Every February, far-right, ultranationalist, and neo-Nazi groups celebrate the so-called "Breakout" (also called the "Day of Honor") with a series of memorial events. The "Breakout" was a February 1945 military operation in Budapest at the end of WWII in which Hungarian and German soldiers, rather than surrendering, broke through a Soviet siege of the Buda Castle district. Budapest was designated as a ""fortress" that the soldiers did not want to give up without fighting. Of the approximately 40,000 Hungarian soldiers, only 700 reached the German troops, the rest having been killed under heavy fire. The failed operation resulted in the destruction of much of Budapest, including the bridges over the Danube.
YOU MUST BE SUBSCRIBED TO THE MEMRI DOMESTIC TERRORISM THREAT MONITOR (DTTM) TO READ THE FULL REPORT. GOVERNMENT AND MEDIA CAN REQUEST A COPY BY WRITING TO DTTMSUBS@MEMRI.ORG WITH THE REPORT TITLE IN THE SUBJECT LINE. PLEASE INCLUDE FULL ORGANIZATIONAL DETAILS AND AN OFFICIAL EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR REQUEST. NOTE: WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE A COPY ONLY TO MEMBERS OF GOVERNMENT, LAW ENFORCEMENT, MEDIA, AND ACADEMIA, AND TO SUBSCRIBERS; IF YOU DO NOT MEET THESE CRITERIA PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST.
Fears Of Antifa
The organizers of the events this year evoke the commemorations of last year, in large part because international and Hungarian antifa groups had attended and marched in Budapest. There was violence. Antifa groups physically attacked some who seemed to wear extreme-right symbols on their clothes but were not necessarily involved in the commemorations. Therefore, this year, extreme-right groups established a security detail composed of the members of an extreme-right paramilitary.
During his year's action, in Budapest, which lasted from February 9-11, 2024, the group toured the capital in groups, looking for what they called left-wing "vermin" who would consider attacking the protestors again.
Advertising The "Breakout" Events
A neo-Nazi group was the main source of publicity for the series of events linked to the "Breakout" commemorations. There were two main events, and two smaller events, held on different days and in different venues: one event was the "Siege Guide," led by a neo-Nazi " historian," and consisted of an introductory program for approximately two dozen people. The second main event was a "Day of Honor," realized as a flash mob on Heroes' Square. Additionally, a "Chain of Lights" in the Castle district was organized. Commemorations ended with a "Breakout Tour" in the hills of Buda, which was more of a sports challenge.
A Demand To Include The Breakout In School Curricula
The youth organization of an ultranationalist party published a statement demanding the inclusion of the Breakout in school curricula. The statement reads: "It is outrageous that the current National Curriculum does not mention a single word about the Hungárian heroes who defended Budapest and all of Europe in 1945, and who broke out of Buda Castle with their last bullets in the midst of a Soviet hail of bullets. The cult of the hero should be presented to students in history education, and this could be achieved by including the Breakout in history textbooks. [...] This is why we need a comprehensive reform of history education in order to build a nation proud of its history and traditions, where young people will be courageous and happy to embrace and preserve their Hungárian identity."
The full text of this post is available to DTTM subscribers.
If you are a subscriber, log in here to read this report.
For information on the required credentials to access this material, visit the DTTM subscription page
