IMAGINEA SOLDATULUI GERMAN ÎN MEMORIA COMBATANŢILOR ROMÂNI ÎN CEL DE-AL DOILEA RĂZBOI MONDIAL
The Image of the German Soldier in the Memory of the Romanians during the Second World War

Summary/Abstract: On the Eastern front events during the Second World War, Romanian soldier had a double identity, as ally and enemy related to the greatest armies of the world: Wehrmacht and Red Army. The display of military operations has left many times Romanian soldiers in tide co-operation relationships with Germans who had then the opportunity to create a realistic point of view about their allies, Germans, as an individual and as an army force as well. More than sixty years after the war, old Romanian veterans have brought to surface few aspects of that collaboration, outlining now, on this basis, the German soldier’s image. In the eye of the witnesses’ relatives, the Germans perception was affected by the several situations when Romanian soldiers interfered with them. The most important of the issues/topics they had debated are: human behavior, attitudes and reactions on the battlefield, alteration and cultural differences, moments of co-operation and disagreement. A large amount of testimonies sustaining these facts were published, drawing a complete image of the German soldier. There are few things that are still alive in Romanian eye witnesses’ memory such as: German’s great logistic resources, their discipline, correctness, honesty, companionship. Stalingrad battle has been the starting point for moments of tension and disagreement as a result of few lost battles. In spite of the fact that Romanian and German armies were different as conception and endowment, they still proved during the 3 years of conflict, that they could manage successfully a coalition war no matter if the situations were good or bad. Even if finally the two armies have had chosen different ways, Romanians standing by the Allies, we can come to the conclusion that between June 22, 1941 - August 23, 1944 the two armies fought side by side developing relations of honest co-operation and comradeship.

• Details
• Contents