History 06/01/20 what the Germans despised Romanian soldiers Hitler
After the First World war, Romania was among the winners in the 20-30-ies in foreign policy, focused primarily on France. Choice failed France in 1940, fell. Romania also lost significant territories: Hungary regained Transylvania, Bulgaria — South Dobrogea, the Soviet Union Bessarabia. The only salvation of the country was the Alliance with Germany.
Romania was the most loyal and reliable ally of all who fought with the Wehrmacht on the Eastern front. And the most numerous. If the contingent Hungary, Italy, Slovakia was essentially symbolic, especially in the beginning of the war, the Romanian army put on the front of virtually everything they could.
Another thing, what really could she not so much, and historians still debate what was this help more: benefit or harm.
a Loyal ally of the Wehrmacht
as part of the plan “Barbarossa” Romania fielded the largest group of all of Germany’s allies. The two armies, 10 infantry (18), tank and border of the division, 2 serfs, 4 cavalry (from 6) and 3 gornopehotnye (4) teams, almost all artillery units, which had adopted more or less modern artillery.
part of the air forces of Romania for an attack on the Soviet Union was allocated: 2 bombers, 1 fighter (3) and 1 reconnaissance aircraft fleet, and individual squadrons. A total of 31 squadron, about 300 aircraft. For comparison: Italy has allocated to division 3, Slovakia – 2 division, Hungary — 4 crew.
the First major operation of the Romanian army was the battle for Odessa. Despite the fact that the Romanian command pulled up additional forces, an operation that is difficult to name successful. On the Romanian side 12 infantry divisions and 3 cavalry brigade tried to take the city, which was defended by 3 arrowsoriented and 1 cavalry division of the red Army. Soviet troops not only defended, but also attacked. Due to the loss of Romanians has been so huge that the whole of the 4th Romanian army had to be sent home. Odessa never took: Soviet troops left the city only because of the deterioration of the situation in the Crimea. In the Crimea, fought at the front of the remaining Romanian troops, but only on the sidelines.
Again restoring the army after the heavy losses of the Romanian command was provided in the fall of the flanks of the German forces at Stalingrad. And that was the cause of the accident: the Romanian divisions could not withstand the attack of the red Army, the front was broken, the army of Paulus hit the “pot”.
Despite the defeat the greater part of the Romanian troops at Stalingrad, they still continued to fight in the Kuban and in the Crimea, defended Bessarabia. The Romanian leadership in the face of Marshal Antonescu, mobilized new forces, sending to the front of the next division, who regularly smashed the Red Army. Only the entry on the territory of Romania Soviet troops forced the Romanians to change their ally, and stand on the side of the Soviet Union.
the Germans simply despised
Relations between the Romanian army and Wehrmacht on all levels, it is difficult to call friendly.
the Reasons for this were many. Last but not least was racial: the Romanians, the Germans believed not the heirs of the Roman Empire, and descendants of the Gypsies, who in the Third Reich, as we know, persecuted along with the Jews.
Another factor was the hostility between Romania and Hungary: both ally Germany fought on one front, were at war among themselves. It added extra problems to the German command who had to keep Hungarian and Romanian troops are not there. So, at Stalingrad, the Hungarian and Romanian army front was occupied by the Italians: not for military reasons, and in order to divide the Romanians and Hungarians. In this case between the German and Hungarian military relations were good. Here and old military cooperation between Germany and Austria-Hungary played the role, and the Hungarian army fought much more successfully.
But the most decisive factor that forced the Germans, from the ordinary to the high command ill treat the Romanian army, was its low combat capability. What did the battle of Odessa, in the Crimea and then in the battle of Stalingrad.
And if the General staff was well aware of the main causes of the weakness of the Romanian army, on the lower levels of the Romanians considered a coward.
this is not to say that Romanian soldiers and officers once stood cowardice and fled from the battlefield, in any case, more than any other. It is a known fact, for example, that of Stalingrad, three Romanian General was killed in bayonet attacks.
But the Romanian army was indeed much weaker than the Wehrmacht, and most of its allies.
Not the most powerful army
the power of the army depends on the level of the economy. And in the Second World war, which is called “war of motors”, it was particularly noticeable.
Call Romania quite backward in the military country, of course, impossible. In Romania developed a very fine military and civilian aircraft of its own design, its own small arms and mortars. It was established and licensed production of tanks during the war had developed self-propelled unit of very original construction.
But to equip its army with sufficient modern weapons and equipment of the Romanian industry could not.
as a result, the vast majority of what fought by Romanian soldiers was of foreign production, and even badly outdated.
just remember that the artillery system in the Romanian army was represented by examples of the Russian Empire, France, the UK, Germany (mostly during the First World war), Austria, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Sweden and Switzerland. The armament consisted of the French, Polish, English, Italian, Czech, German, and thlandsca aircraft, when a small number of cars of Romanian development.
the Romanian army had one of the lowest levels of motorization, and in addition, the largest percentage of non-combat units. Very weak in combat of the Rumanian infantry divisions, had a staff size of 17 715 in 1941. Stalingrad divisions were 19 thousand people.
Another “uniqueness” of the Romanian army was a great social inequality between the ordinary and the officers. Soldiers were considered second-class citizens, the attitude of officers towards them was extremely contemptuous. Similar hard to find even among the European armies of XVIII-XIX centuries with their drill and cane discipline.
And although the armed forces of Romania is not to be attributed to the weak armies of the Second World war (they could compete even with the Italians), to the Eastern front, they were not good.
Romanian troops was the weak link, and numerous enough, than have successfully used the Red Army.
Cyril Shishkin
Source:
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