România, Germania și operațiunea „Margarethe I” (ocuparea militară a Ungariei-19 martie 1944)
Romania, Germany, and the Operation ”Margarethe I” (the military occupation of Hungary – march 19, 1944)

Summary/Abstract: During the second half of 1943, the disagreements between Germany and its allies/satellites multiplied and continuously worsened. The defeats suffered by the Wehrmacht on various military fronts, coupled with Italy’s exit from the war, determined both Romania and Hungary to accelerate their policy of breaking away from the alliance with the Third Reich. This was manifested through the refusal to send new troop contingents to Russia, the gradual withdrawal of the units still on the Eastern Front, and the intensification of contacts – via various communication channels – with Western allies in the pursuit of exiting the war. These efforts did not go unnoticed by the leadership of Nazi Germany, as there was a fear in Berlin that both states would attempt to follow Italy’s example in a short time. Maintaining Romania and Hungary in Third Reich’s sphere of influence was of vital importance for the German leadership because, unlike Italy or Finland, both Southeast European states held a key position in the German political and military machinery.As a result, in the fall of 1943, in order to prevent the recurrence of undesirable and unpleasant events similar to those in Italy, Hitler and the High Command of the Wehrmacht (OKW) decided on the military occupation of Hungary ("Operation Margarethe I"). The operation was executed on March 19, 1944. Although following the occupation of Hungary, the decision-making circles in Bucharest, led by Marshal Ion Antonescu, hoped for a favourable decision for Romania in the territorial dispute with Hungary and, implicitly, an improvement in the situation of the Romanian minority in the disputed territory, these hopes proved to be illusory.

• Details
• Contents