The Rákosi Battalion was a volunteer unit founded in April 1937. It was formed predominantly of
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...
, who fought in the
CL International Brigade and the
XIII International Brigade during the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
(1936–39). The battalion was named after
Mátyás Rákosi
Mátyás Rákosi (; born Mátyás Rosenfeld; 9 March 1892
, then a political prisoner in
Miklós Horthy
Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya ( hu, Vitéz nagybányai Horthy Miklós; ; English: Nicholas Horthy; german: Nikolaus Horthy Ritter von Nagybánya; 18 June 1868 – 9 February 1957), was a Hungarian admiral and dictator who served as the regent ...
's
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
, later leader of the
Hungarian People's Republic.
It was initially part of the CL International Brigade which was disbanded on 4 August 1937, and thereafter the battalion became part of the XIII International Brigade.
The Battalion's first action (with 288 men) was in the
Huesca Offensive
The Huesca Offensive was an ill-fated Republican army thrust toward Huesca between 12 and 19 June 1937, during the Spanish Civil War. Hungarian writer and communist commander Máté Zalka was killed in the course of the battle.
Background
In ...
in June 1937. The battalion became trapped by machine-gun fire and lost a quarter of its men. Their commander, Ákos Hevesi, and political commissar, Imre Tarr, were both killed as they led from the front.
At the start of the
Battle of the Ebro
The Battle of the Ebro ( es, Batalla del Ebro, ca, Batalla de l'Ebre) was the longest and largest battle of the Spanish Civil War and the greatest, in terms of manpower, logistics and material ever fought on Spanish soil. It took place between Ju ...
, on 25 July 1938, the battalion led the XIII International Brigade and
35th Division across the river near
Ascó, initially advancing quickly.
Personnel
*Ákos Hevesi – Hungary. Commander. Killed in the Huesca Offensive, June 1937
*
Ferenc Münnich
Ferenc Münnich (; 18 November 1886 – 29 November 1967) was a Hungarian Communist politician who served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the People's Republic of Hungary from 1958 to 1961.
He served in the Austro-Hungarian Army i ...
– Hungary. Political commissar. Became
Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Hungary from 1958 to 1961.
*
László Rajk
László Rajk (8 March 1909 – 15 October 1949) was a Hungarian Communist politician, who served as Minister of Interior and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was an important organizer of the Hungarian Communists' power (for example, organizi ...
– Hungary. Political commissar. Became Hungarian foreign secretary, was accused of espionage, and shot after a show trial in Hungary in 1949.
[''Thomas'', p 926.]
*Imre Tarr – Hungary. Political commissar. Killed in the Huesca Offensive, June 1937
See also
*
XIII International Brigade
*
CL International Brigade
References
*
Beevor, Antony; ''The Battle for Spain'', 2006.
*
Copeman, Fred; ''Reason in Revolt'', 1948
*
Eby, Cecil; ''Comrades and Commissars'', 2007.
*
Gurney, Jason; ''Crusade in Spain'', 1974
*
Thomas, Hugh; ''The Spanish Civil War'', 4th Rev. Ed. 2001.
Military units and formations established in 1936
International Brigades
{{SpanishCivilWar-stub