Acțiuni de luptă ale batalioanelor de miliții în campania din 1916
Combat Actions of the Militia Battalions in the Campaign of 1916

Summary/Abstract: The study below analyses a subject that was insufficiently covered by the Romanian historiography, namely the participation of the militias troops to the campaign of 1916. The militias represented a reminiscence of the military organization of the second half of the 19th century. According to the law of 1913, they incorporated the persons deemed able for military service, but with ages between 40 and 45. They were poorly equipped and poorly trained, the same being valid for the officers. At the start of the hostilities, the effectives of the militias totaled 160 000 men. They were organized in battalions and entered the composition of the four Romanian armies. Despite being unprepared for combat, the battalions of militias were used in major operations, such as those from Turtucaia, Câmpulung, Văile Topologului, Olt and Jiu valleys, etc. In most situations, they weren’t very efficient, with the exception of the first battle on Jiu River (October 1916), when their intervention was salutary. The participation of the militias in the confrontations during the fall of 1916 represented a necessity, as the fighting on two fronts required very large effectives. At the same time, their use into combat represented an error, as they were not as efficient as expected.

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