The German Military Mission to Romania, 1940–1941 By RICHARD L. Di NARDO hen one thinks of security assistance and the train- ing of foreign troops, W Adolf Hitler’s Germany is not a country that typically comes to mind. Yet there were two instances in World War II when Germany did indeed deploy troops to other countries that were in noncombat cir- cumstances. The countries in question were Finland and Romania, and the German mili- tary mission to Romania is the subject of this article. The activities of the German mission to Romania are discussed and analyzed, and some conclusions and hopefully a few take- aways are offered that could be relevant for military professionals today. Creation of the Mission The matter of how the German military mission to Romania came into being can be covered relatively quickly. In late June 1940, the Soviet Union demanded from Romania the cession of both Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. The only advice Germany could give to the Romanian government was to agree to surrender the territory.1 Fearful of further Soviet encroachments, the Roma- nian government made a series of pleas to Germany including a personal appeal from Wikimedia Commons King Carol II to Hitler for German military assistance in the summer of 1940. Hitler, Finnish Volunteer Battalion of German Waffen-SS return home from front in 1943 however, was not yet willing to undertake such a step. Thus, all Romanian requests were rebuffed with Hitler telling Carol that Romania brought its own problems upon itself by its prior pro-Allied policy. Hitler also 92 JFQ / issue 69, 2 nd quarter 2013 ndupress.ndu.edu DINARDO urged the Romanian government to settle its The next major element was the German air German Me 109E, German Hs 112B, and problems with Hungary peaceably.2 force mission (Deutsches Luftwaffe Mission Romanian IAR 80A fighters. The bomber Having been urged by Hitler to attain in Rümanien, or DLM), commanded by Luft- fleet included German He 111s, French Bloch a peaceful solution, Romania and Hungary waffe Lieutenant General Wilhelm Speidel. 210s and Potez 63s, Italian SM 84s, Polish then asked Hitler and Italy’s Benito Mussolini The final part of the military mission was the PZL 37Bs, and Romanian IAR 37s. The to act as arbitrators in their dispute over the German navy mission, headed by Admiral Romanians used several of their own aircraft contested area of Transylvania.3 Much to W. Tillesen.7 This article looks at the activi- models for reconnaissance as well as British Romania’s chagrin, however, Hitler and Mus- ties of the DLM to a small degree, but the Blenheims. Under these circumstances, the solini tried to split the difference but in Hun- major focus will be on the DHM. best the Germans were able to do was to gary’s favor. On August 30, 1940, Germany, Hitler laid out the chains of command train ground troops extensively in aircraft Italy, Hungary, and Romania signed the for the elements of the German military identification and make sure the Romanians Second Vienna Award. By the terms of that mission in his directive of October 10, 1940. received British aircraft and parts captured in agreement, Romania had to cede about half Each service mission traced its administra- Yugoslavia in 1941.10 of Transylvania to Hungary.4 tive chain of command to its respective The territorial losses incurred during headquarters in Germany. Hansen, as head The DHM and Romanian Army the summer of 1940 caused considerable of the military mission, would decide matters The major effort in Romania was made political instability in Romania. The Second of common concern. Political matters would by the German army mission, the DHM, Vienna Award, coming after Romania’s be turned over to the German minister in first commanded by Hansen and later by agreeing to conduct a pro-Axis foreign Romania, who looked after German foreign General Eugen Ritter von Schobert. Aside policy, completed the discrediting of Carol’s policy interests there.8 from Schobert’s own staff, the presence of government. Carol appointed Romania’s the DHM would be manifested initially in top military leader, General Ion Antonescu, as prime minister on September 4, 1940. Antonescu promptly forced Carol’s abdica- with Antonescu’s ascension to power, the relationship between tion on September 6, with exile following Germany and Romania warmed considerably soon thereafter. The now vacant Romanian throne was then occupied by King Michael, a callow youth of 19, while Antonescu assumed The DLM and the Aerial Defense of the form of a division-size unit. At first, this dictatorial powers and the title of “Leader,” Romania was to be Friedrich Wilhelm von Rothkirch’s much in keeping with his Nazi and Fascist The DLM had two principal missions. und Panthen’s 13th Motorized Infantry Divi- colleagues.5 The first was to create air defenses around the sion, but was later expanded to include Hans With Antonescu’s ascension to power, vital oil region of Romania in the vicinity of Valentin Hube’s 16th Panzer Division as well. the relationship between Germany and Ploesti and the Black Sea port of Constanta. Several infantry divisions were added in the Romania warmed considerably. Antonescu Also involved was the regulation of air space course of 1941 as German plans first for the began by promising closer collaboration with over the defended areas. The second mission invasion of Greece and later the Soviet Union Germany. He also renewed the request for was to modernize the Romanian air force. took shape.11 German military assistance, with the idea The DLM was more successful in completing Like the DLM, the DHM had two mis- of having Germans train and reorganize the the first mission. Speidel and his staff were sions. Aside from the training mission, the Romanian army. This time, Hitler agreed able to use both Romanian and German German units were to assist the Romanian and on September 19, 1940, he decided to materiel and procedures to make Ploesti one force in erecting defenses against a possible send a military mission to Romania. The of the most heavily defended targets against Soviet invasion, although the mere presence improvement in relations would culminate air attacks. This was to prove invaluable in of German units in Romania did act as a on November 23, 1940, with Romania’s the initial Romanian participation in Opera- guarantee against further Soviet encroach- adherence to the Tripartite Pact.6 tion Barbarossa. Between late June and mid- ments. The second mission was to train the To be precise, Germany actually sent October 1941, Ploesti and Constanta were Romanian army up to a level that was as close four missions to Romania. The umbrella attacked 91 times by Soviet aircraft. Led by to German standards as possible. These units organization was the German military the efforts of the Luftwaffe’s Jagd Geschwader would play a part in the invasion of the Soviet mission, commanded by Army General Erik 52, the combined Romanian-German defense Union. Hitler had distinctly mentioned Hansen, who was also the military attaché brought down some 81 Soviet aircraft.9 this in his December 5, 1940, speech to the to Bucharest. Hansen also commanded the Modernizing the Romanian air force heads of the Wehrmacht. Both Finland and German army mission (Deutsches Heeres proved a bridge too far for the DLM to travel. Romania are mentioned as possible allies in Mission in Rümanien, or DHM) to Romania. Bringing the air force up to date assumed the execution of Operation Barbarossa in growing importance for Germany as Roma- Hitler’s first official directive on the subject nian participation in Barbarossa became a issued December 18, 1940.12 Richard L. DiNardo is Professor of National Security certainty. The most notable problem was The DHM’s ability to carry out its Affairs at the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff the veritable plethora of aircraft used by the training mission was hampered by several College in Quantico, Virginia. Romanian air force. This mélange included factors outside of its control. The first was an ndupress.ndu.edu issue 69, 2 nd quarter 2013 / JFQ 93 RECALL | The German Military Mission to Romania earthquake that struck Romania on the night Aside from these problems, lowed by Himmler’s recall of all SS officials of November 9–10, 1940. German soldiers in members of the German military mission from Romania.18 the 13th Motorized Infantry Division found in Romania, especially in the DHM, had As these problems were dealt with by themselves in the unaccustomed position of to avoid stepping into the minefield of Germans or Romanians or both, the DHM rendering humanitarian assistance to Roma- ethnic minority politics. For the DHM, got on with the business of training the nian civil authorities, which did yield some this centered around the Volksdeutsche Romanian army. Training was conducted at dividends in terms of goodwill.13 (ethnic German) community in Romania. the tactical and operational levels, at least in a The second factor that disrupted Like all ethnic German communities in theoretical sense. There was also an ideologi- DHM activity was the tension between the that part of Europe, the Volksdeutsche in cal aspect to the training. Antonescu government and Romania’s contri- Romania had major connections to the Tactically, the Germans set up training bution to fascism, the Iron Guard. By January Nazi Party, and the Nazis had newspapers centers for the Romanian 5th, 6th, 13th, 18th, and 1941, Antonescu decided that cooperation and political organizations in Romania. 20th infantry divisions as well as for the Roma- between his government and the leader of the Not surprisingly, German language nian Panzer Division.