These World War II curiosities could be used a a source for new content in future patches.
1. Assassination attempt of Ion Antonescu (which failed because one of the conspirators got drunk)
In the summer of year 1944, there was an exchange of ideas between Ion Antonescu and USSR through Stockholm. The USSR send the conditions of the capitulation of Romania but Ion Antonescu did not want to give up Bessarabia and North Bukovina. This story begins however on 27 June 1944 when the USSR sent 5 paratropers to assassiante Ion Antonescu.
USSR was getting ready of a great offensive, the Jassy - Kishinev line and was wary of Ion Antonescu, who after the fall of Mussolini became the 2nd man of the Axis and was decided to ressist until he can get a favorable peace. The USSR was convinced that nothing would be changed in Romania without the death of Ion Antonescu.
During the World War II it was known the fact that Ion Antonescu's own security was weak, he never put the problem of strengthening his personal securuity. And Ion Antonescu's personal security was never worried about an attempt on his life.
On 27 June 1944 when the USSR sent 5 paratropers to assassiante Ion Antonescu dressed as soldiers of the Romanian Army officers.
One of them, Tudor Djonat, declared the following: "I reached the village, found some peasants working the field, asked them to give me explainations on how to reach Calimanesti or Ramnicu Valcea, they told me that soon they will go there as well. Going to their home, I asked one of them for some water, he told me it's not good to drink water and gave me alcohol".
Drunk, Tudor Djonat left for Calimanesti. He got cought, drunk.
After being cought, he was cooperant with the Romanian authorities, leading to the arrest of the rest of the team.
After 23 August 1944, they were released from prison and incorporated into NKVD.
2. The First Meetings between Hitler, Mussolini and Antonescu (Transylvania's problem)
The acceptance of the Second Vienna Award was the beginning of a dark road for Romania. The first consequence of this was the forced abdication of King Carol II. King Carol II's position who hoped to keep his throne through giving up these territories became impossible to maintain due to popular unrest. King Carol II's forced abdication meant the replacement of an authoritarian monarchy with another authoriarian government, more efficient who hoped to save what was left to be saved of a country found trapped between hostile powers.
Brought to power by the general unrest of the population against a leadership unable to defend the territorial integrity of Greater Romania, Ion Antonescu set the course towards national reintegration and repairing the lost honor of the Romanian army, which was the reason for the regime's existance itself. As such, any objective analysis of the official Romanian policy and of the personality of Ion Antonescu has to have as a starting point this axiom.
Externally, Ion Antonescu started a campaign of political reorientation towards the Axis. That he already saw as winners. The series of the diplomatic interventions of Ion Antonescu towards Hitler & Mussolini to temperate Hungary's excesses in North Transylvania against the Romanians, was opened by the Romanian ambassadors in Vienna.
Both diplomatic missions turned out in failure. Neither the mission in Roma or the mission in Berlin managed to reach assurances that Germany or Italy will put pressure on Hungary to stop the attrocities against the Romanians in North Transylvania and prevent new ones. The diplomatic mission in Berlin however, had a secondary undeclared objective: the acceptance of Romania to the Axis powers.
If the official objectives were a total failure, Germany and Italy not being willing to stain their relationship with Hungary through interventions in North Transylvania, the secondary objective was reached, Romania gaining the approval to join the Axis. The doccument will have to be sign during Ion Antonescu's official visit to Berlin.
The official visit in Germany was preceded by the official visit to Rome, where Ion Antonescu had the first discussion with Mussolini. Which he unsuccesfully tried to persuade of the injustice of the Second Vienna Award.
Antonescu: *calmly enumerates the Hungarian excesses in North Transylvania*
Counter Galeazzo Ciano (Italy's foreign minister): "yes, we know they are tough"
Antonescu: *angry* tough? we'll show them tough, if these excesses continue there will be a massacre of Hungarians in South Transylvania" *calms down, starts explaining again the Hungarian excesses rationally* "do you think that these borders can be maintained?"
Counter Galeazzo Ciano: "We, not only recognized these borders, but we guaranteed them."
Antonescu: "Guaranteed or not, they will blow up, this I can really guarantee you"
Unhappy with the ressults in Rome, Antonescu reserved his main arguments for his meeting with Hitler that he hoped he would convince of the injustice of the Second Vienna Award.
Ribbentrop: *critisizes Antonescu right away for his critical declarations in Rome, argues that the Second Vienna Award was a good thing, and was a great favor done by Germany to Romania, because otherwise war with the Axis would have destroyed Romania, likewise, the new borders were advantageous for Romania who still got to keep 3/5ths of the territory gained in 1918 when it was an adversary of Germany*
Antonescu: "Politically, Romania was punished too harshly for the mistakes made by one generation, the Romanian nation is eternal, now there is a new Romania that has nothing to do with the mistakes made in the past, in the present, Romania goes strongly with the Axis, Romania goes further than adhering to the Tripartite Part, Romania is ready to spill its blood on the battlefield".
Hitler: "I understand your concerns, but I'm convinced that you should put an end to this perion in Romanian-Hungarian relations, and calm your passions." *continues talking about the plans for New Europe*
Antonescu: *not getting carried away by Hitler's promises for New Europe, returns to the reports of Hungarian abuses after the Second Vienna Award and complains about the treatment of the Romanians by the Hungarians underlying that Romania will calm down right now, but after general peace is established, Romania will immediately raise this concern again to gain justice*
Hitler: "I fully understand your pain, but history will not stop in 1940"
With such ambigous declarations, Hitler maintained Antonescu's illusion that the Second Vienna Award will again be put into question, over the course of 4 with succesive reinforcements of the idea.
As a prisoner of USSR in 1945, Antonescu said:
Antonescu: "If Hitler, deeply impressed by the national misfortune of the Romanian state, made such a promise, I can't tell for sure, but Ribbentrop said that 'After the war, things will not remain this way'."
Antonescu never gave up on the undoing of the Second Vienna Award and will never see in the reqconquest of Bessarabia and occupation of Odessa a compesation for the territory given up to Hungary. Antonescu was always obsssed by the idea that only by going forward with Germany, Romania will have the possibility of regaining the part of Transylvania that was lost."
3. Another Face of the 23 August 1944 Coup (Misinformation and Propaganda through Radio - a coup without an armistice)
23 August 1944, some celebrate it while others see it as a day of betrayal, a coup that gave Romania away to the communists. The controversy will continue probably because the events are way too recent. The monarchists will never accept that King Michael I didn't save the country, that he shouldn't have arrested Ion Antonescu and keep him in the safe with stamps of King Carol II and then give him to the communists.
But what would have been the other option? Finland's model? it would have been impossible, in Romania there were different stakes. It's difficult to believe that the USSR would have signed a peace treaty with Ion Antonescu.
In theory, Ion Antonescu could have negociated better with the USSR, being in a stronger position. You negociate differenty with a legal government than with a hand of conspirators.
Theory, because the spheres of influences were already decided at Yalta, and Romania already given to the USSR.
The Romanian negociations at Stockholm was nothing more than dust thrown in the face of Romania. If the Americans would have wanted to help Eastern Europe as well, they could have landed in the Balkans as well.
But, let's go back a bit and talk about Ion Antonescu's discussions with the Allies for peace in March 1944. British General Wilson informed Ion Antonescu that USSR was ready to establish a discussion with him, asking him to put town arms on the Eastern Front. Ion Antonescu replied to British General Wilson about the moral impossibility of accepting unconditional surrender while Romania still had military forces.
USSR send to Romania the conditions for peace: restroing the 1940 borders with USSR and paying war reparations, in exchange for Romania gaining North Transylvania back from Hungary. Ion Antonescu rejected these terms but the discussion continued.
On 23 August 1944, at 2 PM, Ion Antonescu went to King Michael I, at this time a figurehead, and told him that he considers signing USSR's proposal after the stabilization of the frontline. In these conditions, at 4:30 PM, King Michael I ordered the arrest of Ion Antonescu and his main collaborators.
With all the territorial loses of 1940, Romania kept being a big country, according to the 1941 census, Romania had a population of over 13 millions. According to studies, one in every 44 Romanians had a radio, if we remove the children and assume that a family of man & woman will have a radio, we can figure out why King Michael I choose the radio. The radio was a terrible propaganda weapon.
King Michael I's redio declaration: "In this darkest hour of our history, I have figured in full understanding with my people, that there is only one was for saving Romania from total disaster, leaving the Axis powers and stopping the war with the United Nations. Romania accepted the armistice offered by the USSR, Great Britain and United States of America. From this moment, the fights and any acts of hostility stops against the Soviet Army, as well as the state of war with Great Britain and United States. Receive the soldiers of these armies with trust, these nations guaranteed independence and non-interference in our internal affairs. (...)"
The 23 August Coup was first announced outside Romania by Radio London, sign that the English were up to date with the events happening in Bucharest. "Important news from the east! King Michael of Romania accepted the armistice proposed by USSR, joining the Allies". London said for the first time of an armistice, which implied a negociation, which was false. In reality, the armisitce would be made at Moscow on 12 September 1944. On 23 August 1944 there were no pre-established peace conditions between King Michael I and USSR, but a personal adventure of King Michael I, a coup against Ion Antonescu.
American Radio Post in Europe: "It's time time to remember the words spoken by Mr.Churchill in September 1940. Talking about Transylvania, Mr.Churchill declared that Romania suffered territorial mutilations that England will not recognize unless they were made with the blessing of the Romanian people". Although Transylvania is remembered, there is no word about Bessarabia or Bukovina. The same Radio Post suggested that the USSR made a peace proposal that Romania accepted, which was false.
In this informational chaos, the only ones accurate, are the Soviets: "The Romanian Radio announced this day that in Romania a new government has been formed, led by General Constantin Sanatescu". Not you negociations, armistice, peace, or other heysay. The Russians announced only a change of government in Bucharest. Nobody talked with them about peace.
If Radio London said "armistice", after a few hours they would correct themselves: "the terms of the armistice are not known yet, and the general aspect of the situation is not clear yet. It depends on the nature of the Soviet conditions if Romania can be accepted as a member of the Allies"
Initially, President FDR was shocked, he couldn't believe that Romania did not negocitate. That Romania didn't stood at a table with the Soviets, didn't sign an armistice, and simply jumped in an adventure through a coup.
A reporter from Mexico, finds the former king Carol II, who reported: "I'm very happy that my son, considering the real sentiments of the Romanian people, made so that Romania left the war. It's very good that this thing happened through an understanding with our strong neighbour, the USSR". (oh, the irony)
If the west met with enthusiasm the coup of 23 August 1944, the Axis Radio was different:
"After the Romanians fought so many years to defend their country, King Michael and his clique arrested Marshal Antonescu and shamefully gave the country to the Bolsheviks. King Michael preaches peace, but this peace means the occupation of Romania by the Red Army, the instalation of communism in the country and abolishing of Romanian nationalists. The king affirms that the British and the Americans guaranteed the independence of Romania. In reality, however, the British and the Americans gave Romania to the Soviets a long time ago, just like King Carol II, who after he betrayed Romania and left her with all the gold he could to live a life of pleasures in America, likewise King Michael I betrayed and perpared a special plane to bring him to a safe place, abroad, where he deposited all the gold stolen from Romania"
The Soviets' response was that King Michael's declaration to the radio was good enough and it's not a bad idea to reinforce it, that USSR has no territorial pretentions to Romania and doesn't intend to interfere in Romanian internal affairs or take away its independence. On the contrary, the USSR finds it necessary to remake together with the Romanians, the indepedence of Romania by liberating them from fascism.
And the USSR commandment declared that "The Red Army cannot stop its military actions on Romanian territory until the German troops of Romanian territory that are oppressing the Romanian people are destroyed. The support of the Romanian Army to the Soviet Army is the only means of advancing the completion of the Soviet military missions on Romanian territory and reaching an armistice".
The Allies, soon realised the mistake Romania made: "The current situation, depends on the following question, before making the radio proclamation, did Romania consult Russia? If not, they are making illusions if they believe that the conditions made months ago to Ion Antonescu are still available. Romania doesn't automatically become an ally of the United Nations and its position starts being considered from now on".
The answer is simple: The King did not talk with anyone. The act of 23 August 1944 being an act of royal will and the repercousions were seen by everyone.
4. Mountain Huntsment (Vanatori de Munte) - Romanian Elite Units
"Our heroes die, they die quiet and alone, they leave for a better world, joining their brothers together with whom they shed blood for Greater Romania, they don't criticize us, they don't say anything, they die with the conscience that they did they duty although their descendents forgot them, the veterans understood that there's nothing left for them to do here, in this world, the Allies veterans returned home to continue their former lives and tell war stories, our veterans, at home the communist prisons were waiting for them, a life of misery, or forced to be silent for the rest of their lives to be able to eat bread the next day, some joined the anti-communist ressistance in the mountains and paid with their lives the hope for a better Romania, and at the end of their life full of work and sacrifice, in the best cases, they were rewarded with indifference, they die quiet, modest and sad, leaving to us the burden of the future, and the future will hit us terribly, as we are now, without directions" - Cristian Negrea
The Mountain Huntsmen were the only elite units of the Romanian army, in today's jargon "green beretes", the most well known of these was the 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division, also known as "the Division of Flint" under General Ion Dumitrache.
The 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division reached the most eastwards point of the Eastern Front in World War II. The Romanian soldiers under Ion Dumitrache fought in the Caucas Mountains, reaching Grozny, the capital of Chechnya.
On 20 June 1941, the Mountain Corps, commanded by General Gheorghe Avramescu found itself opperatively under the 11th German Army, the Mountain Huntsmen squads entered the war on 2 July 1941 attacking in Bessarabia: Radauti, Cernauti, Hotin. Cernauti was conquered on 4 July, during these opperations the 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division was the spearhead. Afterwards, they liberated Radauti. Until 9 July, all of North Bukovina and the North of Bessarabia were liberated.
Reaching Dnieser river, the 11th German Army was suborodnated to the South Army Group, with the goal of advancing towards Bug. With great losses, the Bug was reached on 21 August, after hard fights, the Mountain Hunstment crossed the Dniper in Ukraine on 16 September, 2nd and 4th Mountain Hunstment Division were deployed next to the Azov sea, while the 1st Mountain Hunstment Division was sent to Crimeea.
The losses suffered made that the 2nd and 4th Mountain Hunstment Division were redeployed to Romania on 8 November to complete them. 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division left for the frontline back on 6 July 1942. And on 31 July 1942 found itself in battle in Rostov. In the battles of Caucas was engaged the 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division, who on 31 August advanced in the Caucas mountains. Throught the whole September, through hard fights, the Germans tried to push the Russians in the Caucas but all their attacks were repeled. This was the basis for the German decision to retreat the Mountain Hunstment advancement south of Baksan in August.
Gradually, from the 2nd half of Septembers, the German units were replaced with Romanian units, for a final assault. The Russian position was heavily fortified and on a high altitude. On 17 October the 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division launches a strong offensive and occupies the whole Russian position in Baksan, without losses.
"When our artillery started the first fires, the scouts company started the infiltration behind the enemy lines, in 20 minutes were already moved through the enemy lines and cut their communications. No firearm was shot. The Soviets were completely surprised by the apparation of the Romanian army behind them. The shock of the Soviets were complete, they stopped fighting back the Romanians, many would leave their positions and run, the ones reached by the Romanians would surrender without ressistance".
"On the attack of the second Soviet heavily fortified positions, the casualities were of 7 death and 30 wounded for the Romanians and on the Soviet side only the POV were 400, their whole heavy armament, artillery, anti-tank, machine guns, this is witout talking of the Soviet losses. What the Germans couldn't have done for almost a month, the Mountain Huntsmen accomplished in less than 1 day with minimal losses."
Why was this? According to Leftenent Botis Volumiu "The Germans were very good on armored warfare, but we had to ensure their safety on difficult terrain, and the Mountain Huntsemn were elite units, one of the best units that fought in World War II".
A day later, German General Elwad von Kleist personally comes to the Romanian troops and decorates them, declaring: "the great deed done by the Romanian 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division, allows the 1st Armored Divison to start decisive opperations"
The events at Stalingrad will influence the events of Caucas as well as the whole war, the Soviet start of Opperation Uranus that will lead to the encyrclement of Romanian and German troops as Stalingrad, will threaten with isolation the armies in Caucas.
At the end of 1942, the German command, convicned that they no longer can stay in Caucas, organized regreat starting 31 December. 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division retreated constantly under constant fights under the command of General Ion Dumitrache.
After King Michael's Coup on 23 August 1944, the 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division started the assault on the German and Hungarian troops around Brasov, by 15 October 1944, half of North Transylvania was taken back. By 24 October 1944 General Ion Dumitrache was called back by the USSR at Brasov and the 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division according to the armistice signed by USSR and Romania.
At 26 February 1945 was arrested by USSR being accused of war crimes, accused that he killed 6.000 Soviet civillians at Nalcik. The accusations were proven false by the testimony of the 127 of soviet civillians who participated at the process.
He was rehabilitated on 15 August 1946 and put under the command of the Mountain Corps. In 1948 he was again called to a trial, on 3 February 1949 Ion Dumitrache was arrested without trial or any given sentence. He was released again on 6 October 1950. He died on 6 March 1977.
5. The Romanian Army at Stalingrad - Group Lascar
Over 150.000 of Romanian soldiers died at Stalingrad. On 29 December 1942 Marshal Ion Antonescu promised the Romanian army "be sure that never a boss could be more proud as I am of you and no country more thankful for its soldiers than ours for you".
But life, would not prove him right. The survivors of the Romanian army kept for the rest of their lives the guilt of having fought against the "friendly soviet people". And the commanders of the Romanian Army died in communist prisons.
On 19 November 1942, at 5 AM, on the whole frontline, the Soviet activity increased in intensitiy with the execution of bomberments and artilley followed by attacks against the Romanian Divisions 9 and 14 Infantry of the 3rd Romanian Army. The bombardment lasted for 3 hours.
After breaking the frontline of the 3rd Romanian Army on 19 November 1942 between the 2nd and 4th Army Corps, the Soviets continued their effort to encyrcle the 5th and 7th Infantry Divisions of the 5th Army Corps. The Armored Soviet forces manage on 20 November 1942 to encyrcle the 5th Army Corps and many other parts of the 3rd Romanian Army who will continue to resist under General Mihail Lascar under the name of "Group Lascar".
Although there was eventually the possibility of retreating the "Group Lascar" the German command considered it unnecessary in order to support a German counterattack on 21 November, an attack that failed. Same day the Soviet troops start an offensive against the encyrcled Romanian Army, without success.
Although initially the was the option of retreat for "Group Lascar", Army Group B of the German command decided to maintain the "Group Lascar" on their positions. On the same day of 21 November, following the German failed counter-attack, Romanian General Ilie Steflea of the part of the 3rd Romanian Army that managed to retreat, sends a telegram to Ion Antonescu:
"Lascar with all our brothers are ready to break the frontline, but the Group B does not allow it, we request your approval sir. We expect an immediate response, for we cannot waste any minute".
Ion Antonescu, being unable to override a German order, sends a telegram to Hitler on 22 November, requesting the retreat of "Group Lascar" until it's not too late, saving it from complete destruction.
Although in his response, Hitler on 23 November tells Ion Antonescu that ever since he received Ion Antonescu's telegram he ordered the retreat of the "Lascar Group" south to remake the connection with the Group B, in the raport made on 4 December 1942, General Petre Dumistrescu, commander of the 3rd Romanian Army that managed to retreat, declared that he did not receive from the German Army such an order. However, on 23 November, out of his own initiative, he gave "Group Lascar" the order to retreat.
On the day of 25 November, General Lascar decided to break through the Soviet lines, the Group is attacked by the Soviets, most of "Group Lascar" is destroyed but part of the group manages to break the encyrclement and reach the German lines.
6. The Declarations of Ion Antonescu as a Soviet Prisoner (his justifications)
On 23 August 1944, King Michael I arrested Ion Antonescu. He was originally given to the communist Romanians who gave him to the USSR. He was inprisoned for 2 years in USSR, afterwards, he was sent back to Romania to be sent to trial and sent to death in 1946.
Between September 1944 and April 1946, as a Soviet prisoner was interogated by the NKVD. What happened with Ion Antonescu in those 2 years?
Ion Antonescu's first declaration in Russia: "I made the war to take back Bessarabia, that was taken by the USSR one year before that after a military ultimatum, I led the country as a dictator, and me and only me was responsable for the Romanian attack on USSR as well as the way this was was conducted".
The NKVD's goal was the recognition of Ion Antonescu that Romania made an unjust war to rob USSR.
Ion Antonescu replied as such: "In 1940, Romania had the British guarantees over Romanian territorial integrity, but in 1939 the diplomatic understanding between Germany and USSR based on which Germany attacks France and England without being worried of an attack from the East. While the USSR achieves some territorial aspirations. In June 1940, USSR masses forces next to Bessarabia and Bukovina and after an ultimatum, incorporates North Bukovina and Bessarabia to USSR. With the Second Vienna Award, Romania also loses half of Transylvania, through France's defeat and England's impossibility to support Romania, Romania was left completely isolated and this is why Romania lost so much of its territory. For Romania, there were only 2 solutions at that time: seeking German support, or seeking Russian support. The Germans were only interested in the Romanian oil, and if Romania wouldn't have joined the Axis, Romania risked losing all of Transylvania to Hungary a the complete German occupation of Romania. Russia, occupied Bessarabia and North Bukovina, as such, they had no further territorial claims on Romania, although, the Germans argued that initially the Russians requested all of Moldova up to the Carpathian mountains, Russia was united with Germany through a treaty, as such, Romania adhering to the German support followed the clearest solution of the Romanian interests at that time. When later, Romania took the decision to invade USSR, Romania was forced by Germany to follow it to war, and I send the troops also because, one year before that, the fall of Romania's borders was the consequence of the Soviet ultimatum, according to international law and the previous events, Romania was not an aggressor state."
Roman Rudenko: "No mister Marshal, you made aggressive war for robbery and you're a Hittlerist, because at Oddessa you applied the same methods that the Hittlerists applied."
Ion Antonescu: "I did what I had to do under Hittlerite Germany, Romania has the largest community of jews left in Europe, it was only in the territories occupied after the offensive against USSR, including Bessarabia and North Bukovina that my hands were tied, as although administrated by Romania they were considered by the Axis part of the frontline"
7. Ion Antonescu and the Latin Axis with Mussolini (An Alliance without Hitler to leave World War II together)
In a 1943 conference with his officers, Ion Antonescu declared that "the issue of Romania leaving the war is tied to avoiding the fate of Italy who was occupied by Germany". Ion Antonescu noticed that when Italy made this move, the Anglo-American forces were at the gates of Rome, while in Romania's case, the Russians were 1000 km away.
By the year 1943, Romania attempted to contact the Americans in Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Egypt. Ion Antonescu, refused the Allied request of discussions with the Russians alone, because he could not trust that the terms of an armistice would be respected without the guarantee of the Americans and British. Without these guarantees, any armistice made with the Russians was perceived as the loss of independence and turning of Romania into a communist state.
In the morning of 12 December 1941, the Italian ambassador to Bucharest met with Ion Antonescu, the essence of the discussion was simple - Romania was about to declare war to the United States.
"It would be an insanity to assume that Romania would have the power to attack the United States, but the decision was based on German pressure" - Ion Antonescu, during his trial.
But the Italian ambassador to Bucharest had another mission beside pressuring Ion Antonescu to declare war to the Americans, in the Autumn of 1941 Romania and Italy were creating the project of the "Latin Axis".
The "Latin Axis" was supposed to have an anti-communist, anti-slavic and anti-german sentiment. This project, in the vision of Ion Antonescu, was an essential part of a complex plan. On one side, to destroy the Italian-Hungarian alliance and on the other side to make Romania more able to ressist the German pressure.
In the autumn 1942, Ion Antonescu proposed in a discussion with Italian ambassarod Renato Bova Scoppa a Romanian-Italian cooperation for a separate peace with the Allies, in Jannuary 1943, Scoppa would present to the Italian Foreign Minister, Ciano, the project of the Latin Axis.
The journal of count Ciano has contradictory appreciations for the reports of Scoppa from Bucharest. In December 1942 Ciano considered that Berlin would better pay extra attention to the suspect actions of Bucharest, while in Jannuary 1943, he suddenly changes his opinion, and clarifies Ion Antonescu's initiatives as "courageous" and used Scoppa's reports to convince Mussolini to change Italy's foreign policity to follow goals independent from those of Germany.
Ciano was convinced that the war was lost, and presented the Latin Axis project to Mussolini. Writing in his journal about the discussion with Mussolini: "Scoppa made a report about his long conference with Ion Antonescu, freshly returned from Germany. The discussion was about the tragic situation of Germany and evidenciated Romania and Italy's necessity to contact the Allies to establish a defense against communism in Europe. I will take this report to Il Duce and we'll have a conversation that I plan for a long time".
"Mussolini was however not every happy. Il Duce told me that he is certain that the Germans will hold their ground, then he listened carefully to me, he rejected Antonescu's proposal saying that the 'Danube is not the way we most go towards' but he didn't react when I said that we need to establish communication with the Allies"
The discussions of Ion Antonescu about the "Latin Axis" reached Hitler who showed his displeasure. And the explaination was that "It was only a misunderstanding without real basis, through the wrong interpretation of some actions in term of communication and outside any special instructions of any of our ministers abroad"
After the situation with Hitler was clarified, Ion Antonescu tried again to convince Mussolini and Renato Scoppa left for Italy to convince his government that they should continue the Latin Axis and coordonate a diplomatic action for Italy and Romania to leave the war.
"A solution of compromise must be reached, because it will be in conformity with the interests of England, to save Europe from chaos, stopping Russia, who will reach, inneviabtly, through our defeat, the shores of the Mediteranean. Nobody imagines that, in case of Allied victory, England and America will continue to guard Europe, for a few generations, to combat communism". - Renato Scoppa
"If Il Duce wants to coordonate the common action, he will be the interpreter of all small beligerent people, from Finland to Romania" - Ion Antonescu
Ion Antonescu proposed Mussolini to take command of the movement of seeking peace with the Allies, that he believed he started.
Mussolini responds to Ion Antonescu that he agrees with many of his points, but it's too early to start any diplomatic action, that they should wait 2 more months to start the negociations when the military situation is good for them. And that he wants to see Ion Antonescu's PM, Mihai Antonescu.
As such, on 27 June 1943 Mihai Antonescu leaves for Rome to discuss with Mussolini the issue of establishing a Latin Axis who would take the initiative of a separate peace with the Allies.
During the discussion with Mihai Antonescu, Mussolini said "It's necessary to wait 2 more months, to not give the impression that Italy would give in to the threats of teh Anglo-Americans and because we cannot negociate under the impression of a military defeat, like the one in Africa. Before starting the negociations, we must have a favorable situation on the frontline".
Mihai Antonescu requested Mussolini to be autorized to discuss with the Allies in these 2 months until Italy waits to have a better position at the frontlines.
"I authorize you, I hope our discussion will have a great historical impact" - Mussolini's last words in the discussion.
Time didn't have patience with the Romanian-Italian plans, because a few days after the meeting between Mussolini and Mihai Antonescu, on 25 July 1943, Mussolini was removed from power.
In Romania, Mussolini being removed from power was grim news. In a letter from Ion Antonescu to former Romanian politican Iuliu Maniu:
"In these moments, any attempts of leaving the Axis are impossible. Do you know that the Italians, who are a great power, are kept in their own country on the frontline between the German bayonets and the American rifles? And that Germany, to save the German cause, does not hesitate to put through fire and sword, under the eyes of the army and civillian population, any Italian soldier or general, who tries even the smallest defection? We are a small people, and the Romanian troops are on the Russian front 1000 km away from Romania, the lines of communication are the German communication lines, guarded by the Germans, our soldiers, receive their food and ammo from German deposits, can you imagine, what would instantly happen with the Romanian soldiers if the Romanian leadership would give them order to leave the frontline and return to Romania? Today, we discuss with Germany as equals, but with such an attempt, we risk having now, after so many sacrifices on the eastern front, the fate of Yugoslavia".
1. Assassination attempt of Ion Antonescu (which failed because one of the conspirators got drunk)
In the summer of year 1944, there was an exchange of ideas between Ion Antonescu and USSR through Stockholm. The USSR send the conditions of the capitulation of Romania but Ion Antonescu did not want to give up Bessarabia and North Bukovina. This story begins however on 27 June 1944 when the USSR sent 5 paratropers to assassiante Ion Antonescu.
USSR was getting ready of a great offensive, the Jassy - Kishinev line and was wary of Ion Antonescu, who after the fall of Mussolini became the 2nd man of the Axis and was decided to ressist until he can get a favorable peace. The USSR was convinced that nothing would be changed in Romania without the death of Ion Antonescu.
During the World War II it was known the fact that Ion Antonescu's own security was weak, he never put the problem of strengthening his personal securuity. And Ion Antonescu's personal security was never worried about an attempt on his life.
On 27 June 1944 when the USSR sent 5 paratropers to assassiante Ion Antonescu dressed as soldiers of the Romanian Army officers.
One of them, Tudor Djonat, declared the following: "I reached the village, found some peasants working the field, asked them to give me explainations on how to reach Calimanesti or Ramnicu Valcea, they told me that soon they will go there as well. Going to their home, I asked one of them for some water, he told me it's not good to drink water and gave me alcohol".
Drunk, Tudor Djonat left for Calimanesti. He got cought, drunk.
After being cought, he was cooperant with the Romanian authorities, leading to the arrest of the rest of the team.
After 23 August 1944, they were released from prison and incorporated into NKVD.
2. The First Meetings between Hitler, Mussolini and Antonescu (Transylvania's problem)
The acceptance of the Second Vienna Award was the beginning of a dark road for Romania. The first consequence of this was the forced abdication of King Carol II. King Carol II's position who hoped to keep his throne through giving up these territories became impossible to maintain due to popular unrest. King Carol II's forced abdication meant the replacement of an authoritarian monarchy with another authoriarian government, more efficient who hoped to save what was left to be saved of a country found trapped between hostile powers.
Brought to power by the general unrest of the population against a leadership unable to defend the territorial integrity of Greater Romania, Ion Antonescu set the course towards national reintegration and repairing the lost honor of the Romanian army, which was the reason for the regime's existance itself. As such, any objective analysis of the official Romanian policy and of the personality of Ion Antonescu has to have as a starting point this axiom.
Externally, Ion Antonescu started a campaign of political reorientation towards the Axis. That he already saw as winners. The series of the diplomatic interventions of Ion Antonescu towards Hitler & Mussolini to temperate Hungary's excesses in North Transylvania against the Romanians, was opened by the Romanian ambassadors in Vienna.
Both diplomatic missions turned out in failure. Neither the mission in Roma or the mission in Berlin managed to reach assurances that Germany or Italy will put pressure on Hungary to stop the attrocities against the Romanians in North Transylvania and prevent new ones. The diplomatic mission in Berlin however, had a secondary undeclared objective: the acceptance of Romania to the Axis powers.
If the official objectives were a total failure, Germany and Italy not being willing to stain their relationship with Hungary through interventions in North Transylvania, the secondary objective was reached, Romania gaining the approval to join the Axis. The doccument will have to be sign during Ion Antonescu's official visit to Berlin.
The official visit in Germany was preceded by the official visit to Rome, where Ion Antonescu had the first discussion with Mussolini. Which he unsuccesfully tried to persuade of the injustice of the Second Vienna Award.
Antonescu: *calmly enumerates the Hungarian excesses in North Transylvania*
Counter Galeazzo Ciano (Italy's foreign minister): "yes, we know they are tough"
Antonescu: *angry* tough? we'll show them tough, if these excesses continue there will be a massacre of Hungarians in South Transylvania" *calms down, starts explaining again the Hungarian excesses rationally* "do you think that these borders can be maintained?"
Counter Galeazzo Ciano: "We, not only recognized these borders, but we guaranteed them."
Antonescu: "Guaranteed or not, they will blow up, this I can really guarantee you"
Unhappy with the ressults in Rome, Antonescu reserved his main arguments for his meeting with Hitler that he hoped he would convince of the injustice of the Second Vienna Award.
Ribbentrop: *critisizes Antonescu right away for his critical declarations in Rome, argues that the Second Vienna Award was a good thing, and was a great favor done by Germany to Romania, because otherwise war with the Axis would have destroyed Romania, likewise, the new borders were advantageous for Romania who still got to keep 3/5ths of the territory gained in 1918 when it was an adversary of Germany*
Antonescu: "Politically, Romania was punished too harshly for the mistakes made by one generation, the Romanian nation is eternal, now there is a new Romania that has nothing to do with the mistakes made in the past, in the present, Romania goes strongly with the Axis, Romania goes further than adhering to the Tripartite Part, Romania is ready to spill its blood on the battlefield".
Hitler: "I understand your concerns, but I'm convinced that you should put an end to this perion in Romanian-Hungarian relations, and calm your passions." *continues talking about the plans for New Europe*
Antonescu: *not getting carried away by Hitler's promises for New Europe, returns to the reports of Hungarian abuses after the Second Vienna Award and complains about the treatment of the Romanians by the Hungarians underlying that Romania will calm down right now, but after general peace is established, Romania will immediately raise this concern again to gain justice*
Hitler: "I fully understand your pain, but history will not stop in 1940"
With such ambigous declarations, Hitler maintained Antonescu's illusion that the Second Vienna Award will again be put into question, over the course of 4 with succesive reinforcements of the idea.
As a prisoner of USSR in 1945, Antonescu said:
Antonescu: "If Hitler, deeply impressed by the national misfortune of the Romanian state, made such a promise, I can't tell for sure, but Ribbentrop said that 'After the war, things will not remain this way'."
Antonescu never gave up on the undoing of the Second Vienna Award and will never see in the reqconquest of Bessarabia and occupation of Odessa a compesation for the territory given up to Hungary. Antonescu was always obsssed by the idea that only by going forward with Germany, Romania will have the possibility of regaining the part of Transylvania that was lost."
3. Another Face of the 23 August 1944 Coup (Misinformation and Propaganda through Radio - a coup without an armistice)
23 August 1944, some celebrate it while others see it as a day of betrayal, a coup that gave Romania away to the communists. The controversy will continue probably because the events are way too recent. The monarchists will never accept that King Michael I didn't save the country, that he shouldn't have arrested Ion Antonescu and keep him in the safe with stamps of King Carol II and then give him to the communists.
But what would have been the other option? Finland's model? it would have been impossible, in Romania there were different stakes. It's difficult to believe that the USSR would have signed a peace treaty with Ion Antonescu.
In theory, Ion Antonescu could have negociated better with the USSR, being in a stronger position. You negociate differenty with a legal government than with a hand of conspirators.
Theory, because the spheres of influences were already decided at Yalta, and Romania already given to the USSR.
The Romanian negociations at Stockholm was nothing more than dust thrown in the face of Romania. If the Americans would have wanted to help Eastern Europe as well, they could have landed in the Balkans as well.
But, let's go back a bit and talk about Ion Antonescu's discussions with the Allies for peace in March 1944. British General Wilson informed Ion Antonescu that USSR was ready to establish a discussion with him, asking him to put town arms on the Eastern Front. Ion Antonescu replied to British General Wilson about the moral impossibility of accepting unconditional surrender while Romania still had military forces.
USSR send to Romania the conditions for peace: restroing the 1940 borders with USSR and paying war reparations, in exchange for Romania gaining North Transylvania back from Hungary. Ion Antonescu rejected these terms but the discussion continued.
On 23 August 1944, at 2 PM, Ion Antonescu went to King Michael I, at this time a figurehead, and told him that he considers signing USSR's proposal after the stabilization of the frontline. In these conditions, at 4:30 PM, King Michael I ordered the arrest of Ion Antonescu and his main collaborators.
With all the territorial loses of 1940, Romania kept being a big country, according to the 1941 census, Romania had a population of over 13 millions. According to studies, one in every 44 Romanians had a radio, if we remove the children and assume that a family of man & woman will have a radio, we can figure out why King Michael I choose the radio. The radio was a terrible propaganda weapon.
King Michael I's redio declaration: "In this darkest hour of our history, I have figured in full understanding with my people, that there is only one was for saving Romania from total disaster, leaving the Axis powers and stopping the war with the United Nations. Romania accepted the armistice offered by the USSR, Great Britain and United States of America. From this moment, the fights and any acts of hostility stops against the Soviet Army, as well as the state of war with Great Britain and United States. Receive the soldiers of these armies with trust, these nations guaranteed independence and non-interference in our internal affairs. (...)"
The 23 August Coup was first announced outside Romania by Radio London, sign that the English were up to date with the events happening in Bucharest. "Important news from the east! King Michael of Romania accepted the armistice proposed by USSR, joining the Allies". London said for the first time of an armistice, which implied a negociation, which was false. In reality, the armisitce would be made at Moscow on 12 September 1944. On 23 August 1944 there were no pre-established peace conditions between King Michael I and USSR, but a personal adventure of King Michael I, a coup against Ion Antonescu.
American Radio Post in Europe: "It's time time to remember the words spoken by Mr.Churchill in September 1940. Talking about Transylvania, Mr.Churchill declared that Romania suffered territorial mutilations that England will not recognize unless they were made with the blessing of the Romanian people". Although Transylvania is remembered, there is no word about Bessarabia or Bukovina. The same Radio Post suggested that the USSR made a peace proposal that Romania accepted, which was false.
In this informational chaos, the only ones accurate, are the Soviets: "The Romanian Radio announced this day that in Romania a new government has been formed, led by General Constantin Sanatescu". Not you negociations, armistice, peace, or other heysay. The Russians announced only a change of government in Bucharest. Nobody talked with them about peace.
If Radio London said "armistice", after a few hours they would correct themselves: "the terms of the armistice are not known yet, and the general aspect of the situation is not clear yet. It depends on the nature of the Soviet conditions if Romania can be accepted as a member of the Allies"
Initially, President FDR was shocked, he couldn't believe that Romania did not negocitate. That Romania didn't stood at a table with the Soviets, didn't sign an armistice, and simply jumped in an adventure through a coup.
A reporter from Mexico, finds the former king Carol II, who reported: "I'm very happy that my son, considering the real sentiments of the Romanian people, made so that Romania left the war. It's very good that this thing happened through an understanding with our strong neighbour, the USSR". (oh, the irony)
If the west met with enthusiasm the coup of 23 August 1944, the Axis Radio was different:
"After the Romanians fought so many years to defend their country, King Michael and his clique arrested Marshal Antonescu and shamefully gave the country to the Bolsheviks. King Michael preaches peace, but this peace means the occupation of Romania by the Red Army, the instalation of communism in the country and abolishing of Romanian nationalists. The king affirms that the British and the Americans guaranteed the independence of Romania. In reality, however, the British and the Americans gave Romania to the Soviets a long time ago, just like King Carol II, who after he betrayed Romania and left her with all the gold he could to live a life of pleasures in America, likewise King Michael I betrayed and perpared a special plane to bring him to a safe place, abroad, where he deposited all the gold stolen from Romania"
The Soviets' response was that King Michael's declaration to the radio was good enough and it's not a bad idea to reinforce it, that USSR has no territorial pretentions to Romania and doesn't intend to interfere in Romanian internal affairs or take away its independence. On the contrary, the USSR finds it necessary to remake together with the Romanians, the indepedence of Romania by liberating them from fascism.
And the USSR commandment declared that "The Red Army cannot stop its military actions on Romanian territory until the German troops of Romanian territory that are oppressing the Romanian people are destroyed. The support of the Romanian Army to the Soviet Army is the only means of advancing the completion of the Soviet military missions on Romanian territory and reaching an armistice".
The Allies, soon realised the mistake Romania made: "The current situation, depends on the following question, before making the radio proclamation, did Romania consult Russia? If not, they are making illusions if they believe that the conditions made months ago to Ion Antonescu are still available. Romania doesn't automatically become an ally of the United Nations and its position starts being considered from now on".
The answer is simple: The King did not talk with anyone. The act of 23 August 1944 being an act of royal will and the repercousions were seen by everyone.
4. Mountain Huntsment (Vanatori de Munte) - Romanian Elite Units
"Our heroes die, they die quiet and alone, they leave for a better world, joining their brothers together with whom they shed blood for Greater Romania, they don't criticize us, they don't say anything, they die with the conscience that they did they duty although their descendents forgot them, the veterans understood that there's nothing left for them to do here, in this world, the Allies veterans returned home to continue their former lives and tell war stories, our veterans, at home the communist prisons were waiting for them, a life of misery, or forced to be silent for the rest of their lives to be able to eat bread the next day, some joined the anti-communist ressistance in the mountains and paid with their lives the hope for a better Romania, and at the end of their life full of work and sacrifice, in the best cases, they were rewarded with indifference, they die quiet, modest and sad, leaving to us the burden of the future, and the future will hit us terribly, as we are now, without directions" - Cristian Negrea
The Mountain Huntsmen were the only elite units of the Romanian army, in today's jargon "green beretes", the most well known of these was the 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division, also known as "the Division of Flint" under General Ion Dumitrache.
The 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division reached the most eastwards point of the Eastern Front in World War II. The Romanian soldiers under Ion Dumitrache fought in the Caucas Mountains, reaching Grozny, the capital of Chechnya.
On 20 June 1941, the Mountain Corps, commanded by General Gheorghe Avramescu found itself opperatively under the 11th German Army, the Mountain Huntsmen squads entered the war on 2 July 1941 attacking in Bessarabia: Radauti, Cernauti, Hotin. Cernauti was conquered on 4 July, during these opperations the 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division was the spearhead. Afterwards, they liberated Radauti. Until 9 July, all of North Bukovina and the North of Bessarabia were liberated.
Reaching Dnieser river, the 11th German Army was suborodnated to the South Army Group, with the goal of advancing towards Bug. With great losses, the Bug was reached on 21 August, after hard fights, the Mountain Hunstment crossed the Dniper in Ukraine on 16 September, 2nd and 4th Mountain Hunstment Division were deployed next to the Azov sea, while the 1st Mountain Hunstment Division was sent to Crimeea.
The losses suffered made that the 2nd and 4th Mountain Hunstment Division were redeployed to Romania on 8 November to complete them. 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division left for the frontline back on 6 July 1942. And on 31 July 1942 found itself in battle in Rostov. In the battles of Caucas was engaged the 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division, who on 31 August advanced in the Caucas mountains. Throught the whole September, through hard fights, the Germans tried to push the Russians in the Caucas but all their attacks were repeled. This was the basis for the German decision to retreat the Mountain Hunstment advancement south of Baksan in August.
Gradually, from the 2nd half of Septembers, the German units were replaced with Romanian units, for a final assault. The Russian position was heavily fortified and on a high altitude. On 17 October the 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division launches a strong offensive and occupies the whole Russian position in Baksan, without losses.
"When our artillery started the first fires, the scouts company started the infiltration behind the enemy lines, in 20 minutes were already moved through the enemy lines and cut their communications. No firearm was shot. The Soviets were completely surprised by the apparation of the Romanian army behind them. The shock of the Soviets were complete, they stopped fighting back the Romanians, many would leave their positions and run, the ones reached by the Romanians would surrender without ressistance".
"On the attack of the second Soviet heavily fortified positions, the casualities were of 7 death and 30 wounded for the Romanians and on the Soviet side only the POV were 400, their whole heavy armament, artillery, anti-tank, machine guns, this is witout talking of the Soviet losses. What the Germans couldn't have done for almost a month, the Mountain Huntsmen accomplished in less than 1 day with minimal losses."
Why was this? According to Leftenent Botis Volumiu "The Germans were very good on armored warfare, but we had to ensure their safety on difficult terrain, and the Mountain Huntsemn were elite units, one of the best units that fought in World War II".
A day later, German General Elwad von Kleist personally comes to the Romanian troops and decorates them, declaring: "the great deed done by the Romanian 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division, allows the 1st Armored Divison to start decisive opperations"
The events at Stalingrad will influence the events of Caucas as well as the whole war, the Soviet start of Opperation Uranus that will lead to the encyrclement of Romanian and German troops as Stalingrad, will threaten with isolation the armies in Caucas.
At the end of 1942, the German command, convicned that they no longer can stay in Caucas, organized regreat starting 31 December. 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division retreated constantly under constant fights under the command of General Ion Dumitrache.
After King Michael's Coup on 23 August 1944, the 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division started the assault on the German and Hungarian troops around Brasov, by 15 October 1944, half of North Transylvania was taken back. By 24 October 1944 General Ion Dumitrache was called back by the USSR at Brasov and the 2nd Mountain Hunstment Division according to the armistice signed by USSR and Romania.
At 26 February 1945 was arrested by USSR being accused of war crimes, accused that he killed 6.000 Soviet civillians at Nalcik. The accusations were proven false by the testimony of the 127 of soviet civillians who participated at the process.
He was rehabilitated on 15 August 1946 and put under the command of the Mountain Corps. In 1948 he was again called to a trial, on 3 February 1949 Ion Dumitrache was arrested without trial or any given sentence. He was released again on 6 October 1950. He died on 6 March 1977.
5. The Romanian Army at Stalingrad - Group Lascar
Over 150.000 of Romanian soldiers died at Stalingrad. On 29 December 1942 Marshal Ion Antonescu promised the Romanian army "be sure that never a boss could be more proud as I am of you and no country more thankful for its soldiers than ours for you".
But life, would not prove him right. The survivors of the Romanian army kept for the rest of their lives the guilt of having fought against the "friendly soviet people". And the commanders of the Romanian Army died in communist prisons.
On 19 November 1942, at 5 AM, on the whole frontline, the Soviet activity increased in intensitiy with the execution of bomberments and artilley followed by attacks against the Romanian Divisions 9 and 14 Infantry of the 3rd Romanian Army. The bombardment lasted for 3 hours.
After breaking the frontline of the 3rd Romanian Army on 19 November 1942 between the 2nd and 4th Army Corps, the Soviets continued their effort to encyrcle the 5th and 7th Infantry Divisions of the 5th Army Corps. The Armored Soviet forces manage on 20 November 1942 to encyrcle the 5th Army Corps and many other parts of the 3rd Romanian Army who will continue to resist under General Mihail Lascar under the name of "Group Lascar".
Although there was eventually the possibility of retreating the "Group Lascar" the German command considered it unnecessary in order to support a German counterattack on 21 November, an attack that failed. Same day the Soviet troops start an offensive against the encyrcled Romanian Army, without success.
Although initially the was the option of retreat for "Group Lascar", Army Group B of the German command decided to maintain the "Group Lascar" on their positions. On the same day of 21 November, following the German failed counter-attack, Romanian General Ilie Steflea of the part of the 3rd Romanian Army that managed to retreat, sends a telegram to Ion Antonescu:
"Lascar with all our brothers are ready to break the frontline, but the Group B does not allow it, we request your approval sir. We expect an immediate response, for we cannot waste any minute".
Ion Antonescu, being unable to override a German order, sends a telegram to Hitler on 22 November, requesting the retreat of "Group Lascar" until it's not too late, saving it from complete destruction.
Although in his response, Hitler on 23 November tells Ion Antonescu that ever since he received Ion Antonescu's telegram he ordered the retreat of the "Lascar Group" south to remake the connection with the Group B, in the raport made on 4 December 1942, General Petre Dumistrescu, commander of the 3rd Romanian Army that managed to retreat, declared that he did not receive from the German Army such an order. However, on 23 November, out of his own initiative, he gave "Group Lascar" the order to retreat.
On the day of 25 November, General Lascar decided to break through the Soviet lines, the Group is attacked by the Soviets, most of "Group Lascar" is destroyed but part of the group manages to break the encyrclement and reach the German lines.
6. The Declarations of Ion Antonescu as a Soviet Prisoner (his justifications)
On 23 August 1944, King Michael I arrested Ion Antonescu. He was originally given to the communist Romanians who gave him to the USSR. He was inprisoned for 2 years in USSR, afterwards, he was sent back to Romania to be sent to trial and sent to death in 1946.
Between September 1944 and April 1946, as a Soviet prisoner was interogated by the NKVD. What happened with Ion Antonescu in those 2 years?
Ion Antonescu's first declaration in Russia: "I made the war to take back Bessarabia, that was taken by the USSR one year before that after a military ultimatum, I led the country as a dictator, and me and only me was responsable for the Romanian attack on USSR as well as the way this was was conducted".
The NKVD's goal was the recognition of Ion Antonescu that Romania made an unjust war to rob USSR.
Ion Antonescu replied as such: "In 1940, Romania had the British guarantees over Romanian territorial integrity, but in 1939 the diplomatic understanding between Germany and USSR based on which Germany attacks France and England without being worried of an attack from the East. While the USSR achieves some territorial aspirations. In June 1940, USSR masses forces next to Bessarabia and Bukovina and after an ultimatum, incorporates North Bukovina and Bessarabia to USSR. With the Second Vienna Award, Romania also loses half of Transylvania, through France's defeat and England's impossibility to support Romania, Romania was left completely isolated and this is why Romania lost so much of its territory. For Romania, there were only 2 solutions at that time: seeking German support, or seeking Russian support. The Germans were only interested in the Romanian oil, and if Romania wouldn't have joined the Axis, Romania risked losing all of Transylvania to Hungary a the complete German occupation of Romania. Russia, occupied Bessarabia and North Bukovina, as such, they had no further territorial claims on Romania, although, the Germans argued that initially the Russians requested all of Moldova up to the Carpathian mountains, Russia was united with Germany through a treaty, as such, Romania adhering to the German support followed the clearest solution of the Romanian interests at that time. When later, Romania took the decision to invade USSR, Romania was forced by Germany to follow it to war, and I send the troops also because, one year before that, the fall of Romania's borders was the consequence of the Soviet ultimatum, according to international law and the previous events, Romania was not an aggressor state."
Roman Rudenko: "No mister Marshal, you made aggressive war for robbery and you're a Hittlerist, because at Oddessa you applied the same methods that the Hittlerists applied."
Ion Antonescu: "I did what I had to do under Hittlerite Germany, Romania has the largest community of jews left in Europe, it was only in the territories occupied after the offensive against USSR, including Bessarabia and North Bukovina that my hands were tied, as although administrated by Romania they were considered by the Axis part of the frontline"
7. Ion Antonescu and the Latin Axis with Mussolini (An Alliance without Hitler to leave World War II together)
In a 1943 conference with his officers, Ion Antonescu declared that "the issue of Romania leaving the war is tied to avoiding the fate of Italy who was occupied by Germany". Ion Antonescu noticed that when Italy made this move, the Anglo-American forces were at the gates of Rome, while in Romania's case, the Russians were 1000 km away.
By the year 1943, Romania attempted to contact the Americans in Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Egypt. Ion Antonescu, refused the Allied request of discussions with the Russians alone, because he could not trust that the terms of an armistice would be respected without the guarantee of the Americans and British. Without these guarantees, any armistice made with the Russians was perceived as the loss of independence and turning of Romania into a communist state.
In the morning of 12 December 1941, the Italian ambassador to Bucharest met with Ion Antonescu, the essence of the discussion was simple - Romania was about to declare war to the United States.
"It would be an insanity to assume that Romania would have the power to attack the United States, but the decision was based on German pressure" - Ion Antonescu, during his trial.
But the Italian ambassador to Bucharest had another mission beside pressuring Ion Antonescu to declare war to the Americans, in the Autumn of 1941 Romania and Italy were creating the project of the "Latin Axis".
The "Latin Axis" was supposed to have an anti-communist, anti-slavic and anti-german sentiment. This project, in the vision of Ion Antonescu, was an essential part of a complex plan. On one side, to destroy the Italian-Hungarian alliance and on the other side to make Romania more able to ressist the German pressure.
In the autumn 1942, Ion Antonescu proposed in a discussion with Italian ambassarod Renato Bova Scoppa a Romanian-Italian cooperation for a separate peace with the Allies, in Jannuary 1943, Scoppa would present to the Italian Foreign Minister, Ciano, the project of the Latin Axis.
The journal of count Ciano has contradictory appreciations for the reports of Scoppa from Bucharest. In December 1942 Ciano considered that Berlin would better pay extra attention to the suspect actions of Bucharest, while in Jannuary 1943, he suddenly changes his opinion, and clarifies Ion Antonescu's initiatives as "courageous" and used Scoppa's reports to convince Mussolini to change Italy's foreign policity to follow goals independent from those of Germany.
Ciano was convinced that the war was lost, and presented the Latin Axis project to Mussolini. Writing in his journal about the discussion with Mussolini: "Scoppa made a report about his long conference with Ion Antonescu, freshly returned from Germany. The discussion was about the tragic situation of Germany and evidenciated Romania and Italy's necessity to contact the Allies to establish a defense against communism in Europe. I will take this report to Il Duce and we'll have a conversation that I plan for a long time".
"Mussolini was however not every happy. Il Duce told me that he is certain that the Germans will hold their ground, then he listened carefully to me, he rejected Antonescu's proposal saying that the 'Danube is not the way we most go towards' but he didn't react when I said that we need to establish communication with the Allies"
The discussions of Ion Antonescu about the "Latin Axis" reached Hitler who showed his displeasure. And the explaination was that "It was only a misunderstanding without real basis, through the wrong interpretation of some actions in term of communication and outside any special instructions of any of our ministers abroad"
After the situation with Hitler was clarified, Ion Antonescu tried again to convince Mussolini and Renato Scoppa left for Italy to convince his government that they should continue the Latin Axis and coordonate a diplomatic action for Italy and Romania to leave the war.
"A solution of compromise must be reached, because it will be in conformity with the interests of England, to save Europe from chaos, stopping Russia, who will reach, inneviabtly, through our defeat, the shores of the Mediteranean. Nobody imagines that, in case of Allied victory, England and America will continue to guard Europe, for a few generations, to combat communism". - Renato Scoppa
"If Il Duce wants to coordonate the common action, he will be the interpreter of all small beligerent people, from Finland to Romania" - Ion Antonescu
Ion Antonescu proposed Mussolini to take command of the movement of seeking peace with the Allies, that he believed he started.
Mussolini responds to Ion Antonescu that he agrees with many of his points, but it's too early to start any diplomatic action, that they should wait 2 more months to start the negociations when the military situation is good for them. And that he wants to see Ion Antonescu's PM, Mihai Antonescu.
As such, on 27 June 1943 Mihai Antonescu leaves for Rome to discuss with Mussolini the issue of establishing a Latin Axis who would take the initiative of a separate peace with the Allies.
During the discussion with Mihai Antonescu, Mussolini said "It's necessary to wait 2 more months, to not give the impression that Italy would give in to the threats of teh Anglo-Americans and because we cannot negociate under the impression of a military defeat, like the one in Africa. Before starting the negociations, we must have a favorable situation on the frontline".
Mihai Antonescu requested Mussolini to be autorized to discuss with the Allies in these 2 months until Italy waits to have a better position at the frontlines.
"I authorize you, I hope our discussion will have a great historical impact" - Mussolini's last words in the discussion.
Time didn't have patience with the Romanian-Italian plans, because a few days after the meeting between Mussolini and Mihai Antonescu, on 25 July 1943, Mussolini was removed from power.
In Romania, Mussolini being removed from power was grim news. In a letter from Ion Antonescu to former Romanian politican Iuliu Maniu:
"In these moments, any attempts of leaving the Axis are impossible. Do you know that the Italians, who are a great power, are kept in their own country on the frontline between the German bayonets and the American rifles? And that Germany, to save the German cause, does not hesitate to put through fire and sword, under the eyes of the army and civillian population, any Italian soldier or general, who tries even the smallest defection? We are a small people, and the Romanian troops are on the Russian front 1000 km away from Romania, the lines of communication are the German communication lines, guarded by the Germans, our soldiers, receive their food and ammo from German deposits, can you imagine, what would instantly happen with the Romanian soldiers if the Romanian leadership would give them order to leave the frontline and return to Romania? Today, we discuss with Germany as equals, but with such an attempt, we risk having now, after so many sacrifices on the eastern front, the fate of Yugoslavia".
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