The Hungarian armed forces, known as the Honvedseg, were built up in the 1930s, their expansion gaining momentum once Hungary became free of the strict post- World War I Trianon treaty limitations in August 1938. Politically, Hungary was looking for a strong ally, who would help it to recover at least some of the territories that had been lost after the First World War. Initially, in the mid-1930s, Italy gave political assistance and supplied military materiel, then, on the eve of World War II, Germany also lent support. In November 1938, Hungary managed to peacefully recover a chunk of its former territory from Czechoslovakia, followed by the Sub-Carpathian area and the northern part of Transylvania from Rumania in August 1940. Later, in April 1941, the Bachka region and parts of Baranya were also taken back from the dismembered Yugoslavia, in a swift military action. The rub was that Hungary was sucked into the cauldron of the Eastern front, and soon the Honveds found themselves deep in Soviet territory, outgunned and outnumbered. From August 1944, the beleaguered Honvedseg had to fight against the mighty Soviet army in defense of its own territory. However, alongside tiny Croatia, Hungary remained the last German ally up to the bitter end.

This comprehensive reference, to be published in two volumes, and the fruit of over twenty years of meticulous research by Hungarian historian Denes Bernad, and AFV expert Charles K. Kliment, strives to provide a complete picture of the Hungarian armed forces between the years 1919-1945. It describes the political situation in Hungary before and during World War II, the building of the armed forces, the growth of domestic arms manufacturers and the organisation of the armed forces units and how they changed during the war. The various campaigns of the war are described in great detail, illustrated with many photographs, colour plates and maps.