The Events and Factors That Made the Hungarian Red Army’s Northern Campaign Possible

Abstract

The Hungarian Red Army in 1919 was the only resistance led by the goverment which had realistic chance of Hungary avoiding catastrophe. From the Aster Revolution (October 31, 1918) until March 21, 1919, that is, until the establishment of the Hungarian Soviet Republic and the Hungarian Red Army, apart from the heroic atcivities of the Székely Hadosztály led by Colonel Károly Kratochvill, there was no significant resistance against the Czech, Romanian and Serbian forces atacking the country. As far as I can see, the Hungarian Red Army had a realistic chance of successful armed resistance against the enemies attacking our country, an excelent example is the way of conducting the Northern Campaign.

In my study, I highlight the events that made possible the most famous military action of the Hungarian Red Army, the Northern Campaign, which resulted in the expulsion of the invading Czech forces from a most part of the Highlands, and separating them from their Romanian ally. I would like to emphasize the importance of the Northern Campaign, and I describe the changing assessment of the activities of the Hungarian Red Army during this century. I present the most important military events of the four and a half months that passed from the Aster Revolution to the Romanian attack in April 1919. I list the elements that made it possible to restore the almost completely demoralized and disorganized Hungarian Red Army and to carry out its successful campaign.