air, bravely attacking Allied bombers and fighters, far more modern than their Fiat bi-planes.

The Hungarian air force saw relentless action over France.

Momentous news came on the 27th of April. The first Allied nation to be wholly occupied by the Axis forces was Switzerland. Unwilling to surrender, her leaders fled the country, apparently having to dash to their aeroplane as Italian armoured cars rolled towards the airstrip. A photo published in a British newspaper (Horthy enjoyed reading a wide range of opinions) displayed the plane with multiple high-calibre bullet holes. It had been close, but the Swiss continued the fight. Almost exactly the same happened to Denmark, only two days later. Via ferry to Sweden, the Danish government and King escaped the clutches of the Nazis, much to the outrage of Hitler.

The Swiss and Danish governments were able to flee and continue their struggle.

By the 4th of May, however, a rather horrible piece of news came to High Command. With Paris attacked on three sides, the Eastern Campaigns going well and Switzerland and Denmark fully occupied, it seemed that nothing could go wrong; but, put simply, Hungary had run out of men. Immediately, a halt to all offensive actions except for the assault on Paris was called. No more lives could be lost until there were men to replace them.

A Hungarian Bugler sounds the halt of the advance.

Hungarian recruits, before being sent to the front. Men like these were in cripplingly short supply.





Note: Could anyone who knows how to mod a save file (I've never done anything like it in my life) please private message me, because I don't want to shout out what I want to change. Thanks.

 

[unmerged(205558)]

Hungary can stand alone ! We don't need others

 

[Elastic Fish]

Damn Germans and Italians were just slowing us down anyway! We can take the whole world on!

A győzelemhez!

 

[Elastic Fish]

Worthless Ambitions, Shattered Alliances.

The final consolidations were being made, and the wheels of the offensive were grounding to a long halt by the 4th of May. High Command hoped that the long summer could provide enough time to reinforce, leading to an autumn campaign. Mussolini agreed. He was very wary of a counteroffensive reversing his gains, which were sparsely held. A season was needed to rest and secure, two of the three major powers in Europe agreed. Mussolini and Horthy got along well together, both moderate fascists, more worried about the threat of communism than conquest for conquest’s sake. Horthy and Victor Emmanuel III were very old friends, foes of conflicts past.

Horthy and Victor Emmanuel III observe a parade in Italy, on one of the Hungarian regent’s visits.

Early May saw the seizure of Rouen from the French, and despite the attackers being almost totally Hungarian, the flag of the Third Reich was the flag that flew in the city centre in the end. Rouen was to be the all but final end to Hungarian offensive operations in France. Only one objective remained.

http://screenshot.xfire.com/s/113845538-4.jpg

Rouen fell to the Axis on the 4th of May.

Hungarian troops rest and smoke cigarettes after Rouen falls.

Progress in Syria had always been good, with no reverses ever suffered by Second Army. Even so, the manpower situation had forced a halt to all offensive actions there, too. The line was to be held; everywhere.

The strategic situation in Syria was a testament to the fighting ability of the Hungarians as the offensives halted.

A Hungarian soldier watches over the hills of Lebanon. All over the area, troops were digging in.

The Maginot line had once been world renowned. It was seen as impenetrable, unbreakable by even the best soldiers. This, it was. However, the massive strides of progress through Belgium had resulted in the entire Maginot line being encircled. Thousands of men were trapped, with absolutely no hope of escaping. The supply situation inside was unbelievable, with hundreds simply throwing down their arms and disappearing amongst the civilians.

The huge encirclement at the Maginot line had no real effect on the war, as the battle for France was won anyway.

French prisoners from the Maginot pocket were never in short supply.

The situation in Iraq had ranged from slow, with little resistance, to slow, with no resistance. Baghdad had been the former, with the Iraqi capital resisting until the 8th of May. All that had defended the city were in captivity, or amongst the few hundred Iraqi dead. Whether the Arabs would surrender, keep fighting, or flee to Britain was unknown.

Baghdad fell with few casualties, but the heat and sand had made progress slow.

The 9th of May saw the Iraqi surrender. The country was annexed entirely by Hungary, who now enjoyed access to the Persian Gulf. A division was sent eastward, with an objective of Kuwait, said to be rich in oil reserves.

Iraq surrendered to Hungary soon after Baghdad fell.

The last resistance in Paris was removed on the 12th of May. Fighting had been fierce, with over 1,000 dead on both sides. The French had resisted staunchly, until pressure from nearly all sides finally forced them to cave in and retreat. A huge blow had been dealt to the French, and the Allies.

Paris fell to the Hungarians; it was to be the last Hungarian offensive in the West of that season.

Hungarian tanks rest outside of Paris, whilst their drivers enjoy the late spring sunshine.

However all was not quiet. In the East, the annexation of Iraq had suddenly meant that the large portion of Syria unoccupied by Hungary was completely cut off, along with all troops inside. Immediately an advance began.

The new advance in Syria was made possible by the annexation of Iraq.

All the while, the Maginot pocket was being steadily contracted, with the disorganised mob of French soldiers compressed into ever smaller areas. Their capture was, as it always had been, a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’.

The ever shrinking Maginot pocket was attacked on all sides.

The 13th of September was, and is viewed by many as a major change in the course of the war. Before, Hungary had been disillusioned by the way Germany had disregarded her advice and handed her only meagre pockets of land in the West. Italy had also been disappointed that her ally thought she could dictate the actions of the war alone. After the actions of the 13th, the dynamics changed. Hungary all but withdrew from the Axis, and Italy, although maintaining transit rights with Germany began urgent talks with Hungary, on the subject of withdrawing from Hitler’s mad quest for dominance. Although grudgingly willing to give Germany the driving seat in operations, both nations found the level of German control unacceptable. What was on the cards was massive, but justified. Total withdrawal from the Axis and a truce with the Allies was proposed. The reason: a new nation, termed ‘Vichy France’.

The entire Italian gains of the war were removed, that territory gifted to an administration that had seemingly popped up overnight in the South of France. In the North, all land went immediately to Germany, even the places which had been won only be Hungarians. All the sacrifices of two great nations had been for nothing. In the East, the Hungarian conquest of what remained of Syria was now impossible, for the neutrality of Vichy France was guaranteed by Germany.

‘Vichy France’ is created, and the fires of anger are lit in two nations.

 

[Elastic Fish]

Grinding Halt.

The offensives had stopped, winding down to an unchanging stand-off. The war in China was as brutal (and almost as muddy) as the Somme, with both sides settling down for a gruelling and long lasting trench war. In the West, the pacts of steel had rusted, and broken apart, shattering on the shards of worthless promises and animosity.

Germany alienated itself from the world with every passing moment. As if an island in the depths of the Pacific, she busied herself with her own affairs. She built up for offensives that would never take place, and pushed the Soviets to the brink of an outright war that would have spelled total defeat for Germany. Her former allies were almost as hostile to her as the British and Americans, seeing Hitler’s Germany as deceitful and malicious, operating only for its own gain.

Withdrawn from the Axis in all but name, Horthy and Mussolini held unhidden conferences with Allied leaders, but little could be done. The greedy dog of Hitler’s Germany had been excessively fortunate, and bitten off a piece of Europe just, and only just, big enough to chew and protect. With much of the coastline of Western Europe bristling with bunkers, and much of Germany’s land borders a sea of barbed wire and minefields, attack was out of the question for a very long time. An uneasy truce spun precarious webs in between and around every nation. Hungary kept its Eastern gains, even the small inroads into British territory. The same was said for the Italians and Austrians who had occupied Switzerland.

Hungary had already denied the Germans military access, and returned all expeditionary forces, before concentrating on consolidating its Eastern gains. With nothing left to play for in the West, it was hoped that the Suez Canal could be reached, but the furthest Hungarian troops would ever reach was Nazareth.

Nazareth was the last Hungarian conquest of the war.

The Second World War had lasted for a little over two months. Thousands had been killed, and France, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Lebanon and Iraq conquered in its short existence. What existed now was an uneasy half peace, and its effects could only be guessed at.

Note:

I decided to end this, my first AAR as I felt that there was really nowhere to go. An invasion of Britain would have resulted in a German occupied Britain. A Hungarian led Barbarossa would have resulted in a German occupation of Western Russia, so I felt I had reached a dead end. Nevertheless, this has been a great experience for me and I hope that you guys have enjoyed it, too. Big thanks to Baltasar, who stuck around and lent many a hand (super-stack attacking Eupen etc.) and also to all you other guys whose names are too dissimilar to Baltasar’s for me to remember right now. I definitely plan to do more AARs, and not least because of this:

Thank you, and good night!

 

[unmerged(205558)]

Bravo ! This has been great AAR

 

[timkoningskelp]

A great AAR indeed!

 

[shenaniganz14]

Well Done!!!!! I'm demanding another AAR thought!!!!! Hungary will live forever as the country that messed up world war 2

 

[Baltasar]

Sorry to see this one being stopped. Are you sure that your invasion of Britain would have triggered a German puppet? What about other countries like Ireland, Spain, South Americas etc?