The Red Army in Romania

The Red Army in Romania is the first comprehensive study of the Soviet occupation of Romanian territory in 1940-1941, and its occupation of the country at the end of World War II, which lasted until Soviet troops withdrew from the country in 1958. Based on previously unavailable archival sources, it will be of interest to anyone interested in the occupation policies of the Red Army and Soviet policy in Eastern Europe generally at the end of World War II.

The authors, two well-known specialists on twentieth-century Romanian history, discuss the geopolitical and historical conditions that allowed the Red Army to occupy Romania. They analyze the consequences of the occupation on the country, particularly on political life, as it directly led to the establishment of a totalitarian Communist regime in Romania. An important part of the book deals with the consequences of the Red Army’s stationing on Romanian territory. They examine the evolution of social relations in the country and the opposition of Romanian society to the Russian occupation. The circumstances surrounding the Red Army’s withdrawal from Romania in 1958 are also explained. The appendixes include translations of relevant documents referring to the Soviet occupation of Romania. The Red Army in Romania is a valuable book for students and researchers alike.

Constantin Hlihor is a professor of history at the University of Bucharest and a researcher at the Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies and at the Academy for Military Studies in Bucharest. Ioan Scurtu is a professor of history at the University of Bucharest and former director of the Romanian National Archives.