Király Béla, K.: Wars, Revolutions and Regime Changes in Hungary, 1912 - 2004. Reminiscences of and Eyewitness - East European Monographs 681. Atlantic Studies on Society Change 127. (New York, 2005)
VIII. Home Again - Representing Viktor Orbán in the Reform of the Armed Forces
483 Home Again “So you don’t agree with me. Then allow me to invite you to come to Hungaty. I would send an airplane ticket, my home is available to you, and I would cover all your expenses. I have only one request: you will come with me to Nagykovácsi, we will climb the Zsiros Hill and I will show you the enormous craters dug by the Soviet rockets, the contours of which are still visible. Visiting tliese, I want you to say to my face that there was no battle at Nagykovácsi, and no air force took part." After a short pause, the general said only, “Thank you, but I would rather not travel to Hungary. I do not wish to become another Pinochet.”48 That was the end of our conversation. Perhaps it was no accident that Malashenko mentioned Pinochet’s name; they must have been kindred spirits. Aside from the official program ofthe conference, I wanted to visit Moscow, for this was my first and, to this day, last trip to the Russian capital. Indeed, my friends took me anywhere that I wished. I was pleasantly surprised by the huge green belt, which I had noticed already during the trip in from the airport. One evening my friends took me to Red Square.49 We were already close, but a huge building was blocking our view. We must have been heading in the right direction, for streaks of red light were shining through, surely the rays from the illumination ofthe Lenin mausoleum, I thought. I was mistaken, however, for when we reached the comer oftlie building, I saw the enormous red sign of McDonald’s liamburgers, adapted to the Russian taste. Representing Viktor Orbán in the Reform ofthe Armeil Forces It was the chief of the cabinet, Andor Nagy,5٥ who signed the letter dated December 16, 1999, informing me tliat “the prime minister is hereby respectfully requesting you to take part, as his personal representative, in the project ofthe reform ofthe armed forces now in