| As it is well known "Operation Margarethe II" was the planned German invasion of Romania in 1944 should the Romanian government decide to surrender to the Soviets. In the period before 1989 I found very many written references about this plan, but specific details were almost nonexistent! If we study a little the German countermeasures to 23 August military coup, we conclude that the planned operation remained at sketch stage most likely! It is sure that the German military catastrophe in Belorussia and eastern Poland (Operation Bagration summer 1944) and the need to withdraw from Romania 7 armored divisions (including the elite Grossdeutschland and SS-Totenkopf Panzer Grenadier Divisions) and also other forces had a significant effect on the germans ability to react to a defection, but I still believe that Margarethe II plan has not moved beyond the drawing stage... |