Page 455 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

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Romania’s Switch in Alliance (August 23-31, 1944)
an Unprecedented Combined Military Operation

Mihail E. IOnESCU 1
Carmen RIJnOVEAnU

his history of the Second World War takes note that, on August 23, 1944, Roma-
T nia parted with Nazi Germany and joined the Coalition of the United Nations,
alongside whom it has fought until the end of the hostilities. The event had numerous
consequences over Romania’s internal and international status and over the unfolding
of the Second World War. It continues to be amply debated in Romanian historiography,
especially for its political dimension, given that the communist regime transformed it
into Romania’s national day for four decades (1949-1989).
But, beyond these controversies, one can find a relative consensus over the military
aspects. The switch in alliance, which unfolded on August 23-31, 1944, took place in
an ample combined operation which encompassed the entire Romanian army, as well as
forces of the United Nations.

Romania’s military situation on August 23, 1944
At the beginning of the third week of August 1944, Romania’s military situation
worsened considerably because of the new Soviet offensive, launched on August 20,
rd
nd
named “Iaşi – Chişinău”. The Soviet forces comprised the 2 and the 3 Ukrainian
Fronts, under the command of General Rodion Malinovsky and, respectively, Marshal
Fyodor Tolbukhin, with 90 divisions, six mechanized and tank corps, two air armies and
a total manpower of 1.1 million.
On the other side, in the East, on the line Târgu-Neamţ – north Iaşi – north Chişinău
– lower Dniester, the defense comprised, in early April 1944, the Army Group South
Ukraine, under the command of General Johannes Friessner, consisting in two German
th
th
armies (6 and 8 ) and two Romanian armies (3 and 4 ). The German forces on the
th
rd
front totaled 427 121 soldiers, there were 128 682 in the intermediary areas, 70 832 in
the interior, out of which the majority were deployed in the region Ploieşti-Bucureşti .
2
The effective of the two Romanian armies, deployed alongside the large German
units, totaled 394 148 officers and soldiers. However, the Romanian military potential
was significantly larger, totaling 843 312 men under arms. The Romanian armed forces
comprised land forces, aeronautics formations (air forces and air defense) and naval
forces (Annex no. 1).
3
The command and the structure of the defensive disposition in the East were meant
to offer the German partner the total control over the situation. The Army Group

1 Institute for Political Studies of Defense and Military History, Ministry of National Defense
2 Romanian Military Archives (A.M.R.), fund 948, section no. 3, file no. 2906, p. 53.
3 România în războiul antihitlerist, 23 august 1944-9 mai 1945, Editura Militară, Bucureşti, 1966, p.600-620.