Ethnic minorities in Romanian Army (30's)

Hi,

I'm looking for informations about minorities in Romanian Army...

Do you know the % of each community in 30's ? (Bulgarians, Hungarians, Ukranians...)

Thanks.

Hi Guys,

This relates to a question I was also going to ask.

We know that in WWI the Austro-Hungarians were careful to keep their national minorities away from areas where they were likely to confront fellow nationals. We also know that between the world wars the Poles were careful to post Ukrainians to divisions in Western Poland and sent Poles to make up the majority of men in divisions in Eastern Poland, where Poles were actually a minority of the population.

Presumably Romania had a similar problem with potentially unreliable minorities between the wars. What measures were taken to address this issue? For example, were ethnic Hungarian conscripts sent to divisions outside Transilvania, or Bulgarians sent to divisions outside Dobrogea?

Certainly, during WWII Romania had a policy of keeping elite units such as its paratroops exclusively Romanian. Was this true of other units in the 1930s?

I also note that, according to "Armata Romana de la Ultimatum la Dictat anul 1940", 16th and 17th Infantry Divisions suffered heavy desertions during the evacuation of Northern Transilvania in September 1940. Were these deserters local ethnic Hungarians, or were they local ethnic Romanians worried about their families?

Finally, there are conflicting stories about whether 2nd Mixed Mountain Brigade suffered heavy or light desertions during the evacuation of Northern Transilvania. Volume II of "Armata Romana de la Ultimatum la Dictat anul 1940" says that its losses were very light, but "Epopeea Vintarilor de Munte" (p.73) says that only 1/3 of its strength remained.

Many thanks,

Sid.

It is hard to tell. In 1939, in the Romanian Royal Aeronautics, there were the following German officers:
cdor. av. Herman Wester (out of 15 with this rank)
cpt. cdor. av. Frederic Roesler (out of 37 with this rank)
lt. cdor. av. Ioan Wendelin
lt. cdor. av. Enric Dahinten (2 out of 78 with this rank)
cpt. av. Ioan Hess
cpt. av. Mihail Gross
cpt. av. Wilhelm Lanci
cpt. av. Francisc Galeno (does anyone know the ethnic background of the future CO of the 3rd Dive Bomber Group?)
cpt. av. Alfred Conrad (5 out of 179 with this rank)
lt. av. Wilhelm Schmaltz (out of 148 with the same rank)
slt. av. Carol-Hans-Nicolae Geissler-Dobrescu (out of 73 with the same rank)

Also, possible Bulgarians:
cpt. av. Boris Antoniev
cpt. av. Andrei Tijnevoi
cpt. av. Marc Cernev
lt. av. Boris Avramov

and Hungarian:
cpt. av. Aurel Silagi

Usually, the Germans were considered the most loyal ethnic minority to the Romanian monarchy.

What about gipsies ?
Were they in the army ?

[edited by admin]


This post has been edited by Victor on May 20, 2005 01:07 pm

Why you put " " 's? In a past job i have enough gypsy's in crews of welders and cutters, in uncalified crews, etc. Some of them are great workers, some not. Just like romanians. I obtained theyr respect, and they obtained mine. And, i was at 23-24 years old "chief". Even now, when we see each other on the street we salute and speak as friends, about old job, about famillies, childrens, old times.
I think they were soldiers like other native or ethnics from Romania or whatever country you want. Some with courage, some with less. They are mans like any other mans from this planet.

Iama

Warlord, I advise to respect the decisions of the admins in the future. If I or dragos edit your post and eliminate something unappropiate, it should stay this way.

Victor it was just a joke...
And when i reedited i put the " "

AFAIK, Cpt. av. Gross choose to stay behind in Northern Transylvania after the August 30, 1940 Vienna Resolution.

Although his name was certainly of Hungarian origin (a Rumanized version of Szilágyi), based on his first name he was not Hungarian.

BTW, I don't know a single Hungarian ethnic officer in ARR service between 1939-1945.

Gen. Dénes

I found an airman, who could be a French ethnic: cpt.obs. François Marasco+ of Esc. 20 obs., who died aboard an I.A.R. 39 on 13-Aug-41.
Does anyone know who were the other two crewmembers and what was their fate?

Gen. Dénes

I read some time ago about a hungarian origin pilot (don't know if he was officer or not), who bailed out above Transilvania after 23 august - the legend says he was captured by hungarian military and beaten to death.I am not sure where I read this - need to read some books again.

This post has been edited by D13-th_Mytzu on June 05, 2005 12:10 am

He was a German ethnic, not Hungarian.

The off-topic discussion has been moved in the old "Romanian and Hungarian warcimes" topic, here: http://www.worldwar2.ro/forum/index.php?showtopic=274

How were the soldiers belonging to the ethnic minorities integrated in the Romanian Army?

Were they dispersed or put together in a group with special duties?

As far as I have heard they were put together in minoritaty- companies. What is known about those?

Regards

There were no special "minority companies".

The only units organized according to ethnic background, were work detachments manned by Romanian citizens of Jewish ethnicity, which were used for building different fortifications and other things inside Romania or Trans-Dnestra.

From DOM POLSKI ZWIAZEK POLAKOW W RUMUNII - UNIUNEA POLONEZILOR DIN ROMANIA (dompolski@warpnet.ro) to ASOCIATIA NATIONALA a VETERANILOR de RAZBOI -BUCURESTI

and from ANVR "MUSATINII" SUCEAVA

DUHAI STEFAN - soldier, born 27.12.1919; Reg. 12 Infdantry Sadagura - Cernauti, 6 th Company. He fight at Tiraspol, Freudenthal, Dalnik and Odessa; next was on front at Iasi, Roznovanu - april 1944. At 23.08.1944 he va take POW and for 2 years was at 40 km from Vlodivostok as woodcutter.

MARKULAK MARTINUS - soldier, born 22.09.1921; Reg. 39 Infantry Floresti-Balti. He fought on the east front to the Odessa, and after that he participate with his unit for guard of the Odessa-Nicolaev litoral region. He fought against partizans, and was POW working at re-cbuilding of Stalingrad.

OSTROWSCHI LUCAS - corporal, born 23.09.1921; 14 th Batallion Mountain, fought at Sevastopol. When retreat, was take POW for 18 months at hard work near Leningrad "primavara erau inhamati la pluguri, arand suprafete de pamant".

BELES STANISLAV - soldier, born 1.03.1922; 8'th Reg. Artillery, 6'th battery. Near of ZELENDDORW, AUSTRIA he was take POW, and transported to SENERESFIRER lagar, from where was liberated in AUgust 1945.

Other veterans were: Zelonca Victor, Piotrovschi Vladislaus, Pieczarna Ludovicus, Ostrowschi Antonius, Polaczek Sigismund, Polaczek Aloisius, Markuleac Martinin, Ostrowschi Lukas, Ostrowschi Anton, s.a.

Iama

This post has been edited by Iamandi on October 04, 2005 11:38 am

Hi Iamandi,

Weren't the Koslinski family of Romanian naval officers of Polish descent? Two of them commanded the Romania fleet (one in the 1930s I think) and a third co-wrote an excellent naval history of Romania in WWII.

Cheers,

Sid.