We must remember the Don heroes in a dignified manner, who were not victims, but defended their country and died for their country - emphasized Miklós Kásler, director general of the Hungarian Research Institute, at the press conference organized in memory of the Don heroes on Friday in Budapest.
The Director General recalled that on January 12, 1943, at 9:45 a.m., the opening attack of the Red Army began in the area of Uriv-Sztorozsevoje, which ultimately inflicted a heavy defeat on the Hungarian 2nd Army. In the brutally bloody clash, 50,000 Hungarian soldiers fell, 50,000 were wounded and around 28,000-29,000 soldiers were captured, he explained.
Miklós Kásler said: there are many Don monuments in Hungary, but they were mostly dedicated to honored officers.
Respect must be given to everyone who was a member of the 2nd Hungarian Army, he emphasized, adding:
it is a legitimate expectation that simple national defenders and labor servicemen can also bow their heads.
He said: the Hungarian Research Institute is taking the initiative to set up commemorative plaques at the stations of the corps and light divisions of the expeditionary army in this country and in the separated areas. The list of the formations of the Hungarian 2nd Army should be collected so that the descendants of the heroes can go to remember them, and thus at least the ideological and spiritual compensation can take place - explained Miklós Kásler.
He pointed out:
the defeat of the expeditionary army at the Don was a taboo subject for a long time, those who returned home could not talk about it.
He also touched on the fact that Hungary could not stay out of the war due to the compensation for German aid, as well as due to its geopolitical situation, and also for geographical reasons. He entered with the hope of being a part of further German victories, he noted.
According to the institute's plans, the memorial plaques would be erected in the cities of Budapest, Esztergom, Szombathely, Pécs, Miskolc, Komárom, Sopron, Nagykanizsa, Kaposvár, Szekszárd, Kecskemét, Miskolc, Eger and Kassa with the cooperation of the counties and municipalities.
- can be read in the background material distributed on site.
István Sztachó-Pekáry, deputy mayor of Kecskemét, emphasized that the Don stands out among all battles, which occupies an important place in the lives of Hungarians not only because of its inhumanity, but also because of its heroism. According to his words, it is thanks to the sacrifices of the Don heroes that we can think about the future today, so we must cherish their memory. They remind us that we must protect peace at all costs and that such a disaster can never happen again, he added.
Zoltán Babucs, acting expert of the Hungarian Research Institute, emphasized: it is not true that the leadership of the time led the army to destruction, expecting that they would not return anyway. Compared to the possibilities, the army was equipped in the best way, he underlined.
MTI
