Through Hitler's Back Door: SOE Operations in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria 1939-1945

by Alan Ogden

Overview

Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia were all German allies in the Second World War, unlike the other countries of Europe which had either been forcibly occupied by the Nazis or remained neutral. SOE Missions mounted within their borders were thus doubly hazardous for they were conducted in enemy-populated territory, heavily policed by military forces and gendarmerie. Furthermore all these states had well developed and experienced security services, usually supplemented by Gestapo and Abwehr units. A further complication to the activities of SOE in these countries was that they had all been effectively conceded by Western Allies to Russia; not surprisingly therefore, operations in the Soviet ‘sphere of influence’ were to prove diabolically difficult. This is a story about the courage of individuals in the face of overwhelming odds. Hunger, ill-health, exhaustion, cold and treachery all combined to make life for those members of SOE who parachuted into these Fascist outposts of Fortress Europe as insufferable as it was dangerous.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781844685868
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	01/31/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Alan Ogden is an author and historian.

Editorial Reviews

…paints a fascinating political background and tells an interesting story, but a sad one. Far too many of these brave men and women perished.

Soldier Magazine

“…paints a fascinating political background and tells an interesting story, but a sad one. Far too many of these brave men and women perished.”

Soldier Magazine UK