Siege of Budapest

Overview

The Siege of Budapest or Battle of Budapest was the 50-day-long encirclement by Soviet and Romanian forces of the Hungarian capital of Budapest, near the end of World War II. Part of the broader Budapest Offensive, the siege began when Budapest, defended by Hungarian and German troops, was encircled on 26 December 1944 by the Red Army and the Romanian Army. During the siege, about 38,000 civilians died through starvation, military action, and mass executions of Jews by the far-right Hungarian nationalist Arrow Cross Party. The city unconditionally surrendered on 13 February 1945. It was a strategic victory for the Allies in their push towards Berlin.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Siege of Budapest was a 50-day encirclement of the Hungarian capital by Soviet and Romanian forces, beginning on 26 December 1944 and ending with the city's unconditional surrender on 13 February 1945. Part of the broader Budapest Offensive, the battle pitted roughly 79,000 German and Hungarian defenders against a Soviet-Romanian force of approximately 177,000. Combined German casualties reached 137,000, with Soviet losses estimated between 100,000 and 160,000, reflecting the intensity of the urban fighting. The fall of Budapest removed a significant Axis stronghold in Central Europe and constituted a strategic Allied victory in the drive toward Berlin. During the siege, approximately 38,000 civilians died from starvation, military action, and mass executions of Jews carried out by the Arrow Cross Party, underscoring the human cost of prolonged urban encirclement in the final phase of the European war.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (7)