As film opens, German troops invading Hungary in World War 2, are seen informally gathering as two Sturmgeschütz III (Stug III) assault guns pass them along a dirt road in Hungary. German Officer lying in grass looks through binoculars. View of a Sturmgeschütz IV (Stug IV) assault gun with side protectors moving past a towed piece of field artillery. German infantry walking across a field as two Stug IVs pass them. German officers pointing at possible targets. Crew member standing in Marder II (Sd.Kfz.131) anti-tank gun as it fires its gun in the direction of a fire burning in the distance down the street. A soldier peers through binoculars. A vehicle is seen in flames. A German soldier hunkers down next to a wall. A destroyed truck in the background. A dead Hungarian soldier lying in a ditch. A burning truck on the street next to him. German soldiers move a Hungarian soldier hiding among the dead, who turns and holds his hand up. German infantry behind Stug and walking through garden gates and fences in back yards of homes, and along muddy road. German soldier waves his hand through top access hatch. German infantry soldiers fire rifles and German armored vehicles fire their guns.
Film begins with a map of the South Eastern part of Europe, including countries of Hungary,Croatia,Serbia, and Romania. Then a German Air Force officer is seen dispatching aircraft to attack Soviet tanks on the Eastern front. Next are views from a cockpit of German Junkers Ju 87 (Stuka dive bombers) in flight. Closeup of a Stuka airplane inflight. It is equipped with a machine guns under its wings. More views from a cockpit of smoke rising from the ground, and then of Ju 87s strafing Soviet tanks. Narrator states that more than 300 Soviet tanks were destroyed. Scene changes to German soldier in a defensive position in Hungary, during the German invasion of that country in March, 1944 (Operation Margarethe). View of explosions in the distance. Brief closeup of a German soldier. German infantry leaving their defensive positions and advancing along a hill crest where they are silhouetted against the light sky. Artillery firing from hidden position near trees. Several scenes of burning buildings. German gun crew holding their ears as they fire a heavy artillery piece. A burning tank.
Coronation parade of Emperor Karl I of Austria, who is also being crowned as Karl IV of Hungary. ( As Emperor of Austria-Hungary he holds both titles) Procession passes on the street in Budapest. Emperor Karl is seen riding a large white horse. Royal horse guards parade with the Emperor. Officials, and nobles in traditional dress, take part in the parade
roads and at the government buildings in Budapest, Hungary. They burn Soviet flags in the streets. Soviet machine guns and tanks fire at the revolutionaries. Hungarian citizens drive on tanks on the roads of Budapest. A tank drives past Heroes’ Square (Budapest, Hősök tere, 1146 Hungary). A man fires at government tanks. Damaged buildings in Budapest following battle with Soviet forces. Molotov cocktails prepared by protestors to throw at Soviet forces. Bodies of combatants killed during the revolution lying on the roads. Hungarian communist Prime Minister Imre Nagy addresses the nation during the Hungarian revolution of 1956.
Hungarian Revolution of 1956 against the Stalinist government in Hungary. Civilians, police and military mingling amiably. Hungarian Communist Leader, Janos Kadar enters a car with an Army General. Civilians walk around a Soviet tank in a market. Hungarian soldiers stand on roads and talk to each other. Animated map shows flow of Soviet Forces surrounding Budapest to put down the insurrection. Soviet tanks firing point blank into buildings. Fires raging. A radio announcer is seen at a center from which multilingual broadcasts are being made about the events in Budapest. A technician in broadcast center. Speaker labeled "Hungarian." Brief view of UN meeting in New York. Revolutionaries fire on Soviets from remnants of destroyed buildings. Damaged Soviet tank. Hungarian National flags fly over abandoned litters in a small park. Dead revolutionary in a coffin being transported for burial in a cemetery. Some snow on the ground. People in various parts of the world express sympathy for the Hungarian insurrectionists. Black wreathes are hung. Youth in West Berlin, Germany, carry banner calling for Freedom for Hungary. Supportive demonstrations in Vietnam, France, and Italy. Black wreathes are placed in Poland.
Panoramic views and monuments of Budapest, Hungary. The Liberty Statue (Szabadság-szobor, 1118 Budapest, Gellérthegy) on the Gellért Hill in Budapest, Hungary. Rising sun in the background. Sun rays falling on Danube River. Industrial smoke pollution being emitted from stacks. Workers arrive at factory.