Second Romanian campaign of World War I

The second Romanian campaign of World War I was one of the shortest military operations of the war, taking place during the last two days of the war, 10 and 11 November 1918. With no significant battles, it yielded important territorial as well as material gains for the Romanians, and was a prelude to the Hungarian–Romanian War, which would start two days later, on 13 November.

Second Romanian campaign of World War I
Part of Eastern Front of World War I
Date10–11 November 1918
Location
Result Romanian victory
Belligerents

 Germany


 Austria-Hungary
 Romania
Commanders and leaders
German Empire August von Mackensen Kingdom of Romania Ferdinand I
Strength
Unknown 10 divisions
2 warships
Casualties and losses
77 assorted German vessels were captured None

Background

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The First Romanian Campaign ended in victory for the Central Powers, forcing Romania to sign the Treaty of Bucharest and drop out of the war in May 1918. This treaty was deeply resented by the Romanians.

But after Bulgaria had capitulated on 29 September 1918, the French-led Army of the Danube under of Henri Mathias Berthelot, traveled unopposed under armistice terms through Bulgaria by rail towards Romania. By the end of October, they had reached Pleven, Veliko Tarnovo and Ruse on the Bulgarian-Romanian border. There was still a large German-Austrian-Hungarian occupation force present in Romania under command of August von Mackensen. By early November however, it was clear the war was lost and the occupation force marched home towards Hungary, and the French crossed the Danube at Svishtov and Nikopol.[1] These events motivated Romania to re-declare war on the Central Powers on 10 November 1918.[2]

Course of the campaign

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Northern front

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On the northern front, Romanian troops occupied Austrian Bukovina, entering the capital Czernowitz on 11 November.[3]

Southern front

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In the morning of 11 November, three hours before the Allied Armistice with Germany was signed, the Romanian monitor Mihail Kogălniceanu, together with the 30-ton river torpedo boat Trotușul, recovered the port of Brăila after the Germans retreated from the city. The two Romanian warships captured 77 assorted German vessels abandoned in the city's port (barges, tankers, tugs, floating cranes, and motorboats).[4]

References

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  1. ^ Général Bernachot, Les Armées françaises en Orient après l'armistice de 1918, Imprimerie nationale, 1970, volume 2.L'Armée du Danube, l'Armée française d'Orient (28 octobre 1918 – 25 janvier 1920).
  2. ^ Spencer C. Tucker, The Great War, 1914–1918, Routledge, 2002, p. 121
  3. ^ Paul R. Magocsi, A History of Ukraine: The Land and Its Peoples, University of Toronto Press, 2010, p. 553
  4. ^ Raymond Stănescu, Cristian Crăciunoiu, Marina română în primul război mondial, Modelism Publishing, 2000, p. 251 (in Romanian)