József Grassy (31 December 1894 – 5 November 1946) was a Hungarian military officer in the

Royal Hungarian Army The Royal Hungarian Army ( hu, Magyar Királyi Honvédség, german: Königlich Ungarische Armee) was the name given to the land forces of the Kingdom of Hungary in the period from 1922 to 1945. Its name was inherited from the Royal Hungarian Hon ...

who, in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, commanded Hungarian divisions as an SS-'' Gruppenführer'' and ''

Generalleutnant is the Germanic variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO rank of ...

'' of the

Waffen-SS The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscripts from both occup ...

. After the war, he was convicted of war crimes and executed.

Early life

Grassy was born in the Hungarian town of Szőlős (today part of Bratislava). Originally of

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

extraction, the family name had been Grassi. After education in Catholic schools, he attended the Royal Hungarian Infantry Cadet School in

Sopron Sopron (; german: Ödenburg, ; sl, Šopron) is a city in Hungary on the Austrian border, near Lake Neusiedl/Lake Fertő. History Ancient times-13th century When the area that is today Western Hungary was a province of the Roman Empire, a ...

from 1908 to 1912 and entered military service with the

Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army (, literally "Ground Forces of the Austro-Hungarians"; , literally "Imperial and Royal Army") was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint arm ...

. In 1914 he graduated from the Ludovika Royal Military Academy in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

as a

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

and participated in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

as a

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may rang ...

and company commander on the eastern front. He served with the 20th Royal Hungarian Honvéd Infantry Regiment throughout the war, was wounded twice and decorated for gallantry. During the last year of the war, he served as a general staff officer on the Italian front.

Hungarian army career

After the end of the war, Grassy joined the

and helped to overthrow the

Hungarian Soviet Republic The Socialist Federative Republic of Councils in Hungary ( hu, Magyarországi Szocialista Szövetséges Tanácsköztársaság) (due to an early mistranslation, it became widely known as the Hungarian Soviet Republic in English-language sources ( ...

Bela Kun Bela may refer to: Places Asia *Bela Pratapgarh, a town in Pratapgarh District, Uttar Pradesh, India *Bela, a small village near Bhandara, Maharashtra, India *Bela, another name for the biblical city Zoara * Bela, Dang, in Nepal *Bela, Janakpur, ...

in 1919. He then served in a number of staff and command positions. From 1919 to 1921, he was an instructor at the military academy. He was a staff officer in the 1st Hungarian Infantry Regiment "Maria Theresia" from 1922 to 1929, and became the regimental commander from August 1929 to December 1932. Between 1932 and 1939, he served as Chief of Staff at the brigade and corps levels, and as military tactics instructor at the military academy. Grassy steadily rose through the ranks, attaining the rank of

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

in November 1938. He was the commander of Infantry Regiment 7 from August 1939 to December 1940. Taking up a general staff position in the aviation section of the Defense Ministry in January 1941, he became Chief of the Air Force Organization Bureau on 1 March 1941.

Second World War

Hungary had joined the

Axis powers The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...

on 20 November 1940 by signing the

Tripartite Pact The Tripartite Pact, also known as the Berlin Pact, was an agreement between Germany, Italy, and Japan signed in Berlin on 27 September 1940 by, respectively, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Galeazzo Ciano and Saburō Kurusu. It was a defensive milit ...

, and participated in the invasions of

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

and the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

in the spring of 1941. In August of 1941, Grassy left his general staff post and was given command of the 15th Royal Hungarian Infantry Brigade, which would be redesignated the 15th Light Division on 17 February 1942. In January 1942, in an ostensible anti- partisan operation, Grassy directed the arrest of over 7,000 people in

Bačka Bačka ( sr-cyrl, Бачка, ) or Bácska () is a geographical and historical area within the Pannonian Plain bordered by the river Danube to the west and south, and by the river Tisza to the east. It is divided between Serbia and Hunga ...

, that part of Yugoslavia annexed by Hungary. Known as the Novi Sad massacre, this resulted in the murder of approximately 3,800 men, women and children, mainly

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

and

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

. In an operation that lasted several days, victims were machine-gunned to death and, by some accounts, were made to walk out on the frozen

Danube river The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

which was then shelled with artillery, resulting in mass

drowning Drowning is a type of suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where others present are either unaware of the victim's situation or unable to offer as ...

s. In April 1942, Grassy was promoted to

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

and took command of the 13th Light Division. He led this division in actions on the eastern front against the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...

until 15 November 1942. He then returned to the general staff where he became the head of training. However, due to reports of the Novi Sad massacre, the Hungarian government ordered an investigation. The general staff convened a special court to try Grassy and 14 other defendants in December 1943. Together with three others, he was found guilty, given a prison sentence and dismissed from the army. However, while free on

bail Bail is a set of pre-trial restrictions that are imposed on a suspect to ensure that they will not hamper the judicial process. Bail is the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when required. In some countrie ...

pending appeal, he fled to

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

on 15 January 1944 and requested

political asylum The right of asylum (sometimes called right of political asylum; ) is an ancient juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereign authority, like a second country or another ent ...

. On 1 March 1944, Grassy joined the

9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen The 9th SS Panzer Division "Hohenstaufen" (german: 9. SS-Panzerdivision "Hohenstaufen") was a Waffen-SS armoured division of Nazi Germany during World War II. It participated in battles on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. The division was a ...

with the rank of SS-''

Brigadeführer ''Brigadeführer'' (, ) was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) that was used between the years of 1932 to 1945. It was mainly known for its use as an SS rank. As an SA rank, it was used after briefly being known as ''Untergruppenf ...

'' and '' Generalmajor'' of the

. Sent to Budapest following the occupation of Hungary by German forces, he was involved in the deportation of Hungarian Jews that was organized by Adolf Eichmann. In October 1944, he led the staff charged with forming the 25th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Hunyadi (1st Hungarian) and became its commander on 27 November 1944. On 1 December he was reinstated in the Hungarian army with the rank of

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

by the

puppet government A puppet state, puppet régime, puppet government or dummy government, is a state that is ''de jure'' independent but ''de facto'' completely dependent upon an outside power and subject to its orders.Compare: Puppet states have nominal sover ...

Ferenc Szálasi Ferenc Szálasi (; 6 January 1897 – 12 March 1946), the leader of the Arrow Cross Party – Hungarist Movement, became the "Leader of the Nation" (''Nemzetvezető'') as head of state and simultaneously prime minister of the Kingdom of Hungary' ...

. On 23 February 1945, he was promoted to SS-'' Gruppenführer'' and ''

'' of the Waffen-SS. Additionally, on 21 March 1945, while retaining command of the 25th Waffen Grenadier Division, he simultaneously was given command of the

26th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Hungarian) The 26th ''Waffen'' Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Hungarian) (german: 26. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (ungarische Nr.2), hu, 26. Waffen-SS Gránátos Hadosztály (2. magyar)), was a short-lived infantry division of the Waffen-SS, an ...

. He was awarded the

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia es ...

, 1st and 2nd class. Under heavy attack from the Red Army, his units were forced to retreat to

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. Toward the end of the war, Grassy surrendered both Hungarian divisions to the U.S. Army in

Timelkam Timelkam is a municipality in the district of Vöcklabruck in the Austrian state of Upper Austria Upper Austria (german: Oberösterreich ; bar, Obaöstareich) is one of the nine states or of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borde ...

, Austria on 5 May 1945.

Postwar prosecution and execution

Grassy was taken into custody by OSS, he was

interned Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...

Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...

until November 1945 and then

extradited Extradition is an action wherein one jurisdiction delivers a person accused or convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, over to the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforcement procedure between the two jurisdi ...

to Hungary. Tried by a Hungarian court, he was found guilty of war crimes in connection with the 1942 massacre and sentenced to death. He was next extradited to Yugoslavia in January 1946. There he was again sentenced to death by

hanging Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging ...

for war crimes by the Supreme Tribunal of

Vojvodina Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...

on 31 October 1946. He was executed on 5 November in

Žabalj Žabalj ( sr-cyrl, Жабаљ, ) is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The town Žabalj has a population of 9,107 and the municipality Žabalj has a population of 25,777 ...

, together with

Ferenc Feketehalmy-Czeydner Vitéz Ferenc Feketehalmy-Czeydner (22 November 1890 – 5 November 1946) was a Hungarian military officer who had a significant role in the Novi Sad massacre during the Second World War. Military career After training at the artillery cadet ...

and Márton Zöldi.

References

Sources