Geopolitical Perspectives of the Action of the German Military Mission on Romanian Territory between 1940 and 1941

Abstract

"The activity of the German Military Mission in Romania in 1940 consisted mainly of training the Romanian armed forces in accordance with the new techniques of war. The efficiency of this military mission was strongly reflected among the Romanian armed forces from the perspective of the Romanian soldier’s training and morale. These defining aspects are addressed in the present article, using the method of historiographical investigation and comparative analysis. The objective historical analysis of Romanian-German relations during the German Military Mission in Romania highlights a legal issue, because between the two countries there were no alliance treaties or military conventions as the legal basis for Romania’s participation alongside Germany in the war, most of the subordination of the Romanian armed forces to the German echelons of command being done by verbal agreement. At the same time, the German Military Mission had a dominant influence on the activities of the General Headquarters and the General Staff, minimising their responsibilities for the design and command of the Romanian armed forces in the theatre of war."