2/28/2018 0 Comments 1945 (Romania)![]() ![]() Betrayal of Romania’s interests by the communist-dominated government imposed by Stalin in March 1945. The unjust and forced annexation of Romania by the Soviet empire, commencing 1945. In February 1945, the Soviet Union, the United States and Great Britain, represented by Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill, participated at the Yalta Conference. Romania: Stamps [Year: 1945] [1/14]. Buy, sell, trade and exchange collectibles easily with Colnect collectors community. Only Colnect automatically matches. Romania 1945 – Calendar with holidays. Yearly calendar showing months for the year 1945. Calendars – online and print friendly – for any year and month. • • • • • • • Following the outbreak of on 1 September 1939, the under officially adopted a position of. However, the rapidly changing situation in Europe during 1940, as well as domestic political upheaval, undermined this stance. Fascist political forces such as the rose in popularity and power, urging an alliance with and its allies. As the military fortunes of Romania's two main guarantors of territorial integrity — and — crumbled in the, the government of Romania turned to Germany in hopes of a similar guarantee, unaware that the then dominant European power had already granted its consent to territorial claims in a secret protocol of 1939's. ![]() 1945 Romania, Posta Salajului 2nd issue, sheets, postcard, used stamps, postmark ' PicClick Exclusive Popularity - 21 views, 1.4 views per day, 15 days on eBay. In summer 1940, a series of territorial disputes were diplomatically resolved unfavorably to Romania, resulting in the loss of most of the territory gained in the wake of. This caused the popularity of Romania's government to plummet, further reinforcing the and military factions, who eventually staged a coup that turned the country into a fascist dictatorship under. The new regime firmly set the country on a course towards the Axis camp, officially joining the on 23 November 1940. As a member of the Axis, Romania joined the invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, providing equipment and oil to Nazi Germany as well as committing more troops to the than all the other allies of Germany combined. Romanian forces played a large role during fighting in,,, and elsewhere. Romanian troops were responsible for the of up to 260,000 Jews in Romanian-controlled territories, though most Jews living within Romania survived the harsh conditions. According to historian and author, the second Axis army in Europe, arguably, belonged to Romania, though, this is disputed, since many would agree that this position goes to the Italian Army. After the tide of war turned against the Axis, Romania was from 1943 onwards and. With popular support for Romania's participation in the war faltering and German-Romanian fronts collapsing under Soviet onslaught, King, which deposed the Antonescu regime and put Romania on the side of the for the remainder of the war. Despite this late association with the winning side, was largely dismantled, losing territory to and the, but regaining from. Ethnic map of Greater Romania according to the. Sizeable ethnic minorities put Romania at odds with Hungary, Bulgaria and the Soviet Union throughout the interwar period. In the aftermath of, Romania, which fought with the Entente against the Central Powers, had greatly expanded its territory, incorporating the regions of, and, largely as a result of the vacuum created by the collapse of the and empires. This led to the achievement of the long-standing nationalist goal of creating a, a national state that would incorporate all ethnic Romanians. However, the newly gained territories also included significant Hungarian, German, Bulgarian, Ukrainian and Russian minorities, which put Romania at odds with several of her neighbors. ![]() This occasionally led to violent conflict, as exemplified by the and the. To contain Hungarian irredentism, Romania, and established the in 1921. That same year, Romania and Poland concluded a against the emergent Soviet Union, and in 1934 the Balkan Entente was formed with Yugoslavia, and, who were suspicious of. Since the late 19th century, Romania had been a relatively democratic with a pro-Western outlook, but the country faced increasing turmoil in the 1930s as a result of the and the rise of fascist and other far-right movements such as the, which advocated revolutionary terrorism against the state. Under the pretext of stabilizing the country, the increasingly autocratic King proclaimed a 'royal dictatorship' in 1938. The new regime featured policies that often resembled those of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. In parallel with these internal developments, economic pressures and a weak Franco-British response to Hitler's aggressive foreign policy caused Romania to start drifting away from the Western Allies and closer to the Axis. On 13 April 1939, and the had pledged to guarantee the independence of the Kingdom of Romania. Negotiations with the concerning a similar guarantee collapsed when Romania refused to allow the to cross its frontiers. On 23 August 1939 Germany and the Soviet Union signed the. Among other things, this pact recognized the Soviet 'interest' in (which had been ruled by the from 1812–1918). This Soviet interest was combined with a clear indication that there was an explicit lack of any German interest in the area. Eight days later, Nazi Germany invaded the. Expecting military aid from Britain and France, Poland chose not to execute its alliance with Romania in order to be able to use the. Romania officially remained neutral and, under pressure from the Soviet Union and Germany, interned the fleeing Polish government after its members had crossed the Polish-Romanian border on 17 September, forcing them to relegate their authority to what became the. After the assassination of Prime Minister on 21 September King Carol II tried to maintain neutrality for several months longer, but the surrender of the and the retreat of British forces from continental Europe rendered the assurances that both countries had made to Romania meaningless. Romania after the territorial losses of 1940. The recovery of Bessarabia, roughly corresponding to the, was the catalyst for Romania's entry into the war on Germany's side. In 1940, Romania's territorial gains made following were largely undone. In July, after a Soviet ultimatum, Romania agreed to (the Soviets also annexed the city of, which was not stated in the ultimatum). Two thirds of Bessarabia were combined with a to form the. The rest (Northern Bukovina, northern half of the and ) was apportioned to the. Shortly thereafter, on 30 August, under the, Germany and mediated a compromise between Romania and the: Hungary received a region referred to as ', while 'Southern Transylvania' remained part of Romania. Hungary had lost after in the. On 7 September, under the, (which Bulgaria had lost after the Romanian invasion during the in 1913), was ceded to under pressure from Germany. Despite the relatively recent acquisition of these territories, they were inhabited by a majority of Romanian speaking people (except Southern Dobruja), so the Romanians had seen them as historically belonging to Romania, and the fact that so much land was lost without a fight shattered the underpinnings of King Carol's power. On 4 July formed the first Romanian government to include an Iron Guardist minister,. Sima was a particularly virulent who had become the nominal leader of the movement after the death of. He was one of the few prominent far-right leaders to survive the bloody infighting and government suppression of the preceding years. Antonescu comes to power [ ]. And at the in (June 1941). In the immediate wake of the loss of Northern Transylvania, on 4 September the Iron Guard (led by Horia Sima) and General (later Marshal) united to form a ' government, which forced the abdication of Carol II in favor of his 19-year-old son. Carol and his mistress went into exile, and Romania, despite the unfavorable outcome of recent territorial disputes, leaned strongly toward the. As part of the deal, the Iron Guard became the sole legal party in Romania. Antonescu became the Iron Guard's honorary leader, while Sima became deputy premier. In power, the Iron Guard stiffened the already harsh anti-Semitic legislation, enacted legislation directed against minority businessmen, tempered at times by the willingness of officials to take bribes, and wreaked vengeance upon its enemies. On 8 October German troops began crossing into Romania. They soon numbered over 500,000. On 23 November Romania joined the Axis powers. On 27 November, 64 former dignitaries or officials were executed by the in prison while awaiting trial (see ). Later that day, historian and former prime minister and economist, a former government minister, were assassinated. The cohabitation between the Iron Guard and Antonescu was never an easy one. On 20 January 1941, the Iron Guard attempted a of. Within four days, Antonescu had successfully suppressed the coup. The Iron Guard was forced out of the government. Sima and many other legionnaires took refuge in Germany; others were imprisoned. Antonescu abolished the National Legionary State, in its stead declaring Romania a 'National and Social State.' The war on the Eastern Front [ ]. 1941 stamp depicting a Romanian and a German soldier in reference to the two countries' common participation in Operation Barbarossa. The text below reads 'the holy war against '. On 22 June 1941 Germany launched, attacking the Soviet Union on a wide front. Romania joined in the offensive, with Romanian troops crossing the. After recovering Bessarabia and Bukovina (), Romanian units fought side by side with the Germans onward to,, and the. The total number of troops involved on the Eastern Front with the and the was second only to that of Nazi Germany itself. The Romanian Army had a total of 686,258 men under arms in the summer of 1941 and a total of 1,224,691 men in the summer of 1944. The number of Romanian troops sent to fight in The Soviet Union exceeded that of all of Germany's other allies combined. A by the U.S. Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress attributes this to a 'morbid competition with Hungary to curry Hitler's favor. [in hope of]. Regaining northern Transylvania.' And the were now fully re-incorporated into the Romanian state after they had been. As a substitute for Northern Transylvania, which had been given to Hungary following the, Hitler persuaded Antonescu in August 1941 to also take control of the territory between the and the, which would also include after its eventual. Although the Romanian administration set up a civil government, the, the Romanian state had not yet formally incorporated Transnistria into its administrative framework by the time it was retaken by Soviet troops in early 1944. Romanian armies advanced far into the Soviet Union during 1941 and 1942 before being involved in the disaster at the in the winter of 1942–43., one of Romania's most important generals, was commander of the Third Army at Stalingrad. In November 1942, the was briefly put at Dumitrescu's disposal during a German attempt to relieve the Third Army following the devastating Soviet. Prior to the Soviet counteroffensive at Stalingrad, the Antonescu government considered a war with Hungary over Transylvania an inevitability after the expected victory over the Soviet Union. Although it was the most dedicated ally of Germany, Romania's turning to the Allied side in August 1944 was rewarded by returning Northern Transylvania, which had been granted to Hungary in 1940 after the. War comes to Romania [ ] Air raids [ ]. American flying over a burning oil refinery at Ploiești, as part of on 1 August 1943. Due to its role as a major supplier of oil to the Axis, Romania was a prime target of Allied strategic bombing in 1943 and 1944. Throughout the Antonescu years, Romania supplied Nazi Germany and the Axis armies with oil, grain, and industrial products. Also, numerous train stations in the country, such as in Bucharest, served as transit points for troops departing for the Eastern Front. Consequently, by 1943 Romania became a target of Allied. One of the most notable air bombardments was — the attack on the of on 1 August 1943. Bucharest was subjected to intense Allied bombardment on 4 and 15 April 1944, and the itself bombed the city on 24 and 25 August after the country switched sides. Ground offensive [ ] In February 1943, with the decisive Soviet counteroffensive at Stalingrad, it was growing clear that the tide of the war was turning against the Axis powers. By 1944, the Romanian economy was in tatters because of the expenses of the war, and destructive, including the capital,. In addition, most of the products sent to Germany were provided without monetary compensation. As a result of these 'uncompensated exports', in Romania skyrocketed, causing widespread discontent among the Romanian population, even among groups and individuals who had once enthusiastically supported the Germans and the war. Beginning in December 1943, the Soviet pushed Axis forces all the way back to the Dniester by April 1944. In April–May 1944, the Romanian forces led by General, together with elements of the were responsible for defending northern Romania and took part in the, which considered to be an, supposedly held back by Axis defensive lines in northern Romania. The, launched on 20 August 1944, resulted in a quick and decisive Soviet breakthrough, collapsing the German-Romanian front in the region. Soviet forces captured and on 21 August and on 24 August 1944. The Holocaust [ ]. Temple in after it was plundered and set on fire in 1941. According to an released by the Romanian government in 2004, between 280,000 and 380,000 Jews in the territories of, and were systematically murdered by Antonescu's regime. Of the 25,000 deported, who were deported to concentration camps in Transnistria, 11,000 died. Though much of the killing was committed in the war zone by Romanian troops, there were also substantial persecutions behind the front line. During the of June 1941, over 12,000 Jews were massacred or killed slowly in trains traveling back and forth across the countryside. Half of the 320,000 Jews living in Bessarabia, Bukovina, and district in Romania were murdered within months of the entry of the country into the war during 1941. Even after the initial killings, Jews in, Bukovina and Bessarabia were subject to frequent, and were concentrated into from which they were sent to, including camps built and run by Romanians. The number of deaths in this area is not certain, but the lowest respectable estimates run to about 250,000 Jews and 25,000 in these eastern regions, while 120,000 of Transylvania's 150,000 Jews died at the hands of the Germans later in the war. Romanian soldiers also worked with the, German killing squads, tasked with massacring Jews and Roma in conquered territories. Romanian troops were in large part responsible for the, in which over 100,000 Jews were shot during the autumn of 1941. Nonetheless, most Jews living within the pre-Barbarossa borders survived the war, although they were subject to a wide range of harsh conditions, including forced labor, financial penalties, and discriminatory laws. Jewish property was. The report commissioned and accepted by the Romanian government in 2004 on the Holocaust concluded: Of all the allies of Nazi Germany, Romania bears responsibility for the deaths of more Jews than any country other than Germany itself. The murders committed in,,, Domanovka, and Peciora, for example, were among the most hideous murders committed against Jews anywhere during the Holocaust. Romania committed against the Jews. The survival of Jews in some parts of the country does not alter this reality. The royal coup [ ]. Main article: On 23 August 1944, with the Red Army penetrating German defenses during the, King led a successful coup against the Axis with support from opposition politicians and most of the army. Michael I, who was initially considered to be not much more than a figurehead, was able to successfully depose the Antonescu dictatorship. The King then offered a non-confrontational retreat to German ambassador. But the Germans considered the coup 'reversible' and attempted to turn the situation around by military force. The Romanian,, and what little was left of the and the (one corps) were under orders from the King to defend Romania against any German attacks. King Michael offered to put the Romanian Army, which at that point had a strength of nearly 1,000,000 men, on the side of the. Surprisingly, with the Red Army occupying parts of Romania, Stalin immediately recognized the king and the restoration of the conservative Romanian monarchy. [Deutscher, Stalin. 1967, p. 519] This resulted in a split of the country between those that still supported Germany and its armies and those that supported the new government, the latter often forming partisan groups and gradually gaining the most support. To the Germans the situation was very precarious as Romanian units had been integrated in the Axis defensive lines: not knowing which units were still loyal to the Axis cause and which ones joined the Soviets or discontinued fighting altogether, defensive lines could suddenly collapse. In a radio broadcast to the Romanian nation and army on the night of 23 August King Michael issued a cease-fire, proclaimed Romania's loyalty to the Allies, announced the acceptance of an armistice (to be signed on September 12) offered by, the, and the, and declared war on Germany. The coup accelerated the 's advance into Romania, but did not avert a rapid Soviet occupation and capture of about 130,000 Romanian soldiers, who were transported to the Soviet Union, where many perished in prison camps. The armistice was signed three weeks later on 12 September 1944, on terms virtually dictated by the Soviet Union. Under the terms of the armistice, Romania announced its unconditional surrender to the USSR and was placed under occupation of the Allied forces with the Soviet Union as their representative, in control of media, communication, post, and civil administration behind the front. It has been suggested that the coup may have shortened by up to six months, thus saving hundreds of thousands of lives [ ]. Some attribute the postponement of a formal Allied recognition of the de facto change of orientation until 12 September (the date the armistice was signed in Moscow) to the complexities of the negotiations between the USSR and UK. During the in October 1944,, proposed an to on how to split up into spheres of influence after the war. The Soviet Union was offered a 90% share of influence in Romania. And others welcome the Red Army as it enters Bucharest on 30 August 1944 The Armistice Agreement of 12 September stipulated in Article 18 that ' An Allied Control Commission will be established which will undertake until the conclusion of peace the regulation of and control over the execution of the present terms under the general direction and orders of the Allied (Soviet) High Command, acting on behalf of the Allied Powers. The Annex to Article 18 made clear that ' The Romanian Government and their organs shall fulfil all instructions of the Allied Control Commission arising out of the Armistice Agreement.' The Agreement also stipulated that the would have its seat in. In line with Article 14 of the Armistice Agreement, two were set up to try suspected war criminals. Campaign against the Axis [ ]. This section needs expansion. You can help. (January 2011) As the country declared war on Germany on the night of 23 August 1944, border clashes between Hungarian and Romanian troops erupted almost immediately. On 24 August German troops attempted to seize Bucharest and suppress Michael's coup, but were repelled by the city's defenses, which received some support from the United States Air Force. [ ] Other Wehrmacht units in the country suffered severe losses: remnants of the Sixth Army retreating west of the were cut off and destroyed by the Red Army, which was now advancing at an even greater speed, while Romanian units attacked German garrisons at the oilfields, forcing them to retreat to Hungary. The Romanian Army captured over 50,000 German prisoners around this time, who were later surrendered to the Soviets. In early September, Soviet and Romanian forces entered Transylvania and captured the towns of and while advancing toward the. Their main objective was (Cluj-Napoca), a city regarded as the historical capital of Transylvania. However, the was present in the region, and together with the engaged the Allied forces on 5 September in what was to become the, which lasted until 8 October and resulted in heavy casualties for both sides. Also around this time, the Hungarian Army carried out its last independent offensive action of the war, penetrating in western Romania. Despite initial success, a number of ad-hoc Romanian cadet battalions managed to stop the Hungarian advance at the, and soon a combined Romanian-Soviet counterattack overwhelmed the Hungarians, who gave ground and evacuated itself on 21 September. The ended the war fighting against the alongside the Red Army in Transylvania, Hungary,, and, from August 1944 until the. In May 1945, the and armies took part in the. The Romanian Army incurred heavy casualties fighting Nazi Germany. Of some 538,000 Romanian soldiers who fought against the Axis in 1944–45, some 167,000 were killed, wounded or went missing. Country Beginning End Personnel Casualties (KIA, WIA, MIA) Mountains crossed Rivers crossed Liberated villages From which towns Losses of the enemy 1944--05-12 >275,000 (538,000) 58,330 3,831 31 167,000 KIA, WIA Hungary 1944--01-15 210,000 42,700 3 4 1,237 14 21,045 POW 9,700 KIA? WIA Materiel 1944--05-12 248,430 66,495 10 4 1,722 31 22,803 KIA, WIA, POW Austria 1945–-05-12 2,000 100 7 1 4,000 KIA, WIA, POW Materiel TOTAL 1944--05-12 538,536 169,822 20 12 3,821 53 117,798 POW 18,731 KIA LEGEND: KIA = Killed in Action; MIA = Missing in Action; WIA = Wounded in Action; POW = Prisoners of war. Aftermath [ ]. Map of Romania after World War II indicating lost territories. Under the, the Allies did not acknowledge Romania as a co-belligerent nation but instead applied the term 'ally of Hitlerite Germany' to all recipients of the treaty's stipulations. Like, Romania had to pay $300 million to the Soviet Union as war reparations. However, the treaty specifically recognized that Romania switched sides on 24 August 1944, and therefore 'acted in the interests of all the United Nations'. As a reward, Northern Transylvania was, once again, recognized as an integral part of Romania, but the border with the USSR was fixed at its state on January 1941, restoring the pre-Barbarossa status quo. Following the in 1991, the Eastern territories became part of and the. In Romania proper, following World War II facilitated the rise of the as the main political force, leading ultimately to the forced abdication of the King and the establishment of a single-party in 1947. Major battles and campaigns [ ] This is a list of battles and other combat operations in World War II in which Romanian forces took part. Battle Date Location Romania and its allies Enemies Issue 28 June – 3 July 1940 Defeat 21 – 23 January 1941 Victory As part of the (1941-1944) 22 June – 5 December 1941.
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