Hungarian Axis Forces in WWII

Finally, in 1941, German and Italy attempted to bring Hungary into a Military alliance. To do this, they offered Hungary the return of more territory that had been taken in the 1920 Treaty of Trianon. In April of 1941, Germany entered into Hungarian territory to prepare for the invasion of Yugoslavia. In so doing, they requested the aid of Hungary, who then mobilized the Hungarian 3rd Army. For the invasion of Yugoslavia, Hungary fielded the following units into the disputed territories that Yugoslavia controlled:

3rd Hungarian Army 
I.Army Corps 
1st Infantry Brigade 
13th Infantry Brigade 
15th Infantry Brigade 
IV.Army Corps 
2nd Infantry Brigade 
10th Infantry Brigade 
12th Infantry Brigade 
V.Army Corps 
14th Infantry Brigade 
19th Infantry Brigade 
2nd Cavalry Brigade 
Rapid Corps 
1st Cavalry Brigade 
1st Motorized Brigade 
2nd Motorized Brigade 

On June 27th, 1941, after Germany had invaded the Soviet Union, Hungary formally declared war against the Soviet Union and became a full Axis partner to German and Italy. The pattern for this declaration had been set many years before, and the final impetus for the move is said to have come when the Hungarian city of kassa was bombed, supposedly by Russian aircraft. According to Andris Kursietis, debate regarding this event is still occuring, and blame can not be placed firmly on any one source, although some have placed the blame on Germany in a scheme to draw Hungary into the war. Whom ever is to blame, the end result was a far reaching one, as it pulled Hungary firmly into the Axis forces.

(*According to Andris Kursietis, an acknowledged authority on the Hungarian armed forces, the term "mixed brigade" was a misnomer. It was in fact, a cover name for an army corps. Each of the 7 so-called mix brigades were actually corps, with the units making up their parts actually being brigades waiting to be formed. It was through this process that Hungary had prepared itself for mobilization in time of need, against the grain of the imposed Allied restrictions of the Treat of Trianon.)

(**So far, the removal of Hungarian territory and the experiances of the "Red Terror" in 1918 had provided the imputus for Hungary to move towards the Axis camp during the years preceeding WWII. With the Alliance with Italy in 1927 and later economic consessions towards Germany, Hungary became a very real potential member of the Axis forces.)