Operation Margarethe

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2008)

During World War II, the Germans planned two discrete operations using the codename Margarethe.

Operation Margarethe I was the occupation of Hungary by German forces in March 1944. The Hungarian government was an ally of Nazi Germany, but had been discussing an armistice with the Allies. German dictator Adolf Hitler found out about these discussions and, feeling betrayed by the Hungarians, ordered German troops to implement Operation Margarethe to capture critical Hungarian facilities.

Hungary's leader, Admiral Miklós Horthy, was invited by Hitler to the palace of Klessheim, outside of Salzburg, Austria on March 15. While they conducted their negotiations, German forces quietly moved into Hungary. Negotiations between Horthy and Hitler lasted until the 18th, when Horthy boarded a train to return home. When he arrived in Budapest, it was German soldiers who greeted him. On 23 March, he appointed Döme Sztójay as Prime Minister to appease German concerns. The occupation was a complete surprise and resulted in it being quick and bloodless. The initial plan was to immobilise the Hungarian army, but with Soviet forces advancing from the north and east, and with British and American forces invading the Balkans, they decided to retain the forces, sending a portion to the defend the pass through the Carpathians. ^[1]

Operation Margarethe II was the planned German invasion of Romania should the Romanian government decide to surrender to the Soviets. The Romanians did surrender in 1944, but Operation Margarethe II was never implemented.

See also

• Hungary during the Second World War
• Operation Panzerfaust

References

This World War II article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e