You are absolutely right about this – I was just pointing out that in addition to the persecution of Jews (which is what was documented in most detail by the SS), there were many atrocities committed against various Eastern European ethnic groups by other ethnic groups in the area. They received less attention and they were not as widely documented, but they were just as horrific (although they do not compare in scale with the general violence against the Jewish population). In Yugoslavia’s case, these acts were obviously remembered as late as the 90’s …

re: “… securing parts of Transylvania and Slovakia.”

Of course, after securing these territories there were many atrocities perpetrated against the Romanian and Slovak inhabitants – whether they were more numerous or worse than
those perpetrated by others in the region is debatable. Certainly the Rumanians were not only ones committing horrific acts at the time …

horrific compared to what other country or people?

every nation commits horrible acts in every war (US in Vietnam, Japan in China, China in China, Germany everywhere, Russia take your pick, Serbs Croats Bosnians have they ever played nice?, etc etc). The WWII generation is mostly dead, and even their children are nearing retirement—how should Hungary “face up” to its role in the war? Public apology? Reparations for the grandchildren of… who? Jews? Russians? Americans?

On the history of Hungarian Holocaust:
http://www.hdke.hu/en/facts_hungholo.html

It might not have been noble, but it kept more people alive—- including, it should be said, probably more Jews alive—- than the alternatives. Defying Hitler would certainly have led to a Yugoslavia type outcome; attacks by Germans with the local Nazi supporting nutcases (which you had them, and have now, in every country) taking advantage of the case to go bezerk.

Correction welcome, if my understanding is wrong.

Among the Axis countries in World War II, it seems as if the former West Germany has been the only one to make a proper acknowledgement of the guilt incurred by its leaders and the many who supported them actively or passively. Japan still prefers the hostility and distrust of its neighbours to the internal strife that would be caused by anything approaching an honest acknowledgement of the crimes committed before and during the War. And, from what I can see, Austria and Hungary are much the same.

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