The Third Reich and the Act of 23 August 1944
The Third Reich and the Act of 23 August 1944

Summary/Abstract: In 1944 Berlin received through different communication channels genuine information about the actions initiated by the democratic opposition, the Royal House and, last but not least, the disgruntled elements within the Great General Headquarters in order to remove the Antonescu regime from power and to conclude an armistice with the United Nations. However, the warnings failed to produce any concrete effects, as the leaders of the Third Reich constantly ignored them and seriously underestimated the ability of the democratic opposition to remove Marshal Ion Antonescu from power. For the Third Reich, the political, economic and military consequences of Romania’s defection were devastating. From a political point of view, for Berlin the act of 23 August meant losing an ally and gaining a new enemy. In addition, the step taken by Romania considerably influenced the attitude of the other allies/satellites of Germany, namely, Bulgaria, Hungary, Finland, and Slovakia. From an economic point of view, the loss of the oilfields around Ploieşti led to a dramatic decrease in the quantity of fuel supplied to the German war machine. The Führer himself would name three major crises with which the Wehrmacht had had to deal in 1944: the Normandy landings, the fall of Army Group Center and, last but not least, “Romania’s betrayal” on 23 August 1944.

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