Commanders and Soldiers Almost  all  European nationalities were represented among either the attackers or the defenders.  Scandinavian  and   Spanish  volunteers,  French  SS-soldiers  under mandatory  draft,  Polish  soldiers of the “Galizien” SS-division, and Russian and Ukrainian  members  the  military  auxiliary  service  were  among  the Germans, while  Romanian  allies  and  nations  living  between  Vladivostok and Lemberg stood  on the side of the Russians. The Hungarian defense lines were also of an extremely  mixed  nature:  aside from the already battle-weary divisions,  the defense of the city was strengthened by gendarme battalions and the  Budapest anti-aircraft and engineer corps.   Several Jewish labor service units were  involved  in  establishing defensive positions.  The strength of the defense troops  was  significantly  enhanced by the assault artillery sections, who mostly fought  on  foot,  and  whose  value lay in battle capability if not in numbers, as well   as   other   special   units:  the   University   Assault - Battalion   and   the Vannay Alarm Squad.  The former consisted of the freshmen and sophomores of the  Technical  University  who  joined  this  unit to avoid being drafted into the German  army,  and  the  latter  was  organized  by  Lászlo Vannay, radical right politician  and consisted of children, public utilities workers, firemen and others. Such  drafting  of children into combat units was the predecessor to similar efforts by  the Cambodian,  the Congolese  and the Yugoslavian military to exploit  vulnerable teenagers.   The  volunteer units were especially successful when they were able to use their knowledge of the terrain to their advantage.  While the Arrow Cross also  serviced  several armed units, their main mission was to terrorize the civilian  population  and  they  gladly  avoided  fighting  the  Soviets.  When the blockade became impenetrable, the cavalry artillery squad and other units of the 4th  Hussar  regiment  and Cavalry division were trapped in the city.  As a result of  this,  more  than  30,000  horses  were left wandering around Budapest, and many  ended  up  providing essential nourishment for the inhabitants and the army.    During the winter of 1944 Budapest was already referred to as the “2nd Stalingrad” in Hungarian army reports. No wonder that the Hungarian Army Corps Headquarters gave orders on 23rd of December, 1944 to bring into service a special badge similar to the German “ Crete”, “ Africa”, “Demjansk” and “ Krim” etc.. army badges.  The Germans came up with a similar idea but it was never carried out. The Hungarian designers designed a badge to be worn on the chest; the Germans designed a pressed shield-shaped to be worn on the upper arm. This drawing is a reconstruction of the latter plan. It is thought that only a few samples and also only the design of the badge were made. During the siege some people saw drawing samples of the badge next to the bodies of killed and looted soldiers. The siege of Budapest inspired many medal designers. During the siege the Arrow Cross Government  was planning the introduction of “The Cross of the Heroes of Budapest “ badge of honour, but in February 1945 there was no-one to grant the medal. The Soviet military leadership introduced the commemorative medal “ For the Capture of Budapest”; this medal was given to 350 000 soldiers altogether, not only those who fought in the siege but also those who participated in preventing the German relief attempts. Soviet troops at Kálvin square.  The Danubius well, demolished after the siege and removed to Erzsébet square, is seen on the right. Photo: J. Haldej Source: MTI Defense Minister Károly Beregfy arrives at the front line, November 1944. Source: Hungarian National Museum Lieutenant general Nicolae Sova, commander of the 7th Romanian battalion, somewhere downtown. Source: Military Institute and Museum Soviet anti-aircraft artillerymen on Erzsebet korut in front of today's Bastya cinema.  Behind the soldiers is the statue of Jeno Rakosi, which was later demolished. Photo: J. Haldej Source: MTI Ernst Keller’s Christmas letter to his parents from Budapest.  Due to censorship, the writer attempted to express and communicate the dreams and wishes of the ordinary soldier by using drawings.  The author became a prisoner of war after the siege and he was freed at the end of 1948. 1. What can a foot soldier dream about? – rest 2. Delicious food and women 3. A leave pass: Lance corporal Stove-pipe, between December 17, 1944 and March 25, 1945 A Wehrmacht ticket issued in Budapest 4. And the big question: the discharge command: Sub-officer Stove-pipe was discharged from active duty on December 2, 1948.  Publisher: Bureau of Mass Information, December 16, 1944.  Magyarcsók (probably Mogyoród) An imprisoned German soldier after the fall of the blockade. Source: Soviet newsreel Haggard-looking woman in an army coat among the captured. Source: Soviet newsreel