In the Losses of Romania in the Second World War.

A note to one study by an intelligent person and a professional in his field, who, however, is not aware of what battles are currently going on to increase the paper population of those killed in the Great Patriotic War fascist invaders and their allies. It is clear that despite all the conscientiousness of the person, many of the figures somehow do not compare with my sources.

Data from G.F. Krivosheev in "Classified Secrecy..." look like this:

Collection "Prisoners of war in the USSR. 1939-1956" Grigory Fedotovich’s figures regarding the captured Romanians are sufficiently confirmed; the discrepancy of four thousand people is crumbs, we will neglect it.

However, in this situation, it is logical to ask what the Romanians themselves think about their losses in WWII.
And the Romanians agree "Armata Romana in al doilea razboi mondial", Meridiane, Bucharest 1995. think about their losses as follows:

Table error. In missing persons after 08/23/1944, numbers columns Total armies are copied from those killed. Instead of 21.355 there must be a number 57.974 .
Let's start counting:
According to their data, the Romanians lost a total of dead and missing in battles with the Red Army: 380138 military personnel.
According to Soviet data, from this figure from 225518 to 229682 Romanian soldiers were captured. Accordingly, the remaining from 150454 to 154620 Romanians either died or deserted during the fighting in the territories of Moldova and Romania and fled to their homes. This is especially true for Moldovans.
We look at the sign from G.F. Krivosheeva above with 245388 dead "Rumaneshti" and begin to guess where and where the extra ones in it came from one hundred thousand Human. Here it is not even possible to nod to the Romanians who died in captivity, since they are shown in a separate column regarding the fate of those captured. And even if we could add up these numbers, 40-50 thousand heads would still not be fought.
Let's look further.
The total losses of Romanian troops in dead and missing in battles with the Wehrmacht amounted to 79709 Human.
It must be said that the Germans were a little out of sorts from the “betrayal” of the Romanians, the war by the end of 1944 reached extreme bitterness, and accordingly they were taken prisoner former allies The Germans took it somewhat reluctantly. I think at least half of the descendants of the Romans who went missing in battles with the Nazis died, taking into account the reprisals against prisoners and the problems of survival in concentration camps V recent months war, the reliable figure is probably closer to two-thirds, or even more.

Taking into account the last conclusion, the estimated number of Romanian army personnel killed in battle, died from wounds and diseases, and died from accidents in the Second World War will be:
On the Soviet-Romanian Front: approx. 150,000-155,000 people(in this figure, the number of deserters counted as missing is unknown).
On the Romanian-German Front: approx. 60,000 people.
Total - approx. 210 000 military personnel.
In addition, in Soviet captivity until 1956, according to G.F. Krivosheeva died 54 612 captured soldiers of the Romanian army and, according to my estimates, approximately up to 20 000 captured Romanians were killed or died in German captivity before Germany's surrender.
In principle, when adding or partially adding the above figures (those killed in the SRF, those killed in the RGF, those killed in captivity in the east and those killed in captivity in the west) and corrections for the difference and completeness of sources, the result turns out to be to a certain extent close 245 388 to the dead Romanians from the table of Grigory Fedotovich. But if his group really counted the Romanian dead using this method, I can say that all its participants at one time made a mistake with their profession, they all should have become accountants or economists. In the “era of capital accumulation” of the late 80-90s. neither competitors nor inspectors would have anything to catch, and Deribaska, unable to withstand competition with such wolves, would now be tinkering anywhere in Arzamas, or even sweeping the streets.

Some fought with numbers, and some with skill. The monstrous truth about the losses of the USSR in World War II Sokolov Boris Vadimovich

Romanian losses

Romanian losses in the Second World War are calculated by us in the borders on September 1, 1941, with Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, again included in Romania in early August 1941 and again taken from it by the Soviet Union in August 1944, and also without Northern Transylvania, ceded by Romania to Hungary by decision of the Vienna Arbitration on August 30, 1940. Losses of the Romanian armed forces amounted to 71,585 killed, 243,625 wounded and 309,533 missing during the war against the USSR in June 1941 - August 1944. During the war against Germany and its allies from August 1944–May 1945, Romanian casualties amounted to 21,735 killed, 90,344 wounded and 58,443 missing. The Romanian ground army in the war against the USSR lost 70,406 killed, 242,132 wounded and 307,476 missing. Its losses in the fight against Germany amounted to 21,355 killed, 89,962 wounded and 57,974 missing. Romanian Air Force lost 4,172 people, of which 2,977 people during the fighting on the side of Germany (972 dead, 1,167 wounded and 838 missing) and 1,195 people during the fighting against Germany and Hungary on final stage wars (356, 371 and 468, respectively). Fleet losses in the fight against the USSR alone amounted to 207 killed, 323 wounded and 1,219 missing, and in the fight against Germany - 24, 11 and 1, respectively. The total losses of the Romanian armed forces in World War II were 92,940 killed, 333,966 wounded and 331,357 missing. Of the missing, about 130 thousand were prisoners taken in the Iasi-Kishinev cauldron, in fact after Romania went over to the side of the Anti-Hitler coalition. In total, 187,367 Romanians were captured in Soviet captivity, of whom 54,612 died. In addition, in Soviet captivity 14,129 Moldovans who served in the Romanian army were captured. The mortality rate among Moldovans held in Soviet captivity is unknown. It can be assumed that the majority of Moldovans were drafted into the Red Army soon after captivity. In total, according to some estimates, 256.8 thousand residents of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina were drafted into the Red Army, of which, according to official Russian data, up to 53.9 thousand people died. Since we have established that this source underestimates the losses of the Red Army by approximately 3.1 times, then the number of Moldovans who died in the ranks of the Red Army could be estimated at 167 thousand dead, and taking into account irrecoverable losses Ukrainians, Jews and Russians conscripted into the Red Army from former Romanian territories, total losses the inhabitants of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina in the ranks of the Red Army could be estimated at 200 thousand dead. However, the figure of 53.9 thousand is too small, and the coefficient obtained for total value irretrievable losses, since the number 53.9 thousand is significantly less than the possible statistical error. Therefore we will proceed from overall assessment the number of mobilized residents of the former Romanian territories is 256.8 thousand people. According to our estimates, up to 60% of all mobilized died in the ranks of the Red Army. The overwhelming number of Moldovans fought only in the last nine and a half months of the war, which, formally speaking, reduced the likelihood of their death compared to all those mobilized, many of whom entered the battle back in June 1941. On the other hand, most residents of the former Romanian territories were mobilized directly into units, and losses among them were especially high. The last 9 1/2 months of the war accounted for approximately 22% of the losses in killed and wounded deaths, or 4.9 million people. Average headcount ground forces and aviation at the front amounted to 6135.3 thousand people for the second quarter of 1945, and 6714.3 thousand people for the third quarter of 1944. Let us assume that during the period from August 1944 to May 1945, almost all the wounded and sick managed to return to duty, and the new conscription was only to replace irretrievable losses, as well as approximately 100 thousand prisoners. Then about 4.4 million conscripts were supposed to enter the Red Army during this period. In total, during this period, about 11.1 million military personnel were supposed to pass through formations located at the front. The probability of death for them was approximately 44%. Then the number of residents of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina who died at the front can be estimated at 113 thousand people. This is very close to the existing Romanian and Moldavian estimates of 110 thousand conscripts from Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina who died in the ranks of the Red Army. To form the pro-Soviet division “Tudor Vladimirescu” and other units of the Romanian army in 1943–1945, 20,374 Romanians and 7 Moldovans were liberated from the camps. Taking into account the fact that 201,496 Soviet military personnel were captured by the Soviets, total number those killed in action among those missing in action in the war against the USSR can be estimated at 129,139 people. If we accept the mortality rate from wounds in the Romanian army at 7%, given that the number of wounded exceeds the number of killed by only 1.2 times, then in the fight against the USSR Romanian troops could have lost about 17 thousand who died from wounds, and in the fight against Germany - about 6.3 thousand people. 229 Romanian prisoners died in Germany. About 1,500 Romanian soldiers are buried in the Czech Republic, and 15,077 in Slovakia. This gives a total of approximately 25,372 people, which is 3,637 more than the number killed in the war against Germany and Hungary. However, the Romanians also suffered significant losses in the battles in Northern Transylvania. Assuming that the number of Romanian soldiers killed there is equal to the number killed in the territory of modern Hungary, the number killed in Northern Transylvania can be estimated at 8.6 thousand people. Assuming that all those who died from wounds in August 1944 - May 1945 were buried in Romania, we estimate the total number of those killed in the war against Germany and Hungary at 34 thousand people, and together with those who died in German captivity at 229 people. Then the total number of dead among those missing in this war can be estimated at 12,494 people. Then we can estimate the number of Romanian soldiers who survived German and Romanian captivity at 45,949 people.

We estimate the total losses of the Romanian army in the fight against the USSR at 272.3 thousand dead, and losses in the fight against Germany and Hungary at 40.5 thousand dead.

36 thousand Romanian Roma became victims of the genocide. The victims of the Holocaust, including the Jews of Northern Transylvania, are estimated at 469 thousand people, including 325 thousand in the territory of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. The number of victims of the Holocaust in Northern Transylvania is estimated at 135 thousand people. It should be emphasized that Romanian official figures The number of dead Jews of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina is much smaller - approximately 90 thousand out of 147 thousand. They seem closer to reality to us. We estimate the total number of exterminated Jews of Romania within the borders of September 1, 1941 at 233 thousand people. It is possible that some of the Jews in this region were drafted into the Red Army in 1944 and died in its ranks. Allied bombing killed 7,693 civilians. During the first Soviet occupation Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina in 1940–1941 On June 12–13, 1941, 30,839 people were deported and arrested. Of this number, 25,711 people were deported. How many of these people were shot or did not survive imprisonment or deportation is unknown. It can be assumed that this number was at least 5 thousand people. N.F. Bugai estimates the number of those executed at 1 thousand people, which seems to us close to reality, and the number of deaths in the camps and at the sites of deportations at 19 thousand people, which also seems to us to be a completely realistic estimate. By mid-September 1941, there were 22,848 people from Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina in places of special settlement and imprisonment. Taking this into account, the total number of those shot and killed by this time can be estimated at 8 thousand people. Of this number, approximately 1 thousand of those executed were found in prisons in Romania and Northern Bukovina, including 450 in Chisinau, after their release German-Romanian troops in July 1941. Since the main mortality rate of deportees occurred in the winter of 1941/42, we estimate the mortality rate among those expelled from Bessarabia and Bukovina from mid-September 1941 until the end of the war at 12 thousand people, and the total number of victims of the first Soviet occupation at 20 thousand people. In addition, the number civilians Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, who died during the fighting in 1941–1944, are estimated by Romanian and Moldavian historians at 55 thousand people. This last estimate seems to us to be significantly overestimated. Conventionally, we accept the number of deaths during hostilities as 25 thousand people.

According to the former German officer connections with the Romanian troops, “we assessed the Romanian units as the best of our allies,” although their level command staff compared to German left much to be desired: “My impression of ordinary soldiers was positive, but, unfortunately, it did not concern officers. Most of the soldiers were simple sons of farmers, since in those days, as now, Romania was a fertile agricultural country. The officers came almost exclusively from big cities, and Francophilia was extremely common among them. None of these officers had any desire to be in battle. When I told the Romanian officers that their headquarters were too far from the front line, they replied that they “had enough telephone cable”...

Several times I was invited to lunch at command post Romanian division. Each time it was a large dinner with several courses, and it could last for many hours. Yet I never saw ordinary soldiers eat anything except one dish, which consisted mainly of large beans.

The German officer corps had a different attitude to this issue. The German company commander was last in line at the field kitchen. It was a tradition!”

On the Eastern Front, the Romanian army played in World War II important role, in many ways comparable to the one played here by the Austrian-Hungarian army in the First World War. And the ratio of casualties to the Red Army among the Romanian army in 1941–1944 was close to 1:1.

We estimate the total losses of Romania in World War II at 747.5 thousand dead, including 425.8 thousand military personnel, of whom 153.5 thousand died fighting on the side of the Anti-Hitler coalition. In addition, a certain number of Germans from Romania, not precisely established, died as part of German army, in particular as part of the 11th SS Motorized Volunteer Division "Nordland".

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US casualties 14,903,213 people served in the US armed forces between December 1, 1941 and August 31, 1945, including ground army– 10,420,000 people, in the fleet – 3,883,520 people and in the corps Marine Corps– 599,693 people. US military casualties in the Second

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Swiss losses: 60 Swiss citizens died in the Resistance movement in France. R. Overmans estimates the number of Swiss citizens who died as part of the German armed forces at 300 people. Considering that by January 31, 1944, there were still 584 SS troops

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Tunisian losses During the bombing of Tunisia by Anglo-American aircraft in 1942–1943, 752 civilians were killed

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Spanish Losses Made up of Spanish volunteers, the Blue Division fought on the Eastern Front as the Wehrmacht's 250th Division and proved highly effective, being sent home in October 1943 after Italy's surrender. This division was formed as a sign

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Malta Losses Losses civilian population Malta from German-Italian air raids is estimated at 1.5 thousand people. 14 thousand bombs were dropped on the island, about 30 thousand buildings were destroyed and damaged. The relatively small number of victims is due to the fact that the population

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Albanian losses Albanian losses, both military and civilian, were estimated after the war by the UN Relief and Reconstruction Organization at 30 thousand people. In Albania, about 200 Jews were killed by the Nazis. All of them were citizens of Yugoslavia. According to official

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Chapter 2. Military conflict in Bessarabia. The war of Soviet troops against the Romanian army (January - March 1918) The struggle of Soviet troops against the invasion of Romanian troops into the Bessarabia province Russian Republic(as of January 1918, Southern Bessarabia, current territory of Ukraine,

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Romania. A little history (3)

(Romania. Continued)

First World War

Main article: Romanian campaign (1916–1917)

During the First World War, Romania initially maintained neutrality, then entered on August 28, 1916 on the side of the Entente, influenced by the victories of the Russian army. On August 15 (28), 1916, Romanian troops entered Transylvania. At first, the offensive was successful for Romania, but problems with logistics quickly affected, and after the transfer German troops With Western Front the situation became sharply more complicated. The troops of the Central Powers quickly defeated the relatively weak Romanian army and by the end of 1916 occupied Dobruja and all of Wallachia, including the capital, Bucharest. Royal family, the government and parliament moved to Iasi. The army and a significant part of the civilian population retreated to Moldova.

World War II

Romania in 1941

Main article: Romania in World War II

During World War II, Romania was an ally Nazi Germany. Romanian troops took part in the war against the USSR. Of those occupied by Romania Soviet territories three new provinces were created: Bessarabia, which included the right bank part Moldavian SSR, Izmail region, Transnistria, which included the left bank part of the MSSR and parts of the Odessa, Nikolaev and Vinnitsa regions of the Ukrainian SSR, and Bukovina, formed by the Romanian authorities on the territory of the occupied Chernivtsi region of the Ukrainian SSR of the USSR.

Until 1944, there was a limited military contingent of the Wehrmacht on the territory of the country. German units air defense created strong system Air defense to protect the oil fields of the Ploiesti region from air attack aviation of the United Nations countries.

The Ploesti region was the main supplier of oil to the Third World economy throughout the war. German Reich and was repeatedly subjected to Allied aerial bombardment anti-Hitler coalition and shelling from the sea by warships of the Soviet Navy.

In August 1944, King Michael I, united with the anti-fascist opposition, ordered the arrest of Antonescu and pro-German generals and declared war on Germany. In Bucharest after that they were introduced Soviet troops, and the allied Romanian army, together with the Soviet one, fought against the Nazi coalition on the territory of Hungary, and then in Austria.

After World War II, Romania fell into the sphere of influence of the USSR, the Soviet system of legislative power was established in the country, but controlled democracy was allowed in elections in local authorities authorities.

In 1965, Nicolae Ceausescu came to power and pursued a more independent policy. In particular, he condemned the entry of Soviet troops into Czechoslovakia in 1968, he continued diplomatic relations with Israel after the six-day war of 1967, established diplomatic and economic relations With Federal Republic Germany. But between 1977 and 1981, Romania's external debt increased from $3 billion to $10 billion, increasing the influence of such international organizations, like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The policy of austerity, as well as the beginning of perestroika in the USSR, led to growing dissatisfaction with Ceausescu's policies.

Post-socialist Romania

In December 1989, the Romanian Revolution occurred, as a result of which Ceausescu was overthrown and executed, and power passed into the hands of the National Salvation Front, and a temporary parliament was created - the Council of National Unity.

In May 1990, the first free presidential and parliamentary elections were held.

On March 29, 2004, Romania joined NATO, and on January 1, 2007, the EU.

General condition, main indicators

Advantages: oil reserves, potential for tourism, decreasing inflation. Since 2000, there has been a steady recovery driven by rising exports.

Weaknesses: severe corruption, high inflation (in 2008 - 8.1%). The protracted transition from a planned to a market economy. Slowly moving market reform. Small volume of foreign investment.

One of the largest sectors of the economy is oil production, Rompetrol occupies a significant market share, but oil reserves are insignificant and its production is constantly decreasing.

An intelligent person and a professional in his field, who, however, does not know what battles are currently going on to increase the paper population of the fascist invaders and their allies who died in the Great Patriotic War. It is clear that despite all the conscientiousness of the person, many of the numbers somehow do not compare with my sources.

Data from G.F. Krivosheev in "Classified Secrecy..." look like this:

Collection "Prisoners of war in the USSR. 1939-1956" Grigory Fedotovich’s figures regarding the captured Romanians are sufficiently confirmed; the discrepancy of four thousand people is crumbs, we will neglect it.

Table error. In missing persons after 08/23/1944, numbers columns Total armies are copied from those killed. Instead of 21.355 there must be a number 57.974 .

According to their data, the Romanians lost a total of dead and missing in battles with the Red Army: 380 138 military personnel.
According to Soviet data, from this figure from 225 518 to 229 682 Romanian soldiers were captured. Accordingly, the remaining from 150 454 to 154 620 Romanians either died or deserted during the fighting in the territories of Moldova and Romania and fled to their homes. This is especially true for Moldovans.

We look at the sign from G.F. Krivosheeva above with 245 388 dead "Rumaneshti" and begin to guess where and where the extra ones in it came from one hundred thousand Human. Here it is not even possible to nod to the Romanians who died in captivity, since they are shown in a separate column regarding the fate of those captured. And even if we could add up these numbers, 40-50 thousand heads would still not be fought.
Let's look further.

The total losses of Romanian troops in dead and missing in battles with the Wehrmacht amounted to 79 709 Human.

It must be said that the Germans were a little out of sorts from the “betrayal” of the Romanians; by the end of 1944 the war had reached extreme bitterness, and accordingly the Germans were somewhat reluctant to take their former allies prisoner. I think at least half of the descendants of the Romans who went missing in battles with the Nazis died; taking into account the massacres of prisoners and the problems of survival in concentration camps in the last months of the war, the reliable figure is probably closer to two-thirds, or even more.

Taking into account the last conclusion, the estimated number of Romanian army personnel killed in battle, died from wounds and diseases, and died from accidents in the Second World War will be:

On the Soviet-Romanian Front: approx. 150,000-155,000 people(in this figure, the number of deserters counted as missing is unknown).

On the Romanian-German Front: approx. 60,000 people.

Total - approx. 210 000 military personnel.

In addition, in Soviet captivity until 1956, according to G.F. Krivosheeva died 54 612 captured soldiers of the Romanian army and, according to my estimates, approximately up to 20 000 captured Romanians were killed or died in German captivity before Germany's surrender.

In principle, when adding or partially adding the above figures (those killed in the SRF, those killed in the RGF, those killed in captivity in the east and those killed in captivity in the west) and corrections for the difference and completeness of the sources, the result turns out to be somewhat close 245 388 to the dead Romanians from the table of Grigory Fedotovich. But if his group really counted the Romanian dead using this method, I can say that all its participants at one time made a mistake with their profession, they all should have become accountants or economists. In the “era of capital accumulation” of the late 80-90s. neither competitors nor inspectors would have anything to catch, and Deribaska, unable to withstand competition with such wolves, would now be tinkering anywhere in Arzamas, or even sweeping the streets.

Plan
Introduction
1 Background
1.1 Foreign policy. Rapprochement with the Third Reich
1.2 Ion Antonescu's rise to power. Greater Romania

2 World War II
2.1 Armament and state of the army
2.2 Invasion of the USSR
2.2.1 Bessarabia and Bukovina
2.2.2 Battle of Odessa
2.2.3 Occupation of Bukovina, Bessarabia and the area between the Dniester and Bug rivers

2.3 Assistance German troops
2.3.1 Crossing of the Dnieper and invasion of Crimea
2.3.2 Battle of Sevastopol, counteraction to the Soviet landing
2.3.3 Kharkov region, attack on Stalingrad
2.3.4 Offensive into the Caucasus
2.3.5 Stalingrad

2.4 Situation within Romania
2.4.1 Political situation
2.4.2 Socio-economic situation
2.4.3 Jews and Gypsies
2.4.4 Aerial bombing Romania

2.5 Defeat of Romanian forces
2.5.1 Kuban and Taman Peninsula
2.5.2 Retreat from Crimea, Operation 60,000
2.5.3 Loss of control over Bessarabia, Bukovina, Transnistria
2.5.4 Coup d'etat, reorientation of foreign policy. Entry of Soviet troops into Romania

2.6 Final period of the war
2.6.1 War in Transylvania
2.6.2 Romanian troops allied with the Red Army

3 Post-war years
3.1 Famine of 1945-1947. Economy
3.2 Politics

4 Revisionism of history

6 Footnotes and notes
6.1 Footnotes
.2 References

7.1 In Russian
7.2 In Romanian
7.3 In English

8.1 External links
8.2 Maps
8.3 Video

Introduction

The Kingdom of Romania entered the Second world war on the Axis side on June 22, 1941, simultaneously with the Third Reich's attack on the Soviet Union.

Romanian troops took part in the battles on eastern front together with the German ones. In 1944, the theater of military operations moved to Romania, after which a coup d'état took place in the country. Ion Antonescu and his supporters were arrested, and the young King Mihai I came to power. From that moment on, Romania sided with the anti-Hitler coalition. After the end of the war, in 1947 it was proclaimed People's Republic Romania ( Socialist Republic Romania).

1. Background

1.1. Foreign policy. Rapprochement with the Third Reich

Signing of a treaty between Germany and the USSR

Romania grew closer to France and Britain in the final months of the First World War. French and British politicians considered it a good “cover” from communism in Southeast Europe. Romanian troops took part in the war against Soviet Hungary in 1919. Romania also included Bessarabia, which was later claimed by Soviet Russia.

However, by 1939 the Versailles system international relations completely collapsed. Defeated In World War I, Germany, where the National Socialists came to power, began to pursue an aggressive expansionist policy. This led to a chain political events that aggravated the situation in Europe: the Anschluss of Austria, the entry of German troops into Czechoslovakia, the establishment of pro-German regimes in a number of countries Central Europe. The policy of “appeasement” of the League of Nations was not effective enough. A similar pre-war situation developed in Asia. Empire of Japan, having annexed Korea, began to penetrate deep into mainland China, founding two puppet states in its north - Manchukuo and Mengjiang.

On September 1, 1939, the day World War II began, Romania was still a partner of France. Started on September 3 " Strange War» has not changed Romania’s attitude towards its partners in Western Europe, although she remained neutral.

The non-aggression pact, signed by the Third Reich and the USSR a few days before the start of the war (August 23, 1939), actually divided Eastern Europe into the Soviet and German “spheres of influence.” The Soviet Union wanted to get Bessarabia from Romania, which had previously been part of Russian Empire. The USSR unsuccessfully disputed the ownership of this region for 22 years. In 1924, the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed as part of the Soviet Union - a “springhead” for the creation Moldavian Republic within the Soviet Union.

In the spring of 1940, Romania found itself in difficult situation. On the one hand, France, its ally, was defeated by Germany, on the other, the situation on the Soviet-Romanian border worsened. Incidents involving the use of weapons have become more frequent there. Soviet diplomats Several times they presented notes to the Romanian authorities demanding the return of Bessarabia. A pre-war situation was emerging.

The defeat of France, as well as the threat of war with the USSR, persuaded Romania to move closer to Germany. As it seemed to the Romanian authorities, the Third Reich was able to protect the country from Soviet threat. However, Adolf Hitler, adhering to the agreement with the USSR, did not undertake active actions in relation to Soviet side. Germany assured the Romanian government and the king that the country was not in danger, but supplied captured Polish weapons to Romania, receiving oil in exchange. On June 27, Soviet troops at the Romanian border and the Danube Flotilla, created in the spring by a special decree, were put on combat readiness. In Romania, mobilization was announced in response. However, on the night of June 28, the Romanian crown council decided to transfer Bessarabia Soviet Union without bloodshed. In the morning, Romanian troops began to withdraw from the entire territory of Bessarabia. At noon, Soviet troops crossed the border and began to occupy Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. On July 3, the operation was completed, and Bessarabia became part of the USSR. On August 2 of the same year, the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic was formed. It included most of the MASSR and two-thirds of Bessarabia. Southern part Bessarabia (Budzhak) and the rest of the territory of the former MASSR went to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Another major territorial loss for Romania was the transfer of Northern Transylvania to Hungary on August 30, 1940 after the Second Vienna Arbitration. This territory was ceded to Romania in 1918, after the collapse of Austria-Hungary, and, according to the Treaty of Trianon, was part of Romania. The transfer of part of Transylvania to Hungary caused Romanian-Hungarian contradictions, which the German side took advantage of to strengthen its influence in the region. In the event of unrest in Transylvania, Germany retained the right to send troops into the oil and gas regions of Romania. F. Halder wrote in his diary: “Hitler hesitated […] between two possibilities: either to go along with Hungary, or to give Romania guarantees against Hungary” .

However, the Hungarian-Romanian conflict was resolved through German mediation. On September 7 of the same year, Romania lost another territory - Southern Dobruja (see Treaty of Craiova), obtained in 1913 as a result of the Second Balkan War. Southern Dobruja became part of Bulgaria. Despite this, the state became increasingly dependent on the Third Reich. On November 23, Romania joined the Berlin Pact, while negotiations began with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

1.2. The rise to power of Ion Antonescu. Greater Romania

Manifestation of members of the Iron Guard in September 1940

After major territorial losses, King Carol II finally lost the trust of politicians and the people, who also lost faith in the policies of the authorities due to thriving corruption. This was taken advantage of by fascist and nationalist organizations that wanted the restoration of Romania within the borders of 1939 - “ Greater Romania" Among these organizations, the Iron Guard, led by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, stood out.

Corneliu Codreanu in 1923 became one of the founders of LANC (National Christian League), which in the parliamentary elections of 1926 received 120,000 votes and won 10 seats in parliament. Despite its anti-Jewish slogans, anti-Semitism was not the basis of the party's program. In 1927, Codreanu left the party because he considered the LANC program insufficiently developed and advocated radical methods of struggle. That same year, he founded his own nationalist organization, the Legion of the Archangel Michael ("Iron Guard"). The Legion became the ideological enemy of LANC. In the 30s, the Legion gained popularity among voters and began to win parliamentary elections, each time receiving more and more seats in parliament. At the same time, Ion Antonescu established contact with the legionnaires.

A postage stamp with the emblem of the Iron Guard and the inscription “help the legionnaires”, issued on the eve of the 1931 parliamentary elections. The money received from the sale of stamps went to the development of the Guard

At the same time, relations with the king deteriorated, and in 1938 the Legion was disbanded, and a wave of searches and arrests swept across the country. At the same time, the Iron Guard, in order to fight its opponents, organized the party T.P.Ţ., or “All for the Kingdom”, “All for the Motherland” (Romanian: Totul Pentru Ţara [Totul Pentru Tsara]). Carol II dispersed the legionnaires only because he sought to subjugate this fascist organization, and first it was necessary to weaken it. For this purpose, Codreanu was arrested, and Horia Sima took his place in the Legion. Sima began terrorizing and militarizing the organization. Antonescu was also removed from politics and placed under house arrest. During Hitler's visit to Romania, a wave of ethnic violence swept across the country, organized by members of the Iron Guard.

At the beginning of September 1940, after losses huge territories, The Iron Guard moved to decisive action. On September 5, under pressure from radicals, Carol II was forced to abdicate in favor of his nineteen-year-old son Michael I. The old king fled with his wife by train to Yugoslavia. In Timisoara, the train was intercepted by legionnaires; they were confronted by station workers loyal to Carol II. A battle broke out, but the train left the city on time and crossed the border. On September 15, a new fascist government was formed, dominated by members of the Iron Guard and led by Ion Antonescu. Horiya Sima was appointed Deputy Prime Minister. Mihai turned into a puppet king, subordinate to the fascist government. Romania was proclaimed a “national legionary state” and finally sided with the Axis powers.

Romania during the Second World War. Memoirs of a Romanian sergeant

Romanian losses