Peasant Armies at Odds: Romanian-Soviet Interaction During the Second World War

Abstract

The battle on the Eastern Front is usually depicted as simply a clash between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. However, a multitude of nations joined the Axis on the Eastern Front. Of all these nations, Romania was the most important ally of the Wehrmacht. The depth of Romania's alliance with Nazi Germany has just begun to be explored in the last two decades, but examination of the relationship between the Romanian Army and the Red Army during the war is still almost non-existent. This is particularly troubling when it is taken into account that the Romanian Army eventually fought alongside the Red Army in the last year of the war. This article explores the evolution of Romanian-Soviet interaction from enemies to allies.