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October 23, 1962

Soviet Marshal Andrei Grechko, Commander of the Warsaw Pact, telegram to Hungarian Minister of Defense Lajos Czinege

This document was made possible with support from Leon Levy Foundation

Highly Confidential!

 

To: Comrade Lajos Czinege, Colonel General—Minister of Defense of the Hungarian People’s Republic

 

Considering US President D. [sic; “J.”] Kennedy’s provocative announcement on 23 October 1962 and the increased danger of the outbreak of war caused by the Western aggressors, I hereby propose:

 

To introduce increased combat readiness for all troops of the services of the armed forces subordinated to the Supreme Command [of the Unified Armed Forces of the Warsaw Pact].

 

Please, report on the arrangements made by you on 24 October.

 

23 October 1962

 

Grechko, Marshal of the Soviet Union,

 

Commander in chief of the Supreme Command of the Unified Armed Forces

 

of the Warsaw Treaty Member States

 

23 October 1962 10.05 am—Reported to Comrade Köteles, lieutenant- general

 

23 October 1962 7.15 pm—Clarified with Colonel General Dagajev[1]—“Effective as it was stated in Comrade Grechko’s oral instruction.”

 

Reported to: Comrade Köteles lieutenant-general, Comrade Tóth major general, and Comrade Szűcs major general, on 23 October 1962 at 6.50 pm.

 

 

Major Golovány

 

 

40 N.P. Dagajev, Colonel General was head of the 10th group at the Soviet general staff. At the time this organ was in charge of coordination with the Warsaw Pact member states’ military leadership—CB and MK.

 

Major Golovány writes to Hungarian Minister of Defense Lajos Zzineage and proposes the Hungarian military prepare for combat readiness in response to the President Kennedy’s increasing provocation towards Cuba.

Author(s):


Document Information

Source

Hadtörténeti Intézet Levéltára, [Archives of the Institute for Military History]. MN VIII. 29. fond, 1962/T-4. d./6. ő.e.; published in “A dolgozó népet szolgálom!” Forráskiadvány a Magyar Néphadsereg Hadtörténelmi Levéltárban őrzött irataiból, 1957–1972 [“I serve the working people!” Documents from the Archives of the Institute for Military History, 1957–1972], eds. Róbert Ehrenberger, Erika Laczovics, József Solymosi, intro. Imre Okváth (Budapest: Tonyo-Gráf Nyomdai és Grafikai Stúdió

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Original Uploaded Date

2013-04-08

Type

Telegram

Language

Record ID

116784

Original Classification

Highly Confidential

Donors

Leon Levy Foundation