This study reveals material on the organization, command, strategy, and tactics of the Soviet armed forces which invaded Hungary in 1956, especially the precise documentation on the irrationally large size of the forces. It opens with a substantial introductory essay by the editors and has a study by Alexandr Kirov, based on research in Soviet military archives. The book also includes the memoirs of General Yevgeny Malashenko, in 1956 a colonel in the Soviet Army and acting Chief of Staff of the Special Corps in Budapest, who provided important insights into Soviet military procedures, politico-military co-operation, and the actual fighting strengths and weaknesses of the Red Army.

Contributions by: Alexandr Kirov
Memoir by: Yevgeny Malashenko