BattleTurning point
· Day 1284 of 1418
The ring around Budapest
Budapest
- days the Budapest operation lasted
- 108
- days the Budapest operation lasted
On 26 December 1944 Soviet troops encircled Budapest. The battle for the city lasted more than six weeks. At the same time, on the Western Front, the Allies were fighting off Germany’s last big offensive in the Ardennes.
Budapest stands on both banks of the Danube: Buda on the hills, Pest on the plain. The enemy was ordered to hold out to the last, and every district was fought over. Soviet envoys sent with an offer to surrender were killed.
Hundreds of thousands of civilians remained in the besieged city. Soldiers shared their food with them, especially with the children.
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