| Abstrakt: |
The fortification of the Carpathians was always a crucial factor in the country’s defense. This was also the case between the two world wars, when the fortifications in the NorthEastern and Eastern Carpathians were constructed in four phases. The first phase, in 1939, was aimed at securing the right flank of the Wehrmacht attacking Poland at the request of Germany, as well as defending the borders in the NorthEastern Carpathians following the return of Subcarpathian Rus. The second phase, in 1940 – after the second Vienna Award – focused on fortifying the Eastern Carpathians. The third phase, in 1943, involved the construction of circular fortifications in Szeklerland, covering the eastern and north-eastern parts of the Carpathians. The fourth phase of the Carpathian fortifications began in 1943. According to the Kállay government’s plan, the Hungarian Army was to hold the Carpathian line until the Anglo-Saxon forces arrived in the Carpathian Basin. This plan led the Hungarian military leadership to develop the valley closures into defensive positions. Thus, the fortification system established to protect the Carpathian Basin was completed, with the Árpád Line being only a part of it. The Red Army was unable to breach this line, only managing to bypass it from the south. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
