The vast Soviet military machine that invaded Finland during the Winter War of 1939-1940 was stunned by the lightly armed but intensely motivated and skilled Finnish troops. The Soviets were outfought despite hugely superior weight of numbers. Although eventually seeking terms the Finns had delivered a harsh lesson to their rapacioius neighbours.
Since 1872, the Ludovica Military Academy had been turning out competent and efficient officers and graduated the majority of officers for the Hungarian Army. A core of competent and educated officers struggled to handle the large expansion of the Hungarian Army to meet the needs of the Eastern Front. The Hungarians enjoyed a professional and experienced core of staff officers.
Although the majority of infantry forces fielded by the Royal Hungarian Army in 1944–45 were not combat hardened, there were some experienced units after 3 years of fighting on the Eastern Front. Infantry Divisions of the Hungarian First Army had recently fought in the defence of Galicia in early 1944, and would put their experience to good use, like the 25th Division at the Battle of Tordá and the 10th Division inside the Budapest pocket.