Entrapment: Soviet Operations to Capture Budapest, December 1944

by Kamen Nevenkin

'Entrapment' deals with the enormous offensive efforts of the Soviet 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts to capture the capital of Hungary before the end of 1944 and thus to clear their way to Vienna. It also describes the desperate efforts of Hitler to retain his last significant European ally and thus to prevent the Red Army from reaching Vienna and seizing the vital oilfields in Southwestern Hungary.

The Soviet offensive against Budapest began at the end of October 1944; with the impending Yalta conference Stalin wished to capture the city as rapidly as possible. Fierce fighting ensued, with the suburbs penetrated by early November. By 26 December the city was encircled, but despite massive Soviet efforts it remained in Axis hands at the end of 1944, and would remain so until February 1945.

This book is an informative read with a fresh view of the events in question. The author has utilized a large quantity of previously unpublished Soviet and German documents discovered in the archives of Germany, Russia and the USA. This allows the story to be told from the perspective of both sides of the conflict. The text is supported by a number of photographs, maps, references, tables and detailed appendices, including orders of battle.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2013