Historical records of Romanians serving in the Austro-Hungarian Empire's armed forces, or the Romanian Armed Forces, must be understood in relation to Romanians History. The early modern period was characterized by continuous warfare between the Habsburg Empire, Ottoman Empire, Poland (until the 18th century) and Russia for the control of the Danubian principalities and Transylvania.
Independence from the Ottoman Empire was secured after the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 and Romania became a kingdom in 1881. The participation on the Allied (Entente) side during World War I triggered the unification of the remaining Romanian inhabited territories with the kingdom, thus forming Greater Romania. Today, the Romanian army participates in peacekeeping missions with its NATO allies in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo and elsewhere.
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History of the Romanian Armed ForcesHistory of the Romanian Armed Forces
Romanian War of Independence 1877-1878Romanian War of Independence 1877-1878
At the request of Nikolai Konstantinovich, Grand Duke of Russia, the Romanian army joined the Russian forces in 1877 and fought in what became known as the Romanian War of Independence, led by King Carol I. The Romanians regard to the Russo-Turkish War as their War of Independence. The Romanian Army was relatively young at the time, having formed in 1870.
Second Balkan War in 1913Second Balkan War in 1913
Romania did not fight in the First Balkan War. It intervened in the Second Balkan War in order to stop Bulgaria from overreaching into Serbia and Greece. Romania mobilized its army on July 5, 1913, intending to seize Southern Dobruja, and declared war on Bulgaria on July 10th. Romania did not count any combat casualties during its brief war. Its forces were struck by an outbreak of cholera, which cut down 1,600 men. The Treaty of Bucharest, settlement, signed on Aug. 10, 1913 ended the Second Balkan War (1913).
World War I, 1916 - 1919World War I, 1916 - 1919
Romanian Soldiers WW I
On July 6, 1916, Romania declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. The Romanian Army entered together with the Russian Army Transylvania in 1916 but was defeated by the German Army. At the same time, Austrian and Turkish troops invaded southern Romania, forcing the country into a two-front war. In the summer of 1917. However, Prezan, aided by the future Marshal, General Ion Antonescu, successfully defended the remaining unoccupied territories against German and Austro-Hungarian forces.
General Alexandru Averescu led the Second Army in the victories of the Battle of Mărăști (July 22 to August 1, 1917) and the Battles of Mărășești and Oituz (August 6 to September 8, 1917).[1][2]
Battle of MărășeștiBattle of Mărășești
Mausoleum of Maraşeşti
The Battle of Mărășești (in county Vrancea) was the last major battle fought by the Central Powers (German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria) against the Kingdom of Romania and Russia on the Romanian front during World War I. German casualties (killed, wounded and missing) amounted to around 60,000 men, while Romanian casualties amounted to 27,000.[3]
Following their armistice with the Central Powers, Romania was involved in the Russian Civil War against both the Whites and the Reds. Romania fought alongside the Central Powers until the country rejoined the war against them on November 10th 1918, a day before its end in the West.
Romanians serving in combat under the Austro-Hungarian Army=Romanians serving in combat under the Austro-Hungarian Army=
Between 1914 and 1918, the Austria-Hungarian Army conscripted hundreds of thousands of ethnic Romanians from Transylvania and Bukovina. From an estimated 400,000 to 600,000 ethnic Romanians serving in the Austro-Hungarian army, up to 150,000 were killed in combat.
End of WW1 for Romania'End of WW1 for Romania'
In early 1918, Romania was forced to surrender to the Central Powers at Bucharest but may have suffered some 335,000 casualties during the course of the war, not including civilian deaths. According to the Peace of Bucharest, Romania lost land along its coast to Bulgaria, as well as control of the mouth of the Danube River, which remained under Central Powers command. The Treaty of Versailles in 1919 reversed these losses, however; it also gave Romania control of the long-desired province of Transylvania.[4]
World War II, 1941 - 1945World War II, 1941 - 1945
Allied Offensive in Romania, Hungary and Czechoslovakia Aug.1944 to May 1945
The Kingdom of Romania, under the rule of King Carol II, was initially a neutral country in World War II. After General (later Marshal) Ion Antonescu took power in September 1940, Romania signed a Pact between Germany, Italy and Japan and invaded the Soviet Union in Bessarabia and southern Ukraine, alongside the German Wehrmacht. The Army Group's first offensive, in conjunction with the Eleventh Army, Operation München, enabled Romania to retake the territory immediately east of the Dnister, former part of Moldavia. The Romanian Armies saw their first major battles at Odessa and Sevastopol, and in 1942 advanced with other Axis forces deeper into Soviet territory.
The greatest disaster for the Romanian expeditionary force on the Eastern Front came at Stalingrad, where, during the Soviet counter-offensive of November 1942, the thinly spread forces of the Third Army (deployed north of Stalingrad) and of the Fourth Army (deployed south of Stalingrad) were attacked by vastly superior Soviet forces and suffered combined losses of some 158,000 personnel. [5]
On August 23, 1944, a coup led by King Michael I of Romania deposed Marshal Antonescu and set up a pro-Soviet government. It has been estimated that the royal coup shortened the war by six months. Romania soon declared war on Nazi Germany, and the First and Fourth Armies were pressed into action. After the expelling of the last Wehrmacht remnants from Romania, the Romanian Armies took part in the Siege of Budapest and the Prague Offensive of May 1945.
Bombing of Romania in WW IIBombing of Romania in WW II
April 4, 1944 Bucharest air raid
1943 Romania became a target of Allied aerial bombardment. One of the most notable air bombardments was “Operation Tidal Wave” the attack on the oil fields of Ploiești on August 1, 1943. Bucharest was subjected to intense Allied bombardment on 4th and 15th April 1944, and the Luftwaffe itself bombed the city on August 24 and 25 after the country switched sides. By 1944, the Romanian economy was in tatters because of the expenses of the war, and destructive Allied air bombing throughout the country, including the capital, Bucharest.
Mandatory Military ServiceMandatory Military Service
Military Service at the Austrian Hungarian Armed ForcesMilitary Service at the Austrian Hungarian Armed Forces
Under the Austrian Hungarian Empire since 1691, recruitment of Romanian soldiers would be voluntarily or by force. After the 1848/1849 revolution changes were made within the Austrian army. A mandatory service time for young man between 17 and 26 of 8 years and 2 years reserve time was introduced since 1850, including transformation of local regiments. In 1859 the rules of recruitment were changed to start enlistment of healthy young man from age of 15 to 20 during February to April of each year for a service time of 8 years with following reserve time, some exemption applied to families with only one son and father no longer alive, priesthood or University education by paying exemption fee. Fleeing over the mountains to the Romanian countries or to other countries were subject to harsh punishments. In 1867 the military service time changed to 6 active and 6 reserve years for healthy young man starting 18 years of age up to 45 years of age. The legislation remained until 1918.[6]
Military Service at the Romanian Armed ForcesMilitary Service at the Romanian Armed Forces
In the time period 1866-1914 there were several laws for the organization of the Armed Forces. According to the Law of 1872, the Armed Forces consisted of the standing army, the territorial army, militias and city guards. The enlisted forces grew significantly year after year, so that in 1878, the permanent army had 6,000 enlisted men; by the onset of World War I, the enlisted troops numbered 48,000.
On June 23, 1924, a new law on the organization of the army was adopted. Military service lasted two or three years (three years for the navy, air force, border guards and gendarmes) and was compulsory for all male citizens, starting at the age of 21, regardless of nationality. The army enlistment law, enacted on July 4, 1930, mandated two years of active military training (three for the navy, border guards, and gendarmes).
After the end of the Second World War in 1947, the duration of military training was set at 18 months. In May 1948, the duration is extended to two years for all weapons. Provision were made in 1972 for students as short-term soldiers, from the date on which the high school graduates admitted to higher education institutions. In 2007 obligatory military service was suspended.[7]
Where to find Romanian military records=Where to find Romanian military records=
The National Office for Heroes MemoryThe National Office for Heroes Memory
The National Office of Heroes Memory (Rom. "Oficiul National Petru Cultul Eroilor (ONCE)") is the best starting point for any research of Romanian military records.
Contact in person or online: https://once.mapn.ro/pages/contact
Office of the National Office for Heroes Memory
The National Office for Heroes Memory is the specialized body of the central public administration intended for the protection of war memorials and graves, has legal personality and is subordinate to the Ministry of National Defense. The website was recently reconstructed and is now only available in Romanian language.
Screen the following resources, available in table format for downloading:
Lists of War Casualties (Rom. Lista morților de război), https://once.mapn.ro/pages/lista-mortilor-de-razboi
War of Independence 1977-1978 Table with 5465 listings including last and first name, place of living and region, place of death, regiment
Second Balkan War 1913 Table with 2642 listings including military rank, last and first name, place of death, region or county of living, country
WW1 1916 – 1919 132 Tables of casualties in all places of Europe where Romanian soldiers had actively been involved, including Germany, Republic Moldova, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Austria, France, Belgium
A gesture of gratitude shown at the Plot of Honor in the municipality of Râmnicu Vâlcea, Vâlcea countyWW2 1941 – 1945 99 Tables of casualties in all places of Europe where Romanian soldiers had actively been involved, including Ukraine, Republic Moldova, Slovakia, Russia URSS, Peninsula Crimea, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria
Prisoners of War in URSS, https://once.mapn.ro/pages/prizonieri-de-razboi Table with 499 listings including military rank, last and first name, year, regiment and unit, country of imprisonment, date of imprisonment
War cemeteries, mausoleums, monuments Still outstanding on the website of this new format but was published previously.
Romanian military cemeteries abroad, https://once.mapn.ro/pages/cimitire-si-monumente-rom%C3%A2nesti-din-strainatate
Romanian National Military Archives (AMNR) - BucharestRomanian National Military Archives (AMNR) - Bucharest
Address: Drumul Taberei nr. 7H, sector 6, București, cod poștal 061353, E-mail: sia@forter.ro, http://amnr.defense.ro/
The Romanian National Military Archive oversees the management of military archival heritage.
National Military Archive, Bucharest
Historical documents from archive funds open to research can be studied on microfilm, at the headquarters of the Romanian National Military Archives (Bucharest), or on paper, at the headquarters of the Central Archives Depository (Pitesti). Access to the "Recent Library", containing volumes of military history, printed after 1989, the product of research undertaken by specialists and in the Romanian Military Archives. Quarterly Magazine published, where you can find the most interesting topics of Romanian universal history.
Table of Documents at https://amnr.defense.ro/webroot/fileslib/upload/files/Domenii_cercetare/Lista_fonduri_DpCA.pdf
Central Archives Depository - Pitesti (Rom. Depozitul Central de Arhivă)=Central Archives Depository - Pitesti (Rom. Depozitul Central de Arhivă)=
Address: Str. Aleea Poarta Eroilor nr. 4, Pitești, județul Argeș, E-mail: um02405.pitesti@yahoo.com
Contains regulations, instructions, general orders and other official documents developed over time in the army.
Memorial Site of Battle of Mărășești, a memorial site in Romania containing remains of 5,073 Romanian soldiers and officers killed in the First World War and dedicated to the commemoration of the Battle of Mărășești.
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