▪ Have a nice watch! ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ On August 23, 1944, at a crucial moment in the Second World War, King Michel and the political parties in Romania orchestrated a coup against the government led by Antonescu, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ thus joining the Allied forces. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ This bold action, led by the monarch, is considered by many historians as a turning point ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ which shortened the conflict by several months and saved hundreds of thousands of lives. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ The impact of this coup was extremely complex. ▪ ▪ ▪ On the one hand, it accelerated the Red Army's advance into Romanian territory and gave the Romanian army the opportunity to liberate the country from German occupation. ▪ ▪ ▪ However, the absence of an armistice ▪ ▪ ▪ immediately signed led Soviet troops to treat Romanian troops as enemies. ▪ ▪ ▪ The armistice was finally signed on September 12, 1944, ▪ ▪ ▪ but on terms dictated by Moscow. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ This period was characterized by complicated negotiations between the Allies and the Soviets, ▪ which delayed the signing of the armistice ▪ to allow Soviet troops to occupy as much Romanian territory as possible. ▪ ▪ Fundamentally, the coup amounted to an unconditional ▪ surrender ▪ to Soviet forces. ▪ ▪ ▪ This process was complicated by negotiations between the Allies, ▪ ▪ ▪ and the signing of the armistice was delayed to give the Soviet Union the opportunity to impose the desired conditions. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ During this troubled period, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ a tragic aspect was the capture of 114,000 160,000 Romanian soldiers by the Soviets, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ they became prisoners of war, ▪ ▪ ▪ without resistance. ▪ ▪ ▪ Following the King's ceasefire order, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ these prisoners were sent on foot to camps in the Soviet Union, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ and around a third of them perished on the way.▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ With painful consequences, ▪ ▪ Bessarabia and northern Bukovina were incorporated ▪ into the Soviet Union as a result of these events. The effect of the armistice pact ceased on September 15, 1947, when the peace treaty with Romania came into force. The new treaty laid the foundations for an unlimited Soviet military presence in Romania, in Article 21, paragraph 1, which I quote. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ By accepting this peace treaty, ▪ ▪ ▪ all allied military forces ▪ ▪ ▪ will withdraw from Romania within 90 days, with the exception of the Soviet Union, ▪ ▪ which will retain on the territory of Romania such armed forces as it deems necessary ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ to ▪ maintain lines of communication with the Soviet Army in the Soviet occupation zone in Austria. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ What troops ▪ are we talking about? ▪▪▪▪▪ Let's go back ▪▪ three years ▪▪▪▪ to the conclusion of the armistice pact. In 1944, ▪▪ when Romania's territory was completely occupied by Soviet troops. ▪ ▪ ▪ Estimates of the size of these troops range from 750,000 to 1 million Soviet soldiers, according ▪ British military officers, ▪ and up to 1 or 1.5 million, according to the ▪ ▪ ▪ Romanian military high command. ▪ ▪ ▪ Western diplomats and experts ▪ often speak of a force ▪ of over a million soldiers. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Troop strength peaked at 615,000 ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ in March 1946, but declined after the signing of the peace treaty in 1947. ▪ ▪ ▪ By the end of 1946, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Soviet units were concentrated in four zones ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Craiova, Slatina, Sibiu, Alba Iulia, Constanța , Brăila and Focșani.▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ During the period 1948 1956, troop size remained relatively stable, with two full divisions and support units ▪ forming approximately a third division. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ With the signing of the Austrian State Treaty in 1955, ▪ ▪ ▪ the reason for the troops' presence as specified in the Treaty of Paris ceased to exist. ▪ ▪ ▪ However, Prime Minister Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej announced that troops would be stationed as long as there were foreign soldiers in West Germany. ▪ ▪ ▪ Soviet troops in Romania were also used to suppress the Hungarian revolution of 1956. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ After the events of August 23, 1944, ▪ ▪ ▪ the Communists began to infiltrate the Ministry of the Interior on a massive scale. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ This institution was created by the Russian unit SMERȘ, with the aim of destroying existing intelligence services in Soviet-occupied Eastern European states ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ and replacing them with units subordinate to Soviet structures. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ The Romanian SMERȘ unit, also known as the Mobile Brigade, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ was commanded until 1948 by Colonel Alexandru ▪ ▪ ▪ Nicolschi. ▪ ▪ ▪ He expressed that the objectives of this unit were to defend the gains of democracy and guarantee the security of the Romanian People's Republic ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ against internal and external enemies. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ The Red Army played a crucial role in the process of expelling the Saxons from Romania from January 1945. ▪ ▪ ▪ In October 1944, at the request of the Allied Control Commission, the government of ▪ Sănătescu ▪ initiated the arrest of young Romanians of German origin, ▪ ▪ ▪ who were ▪ subsequently handed over to the Soviet command. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ During Rădescu's reign, following the Soviet ultimatum ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ trains full of Saxons were sent to the Soviet Union. ▪ ▪ ▪ In a protest on January 13, 1945, the government ▪ ▪ of Rădescu ▪ ▪ stressed Romania's obligation to protect all its citizens, regardless of their ▪ ethnicity, rejecting the lack of any legal basis for the deportation ▪ of the Saxons.
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ This is in the context of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which stipulates in Article 49 that individual or mass transfers, ▪ ▪ ▪ But by the end of the war, international commodity prices were already 33% higher. ▪ ▪ ▪ Half of the sum due ▪ ▪ ▪ would be paid in oil. ▪ ▪ ▪ Around $54 million was transferred in the form of grain, livestock and timber, ▪ while the remainder, up to $300 million, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ consisted of transfers of transport and industrial technologies. ▪ ▪ ▪ These transfers included the Soviet Union's takeover of entire assembly lines ▪ ▪ of factories and various industrial facilities. Seized assets included the Brașov aircraft factory, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ steel furnaces, ▪ ▪ ▪ cigarette factories and even printing plants. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ The reparations also included 6,000 railroad wagons and 355 merchant ships, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ all destined for the Soviet Union ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ and not returned empty. war booty ▪ ▪ ▪ and SOVROM ▪ ▪ ▪ the Soviet Union exercised extensive control over the Romanian economy after the Second World War. ▪▪▪▪▪ Man's life was being pulled out of the gutter. ▪ ▪ ▪ Wristwatches became spoils of war. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Even the Bucharest Conservatory was deprived of the pianos sent ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ to equip the proletarian institutions of the USSR. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Sovrom urile, mixed companies with Romanian and Soviet capital, were created to facilitate the payment of war reparations.
▪ ▪ ▪ Initially, Soviet participation ▪ ▪ ▪ was in the form of consulting, but later, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ thanks to the absorption of German holdings in Romania, ▪ ▪ ▪ USSR dominated the country's economy. ▪ ▪ ▪ Sovrom Oil, Sovrom, Transport, ▪ TARS, Sovrom, Banc controlled key sectors of the economy, ▪ facilitating Soviet domination through tax exemption. Sovrom gasoline, for example, covered 100% of oil production in 1950. ▪ ▪ ▪ In 1952, Sovrom Quartz was created, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ contributing to the USSR's efforts to develop nuclear weapons. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ This policy had a significant impact on the resources and ▪ economic autonomy ▪ of Romania ▪ through Sovrom ▪ uri, ▪ Romania became an economic vassal of the USSR, with almost 90% of exports and half of imports going to the Soviet Union. ▪ ▪ ▪ This dependence was unprecedented, ▪ ▪ ▪ even exceeding wartime levels, when Germany accounted for a maximum 56% of Romanian exports. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Exports are undervalued, while imports are made at international quotations, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ amplifying the impact of looting and USSR state policy ▪ ▪ on the Romanian economy. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ In 1956, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ and Romania bought back the Soviet stake in these companies, payments that lasted well into the 1970s. ▪ ▪ ▪ These transactions cost Romania an estimated $2 billion, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪, the equivalent of $30 billion ▪ ▪ ▪ in today's money. ▪ ▪▪ ▪ This indirect impoverishment of the country has complicated the payment of official reparations which amount to 300 ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ million dollars, ▪ ▪ representing 55% of the ▪ national income of Romania since 1945. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ At the same time, ▪ ▪ Romania was excluded from the benefits of the Marshall Plan, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ and Soviet policy imposed absurd requirements, ▪ ▪ such as non-existent industrial quantities of raw materials in the country. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ In 1946, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ the drought in agricultural production did not prevent generous grain deliveries to the USSR. ▪ ▪ ▪ The Romanian population, in particular the peasants, suffered during this period, up to 60% of agricultural production being destined to feed the Soviet population. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ This Soviet robbery ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ led to the famine of 1946 1947, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ After four years of war, with a crushed economy, eight hundred thousand dead, hundreds of thousands injured and a paralyzed infrastructure, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Romania collapsed.
▪ ▪ ▪ Historians claim that our country contributed $ 7.4 billion to the cost of the war, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ the cost paid by us being the ▪ largest after that of Germany. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Although we ended ▪ the war by fighting on the side of the victorious Allies at the 1946 peace conference, Romania was declared a defeated country ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ and forced to pay huge reparations to the victors. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ We had to deliver tens of thousands of wagons of meat, dairy products, cereals, legumes, fruits and derived products to the Russians. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ We added the costs of maintaining the Soviet troops who remained in the country ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ under the pretext of internment in the Romanian barracks. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Due to the lack of food, people have come to extreme gestures ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ to sell everything they had at home for one gram of food. ▪ ▪ ▪ Many died ▪ then of typhus ▪ or other diseases caused by the long famine and lack of water. ▪ ▪ ▪ It is not known ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ how many Romanians died of hunger ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ after 1900 ▪ 44. ▪ The inhabitants of Buză lived for 14 years alongside hundreds of Soviet soldiers stationed in military units in the county and in rented houses in the city. ▪ ▪ ▪At first, the Soviet troops were involved in robberies and murders, ▪ ▪ ▪ but they ended up collaborating with the locals. ▪ ▪ ▪ Although Romania became ▪ an ally of the USSR after ▪ August 23 and turned its weapons against the fascists, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ the Red Army did not ▪ ▪ ▪ forget the war years to liberate Bessarabia and northern Bukovina. ▪ ▪ ▪ The offensive towards Bucharest gave rise to abuses, such as looting, murders and rapes. ▪ ▪ ▪ It was the gendarmes who had to deal directly with the credibility of the Soviet troops, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ trying to maintain order and protect the inhabitants. On August 26, 1944, as the Soviet troops approached the town of Râmnicul Sărat, the Gendarmerie Legion was ordered to stand guard and cooperate with the Soviet troops to maintain order. ▪ ▪ This period was marked by a ▪ difficult coexistence between ▪ ▪ local Soviet troops, ▪ ▪ ▪ with ▪ varying consequences, depending on the situation and the evolution of relations between the two sides ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ During the Second World War, ▪ after the return of arms against Germany, Romanian civilians became victims of the Red Army.
▪ ▪ Even if Romania was theoretically an ally. ▪ ▪ ▪ Numerous complaints have been filed against the abuses of Soviet soldiers and officers, such as kidnappings, robberies, looting, destruction, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ home violations and the disarmament of forces. ▪ ▪ ▪ However, these allegations remained unanswered ▪ in the context ▪ of the establishment of the communist regime after the war. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ The documents kept at the Romanian National Archives and consulted by Free Europe journalists include reports written by the country's prefectures ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ and contain statements by civilians or minutes from local authorities. ▪ ▪ ▪ These allegations were also addressed to the Romanian Commission for the application of the armistice, ▪ ▪ ▪ an organization created to collaborate with the Soviets on war reparations after August 23, 1944. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ In addition to individual abuses, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ complaints were also made about the general behavior of the Soviet troops, ▪ ▪ ▪ such as shootings and breaking windows in the areas where they were stationed. ▪ ▪ ▪ The Romanian authorities have gone so far as to quantify the information relating to these actions of the Red Army. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ In an attempt to control the flow of information ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ after the arrival of Soviet troops, ▪ ▪ ▪ the famous actor Constantin Tănase satirized the habit of Russian soldiers ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ to confiscate personal belongings, especially clothes and watches, using the expression ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ davai orologio, davai palton! ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ In August 1945, just two days after starring in one of his satirical plays, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪, he was found dead. ▪ ▪ ▪ The writer Mihail Sebastian, who witnessed the events of 1944, ▪ ▪ ▪ describes the atmosphere in Bucharest as characterized by savagery, fear and distrust. ▪ ▪ ▪ Tells about rapes committed by Russian soldiers ▪ ▪ and shoplifting. ▪ ▪ Shortly after the Soviet occupation of Romania, Sébastien died in a tram accident, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ on May 24, 1958. Romania and the USSR ▪ ▪ sign an agreement on the repatriation of Soviet servicemen stationed on Romanian territory. This agreement includes a timetable for the gradual withdrawal of troops during the months of June-August 1958 ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ and demonstrations of solidarity and Romanian-Soviet friendship.
▪ ▪ ▪ The Advisory Committee of the signatory states to the Warsaw Treaty approved this measure on the same date. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Although it was officially stated that the Soviet troops were stationed in Romania in accordance with the provisions of the Warsaw Treaty, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ were withdrawn in accordance with the ▪ ▪ Treaty of Paris. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ This treaty provided for the withdrawal of all Allied forces from Romania within 80 days, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ but the USSR and reserved the right to keep troops in the country to secure communications with the Soviet occupation zone in Austria. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ This amendment legalized the maintenance of Soviet troops in 14 garrisons in Romania. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ In his memoirs, Nikita Khrushchev noted that in 1958, one or two Soviet tank divisions and one infantry division ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ were on Romanian territory. ▪ ▪ In reality, there was an independent mechanized army in Romania, with divisions in Banat, Poarta, Focșani ▪ and Dobrogea, ▪ ▪ ▪ as well as a tank regiment in Muntenia and aviation units, ▪ in total 34,000 soldiers and civilians, with 781 T-34 tanks. ▪ ▪ ▪ On the occasion of the preparation of the withdrawal by Decree n ° ▪ 810 of June 1958, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ All the personnel of these units ▪ were decorated with the medal ▪ ▪ of the liberation from the fascist yoke, ▪ a total of 35,000 Soviet soldiers ▪ were decorated. As a result of this withdrawal, Romania became the only signatory country to the Warsaw Treaty on the territory of which there are no Soviet troops or military bases▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ At the end of this clip about Romania and the hardships endured during the Soviet occupation ▪ ▪, ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ We are forced to look back with a perspective loaded with ▪ painful memories. This tumultuous chapter of our past ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ has left deep scars on the social and cultural fabric of Romania. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ If you enjoy my content and want to support the development of the channel, ▪ ▪ ▪ subscribe. ▪ ▪ ▪ See you next time. ▪ ▪ ▪
