World War II(1940–1945)
From Axis ally to Allied liberator
Battles of the World War II
Joint German-Romanian offensive to recapture Basarabia. The operation involved fierce river crossings at the Prut, notably the battle at the Țiganca bridgehead, successfully reaching the 1940 border by late July.
Romanian 4th Army besieged the fortified Black Sea port for 73 days. The Soviet garrison evacuated to Sevastopol.
Romanian Mountain Corps and 18th Infantry Division fought alongside German forces to clear the Kerch Peninsula, capturing 170,000 Soviet prisoners.
Romanian 1st Mountain Division and 18th Infantry Division stormed the outer fortification ring. Romanian sappers breached Fort Maxim Gorky.
Romanian 3rd Army on the Don flank and 4th Army on the steppe flank were shattered by Operation Uranus. 16 of 18 divisions annihilated.
Romanian units held the Kuban bridgehead alongside German forces during the long fighting retreat from the Caucasus.
Romanian 4th Army and German units used elastic defense to blunt Soviet armored thrusts around Iași and Târgu Frumos.
Massive Soviet offensive shattered Axis defenses in Moldova, triggering King Michael's Coup.
King Michael arrested Ion Antonescu and declared war on Germany. The Luftwaffe bombed Bucharest in retaliation.
German troops seized airfields and bombed Bucharest. Romanian forces held the capital and captured both German commanders.
1,800 Romanian NCO cadets held against the Hungarian 1st Armored Division, destroying 23 tanks with four anti-tank guns.
After switching sides, Romania fought to liberate Northern Transylvania from Hungarian-German occupation.
Final major battle for Northern Transylvania. Romanian forces fought largely independently.
Romanian and Soviet forces advanced into the Hungarian Plain, fighting beyond Romania's borders.
Romanian 7th Corps fought block-by-block through Pest, suffering 30% casualties before being ordered to withdraw by Malinovsky.
Romanian 1st and 4th Armies participated in the liberation of Bratislava during the final push into Czechoslovakia.
Romanian 1st and 4th Armies participated in the final major European operation. The war ended May 12 near Šternberk.