Romanian Generals 1939-1941

Hi,

In process of gathering information on WWII generals I'm at the moment working on Romanian generals and I have a number of generals, which I need to identifying or to get some information on.

So within near future I will post a number of questions on the forum hoping that someone will be able to help. Let us start with at a few generals properly all retired before Romania's entry into the war:

DG Gheorghe Atansescu (1881- ? )
CG Henric Cihoski (1872- ? )
DG D. Coroama ( ? - ? )
AG Victor Dombrovski ( ? - ? )
AG Gheorge Florescu ( ? - ? )
AG Constantin Ilasievici ( ? -? )
CG Ioan Ilcusu (1883- ? )
MG Gheorghe Stefan Ionescu (1882- ? )
AG Gabriel Marinescu ( ? –1940)
CG Dumitru Motas (1880- ? )
DG Gheorghe Oprescu (1881- ? )
AG T.C. Oprezeanu ( ? - ? )
DG Ilie Partenie (1882- ? )
DG Cristache Popescu (1884- ? )
AG Ioan Rascanu ( ? - ? )
DG Ion Stoicescu (1886- ? )
CG Florea Tenescu ( ? - ? )
DG Paul Teodorescu ( ? - ? )
DG Cristea Vasilescu (1883- ? )

Any information on these fellows would be highly appreciated but if anybody could come up with full names, year of birth and death I would be most grateful.

In advance thanks!

Kind Regards
Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II

Good evening:

Perhaps this will help a little. The following is from "The Army and Romanian Society", edited by Col. Dr. Al. Gh. Savu, published by Military Publishing House, Bucharest, 1980.

"General Paul Teodorescu was born on June 28, 1888. After high school, he studied in the Military School for Infantry Officers which he graduated in 1908 with the rank of Second Lieutenant. Immediately after the First World War, in 1919- 1921, he studied in the Superior War School in the country and in France, and made his apprenticeship at the Staff Headquarters of the 14th Army Corps at Lyon (1921- 1922).

Carrying out a prodigious teaching and writing activity, he was promoted in responsible military and political functions: commander of the "Mihai Viteazul" Guard Regiment, military attache in Paris, Director of the Superior War School, Undersecretary of State in the MInistry of National Defence and, then, Minister of Air and Navy.

For his anti- Nazi attitude, shortly after the instauration (sic) of the dictatorial regime of General Ion Antonescu (September 6, 1940) he was discharged from the active cadres of the army. He was reinstated after the victory of the antifascist and anti- imperialist insurrection of August 1944, in which he had taken part.

Besides the studies and articles published in various military magazines, General Paul Teodorescu also elaborated bigger works, among which: "Divizia in razboiul de miscare. Teme si solutiuni (The Division in the war of movement. Themes and solutions)", written in collaboration with Lieutenant- Colonel Romulus Tupa; "Ce trebuie sa stie orice ofiter din tactica generala (1929) (What Should any Officer Know about General Tactics)", work which was awarded the 1932 "Lazar" Prize of the Romanian Academy: "Intrebuintarea jandarmeriei teritoriale si operative in razboi (1932) (The Employment of Territorial and Operative Gendarme Corps in the War)".

In the meeting of May 27, 1938, on the proposal of Dr. Emil Racovita, the Romanian Academy elected him corresponding member in the Scientific Section."

Please forgive the absence of diacritical marks (my fonts only provide for a Roman English alphabet :mad: ). Also note that the work quoted was published during the Communist period-- the obvious political bias in the quote is in the original.

Best,
Diego

Hi Diego,

Thank you very much for this useful information on Paul Teodorescu. You wouldn't happen to know what position he held after returning to service in August 1944?

Kind Regards
Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II

I'm afraid that information from the work quoted is limited mainly to pre- WW2 subjects. Teodorescu appears unique in becoming active later, but the book has no details of his career after the war.

Diego

Henric Cihoski was born on 2 October 1871. In 1917 he was a brigadier general and the CO of the 10th Infantry Division, which saw some very heavy fighting during the battle of Marasesti. For the exploits of his division, gen. Cihoski received the Mihai Viteazul Order 3rd class. During 1928-30 he was the Minister of Defence. He rose up to the rank of lt. gen. After WW2 he was imprisoned at Sighet where he died during his incarceration. I do not know the date. There was a book published about him in 1996 written by Dumitru Preda.

Ioan Ilcus was Minister of Defence in 1939 and in 1940. He also died at Sighet.

Lt. gen. Ioan Rascanu was the military attaché at Berlin between 1907-1911, liaison officer to the French General Staff in 1916, a brigade commander in the battle of Marasesti in 1917, Minister of Defence between 1918-1921 and mayor of Bucharest between 1942-44. He also died at Sighet.

Thanks Victor,

Well – I doubt that these guys actually served in any active capacity during WWII. I'm interested in Cihoski because I have information that he was member of the Supreme Council of National Defence in 1943. However this may be a mistake, since as I understand it this Council consisted of the: Prime Minister, Minister of War, Chief General Staff, The Inspectors (different arms), Commander in Chief Air Forces and senior commanders (Army & Corps).

Though still interested in their years of death.

Kind Regards
Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II

I found a new detail about gen. Ioan Ilcusu. In 1934 he was the CO of the 17th Infantry Division.

Thanks Victor for the additional info.
Btw. is Ilcus or Ilcusu?

Kind Regards
Steen Ammentorp
The Generals of World War II

Mountain Trooper General Dumitrache:

New details: lt. general Henri Cihoski passed away exactly 54 years ago, on 18 May 1950 in the Sighet prison.

That's a great picture, Denes. Thanks for posting it.

Do you have any other pictures of Mountain Corps divisional commanders? Manoliu, Mociulski, Lascar, (even Korne).

Or colonels Vlad, Botez, etc...

They were a brave bunch...

New find: maj. gen. Florea Tenescu was born on 1 April 1884 at Turnu Magurele.

General Ion Ilcuşu
Born on 2 February 1882 at Răşinari, Sibiu county.
On 1 April 1916 he moved to Romania where he was incorporated into the Romanian Army with the rank of major. He became lieutenant-colonel on 1 September 1917.
Between 21 September 1939 - 4 July 1940 he held the position of Minister of National Defence.
In reserve from 9 September 1940.

Source: Magazin istoric (12/2004)

General Iosif Iacobici
Born on 8 December 1884 at Alba Iulia.
In December 1918 he was incorporated into the Romanian Army with the rank of lieutenant-colonel.
Royal adjutant between 1925-1929
1931: General de brigadă (brigadier general)
1937: General de divizie (major general)
Between October 1938 and January 1939 he was Minister for Armament.
Held the position of Minister of National Defence from 27 January until 23 September 1941
Commanding Officer of the Fourth Army from 9 September until 9 November 1941
Appointed Chief of the General Staff on 9 November 1941
Resigned on 20 January 1942 following a conflict with Ion Antonescu regarding the massive deploy of Romanian troops beyond the Dniester
Died on 11 March 1952 at Aiud

Source: Magazin istoric (12/2004)

14th October 1938 - 31st January 1939
from: Stelian Neagoe, Istorie Guvernelor României de la începturi - 1859 păna în zilele noastre - 1995, Bucureşti 1995