Osprey Men-at-Arms 246 : The Romanian Army of World War II

From 1941-44 Romania was militarily the third largest European Axis power, had the fourth largest Allied army in 1944-45, and her natural resources were vital to the German war effort. Romania had fought with the Allies in the First World War and gained the predominantly Romanian populated provinces of Transylvania and Basarabia. However, both contained substantial foreign minorities which generated the hostility of Hungary and the Soviet Union. As a result Romania adopted a defensive posture and sought alliances with similarly threatened powers such as France, Czechoslovakia and Poland. In the late 1930s Romania began to rearm with largely Czech and French weapons but by mid-1940 both had fallen. Romania, with no substantial ally left, was then forced by Germany to surrender Basarabia, Northern Transylvania and Southern Dobrogea with their extensive border fortifications to the USSR, Hungary and Bulgaria. The rest of Romania now had to rely on Germany to guarantee its survival and, with little choice, formally joined the Axis on 23 November 1940. From this point on Romania's consistent objective, which she pursued with equal vigour in both the Axis and Allied camps, was to regain the territories lost in 1940. Mark Axworthy examines the history, organisation, equipment and uniforms of the Romanian army of World War 2. The text is accompanied by numerous photographs and illustrations, including eight full page colour plates by Horia Serbanescu.

Contents

• Introduction
• The Army and the State
• Equipment
• Unit Organisation
• Campaigns 1941-1945
• The Plates