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Primary sourceNews clip6 June 1919

Hungarian Red Army in Kassa, 1919

"Est" Magazine, Budapest · 6 June 1919

A newsreel film from June 1919 showing the Hungarian Red Army's entry into Kassa (Košice), the main military success of Béla Kun's regime.

This newsreel documents the Hungarian Red Army's chief military success during Kun's leadership of the Soviet Republic.

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"Est" Magazine, Mass celebration of the liberation of Kassa, Hungarian Red Army march, 6 June 1919. Restored footage.

About this source

What it is

This is a newsreel filmed by "Est" Magazine of Budapest on 6 June 1919, showing a mass celebration marking the Hungarian Red Army's march into the city of Kassa (now Košice) during its northern military campaign. The footage has since been renovated for preservation.

Why it matters

The capture of Kassa was the chief military success of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, led in effect by Béla Kun as People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs. This newsreel shows how the regime's achievements were publicized through mass celebration and film, a new medium being used to shape public opinion during a revolutionary moment.

Look closer

  • What does the choice to film and celebrate this event tell you about how the regime wanted to be seen?
  • Who is shown celebrating, and who is missing from the footage?
  • Since this film has been restored, what might differ from how audiences first saw it in 1919?

This news clip is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Béla Kun on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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