·Romania victory·land battle·mountain valley, forested Carpathian slopes·Approximate site
Map Placement
Approximate site. The pin marks a locally accepted site or a nearby anchor point, not a survey-grade position.
Oituz valley, Third Battle of Oituz
Coordinate source: Wikidata 46.20889, 26.44131
Background
The offensive aimed to pierce the Oituz pass and converge with the Mărășești attack to knock Romania out of the war. Holding the line was critical to preserving Romania's remaining territory.
Campaign: Summer Campaign of 1917
Forces Engaged
Romanian troops during the 1917 summer campaign that included the battles of Oituz and Mărășești (c. 1917) — Serviciul Fotografic al Armatei Române (1917). Public domain.
Victor
Romania
Commander: Gen. Grigorescu
Strength:30,000
Defeated
Austro-German
Commander: Various
Strength:40,000
The Battle
Monument of the Heroes of Oituz, Bacău, commemorating the battle of 1917. (c. 2013) — Constantinescu Nicolaie. CC BY-SA 3.0 ro.
Fierce fighting in the Oituz Valley blocked an enemy flanking attempt toward Moldova.
The Third Battle of Oituz was a confrontation between Romanian and, to a lesser extent, Russian forces on one side and German and Austro-Hungarian forces on the other, during the Romanian Campaign of World War I. The battle took place primarily in the Oituz valley on the border between Hungary and Romania, from 8 to 22 August 1917.
“"German prisoners reported they had not come across such stiff resistance since the battles of the Somme and Verdun." — captured German soldiers, August 1917
Casualties & Outcome
8,000
Romania
casualties
15,000
Austro-German
casualties
~1,800 killed, ~4,850 wounded, ~1,570 missing (Romanian); ~15,000 total (Austro-German)
Romania achieved victory over Austro-German.
Central Powers failed to break through the Oituz valley and link up with the Mărășești offensive, preserving the Romanian front in Moldova.
Historical Record
General Eremia Grigorescu, hero of the Romanian defense at Oituz in 1917 (c. 1917) — From "Secrets of the Balkans" (1921). Public domain.cască militară Primul Război Mondial (c. 2012) — Constantinescu Nicolaie. CC BY-SA 3.0 ro.D - Harta Bataliei de la Oituz Kiritescu II 609 (c. 1926) — Unknown authorUnknown author. Public domain.Hourglass drawing — related to Battle of Oituz (1917) — Unknown. Public domain.Civil Ensign of Austria-Hungary between 1869 and 1918..mw-parser-output .messagebox{margin:4px 0;width:auto;border-collapse:collapse;border:2px solid var(--border-color-progressive,#6485d1);background (c. 2012) — This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this file:. CC BY-SA 3.0.Falkenhayn and his staff of the German 9th Army during the Romanian Campaign during World War One, 1916 (c. 1916) — unknown german officer. Public domain.P history — related to Battle of Oituz (1917) (c. 2009) — User:Kontos. Public domain.Steagul foștilor voluntari ardeleni — National Museum of Romanian History. 4.0.Monument al eroilor căzuți în Primul Război Mondial (c. 1931) — National Heritage Institute, Bucharest. 4.0.Doi ostași români gata de atac la Oituz - 1917 (c. 1923) — King Ferdinand I National Military Museum. 4.0.
Significance & Legacy
Secured the northern flank alongside Mărășești.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the Battle of Oituz?
The Battle of Oituz took place in 1917. Aug 8–22, 1917.
What was the outcome of the Battle of Oituz?
The Romania were victorious against the Austro-German.
