Why did Hungary join the Axis?

Answer 1

For a nation of 10,000,000 population with little industrial strength or resource base and only a minor scientific community, the Hungarians did a lot. Their armies fought well in the Balkan campaigns and Russia. The Russian threat to European civilization was well understood by the Hungarian peoples and they responded by aiding the Axis cause. Their army was crushed in S Russia in 1944 and they withdrew the remnants to the homeland. A few lop sided battles were fought in and around the capital Budapest in late 44 and into 45 but Hungary was basically out of the war by then. As punishment for helping the Axis, Hungary was abandanoned by the western powers to enslavement by Russia. Russia pillaged and wrecked Hungary much like they did the rest of eastern Europe, although not so extensively as they did to Germany. After about eight years of this cruelty the Hungarian people rose up in revolt. The Soviet backed Hungarian army refused to fight their own people. The Soviets moved in with massive arms and crushed the Hungarians again. The west stood by, supposedly out of fear of triggering a nuclear exchange. Once free of the Russian chains, the Hungarians have sped to moderize their economy and have joined various western organizations such as the European Union.