1944 in Romania

Decades:	1920s; 1930s; 1940s; 1950s; 1960s;
See also:	Other events of 1944; History of Romania; Timeline of Romanian history; Years in Romania;

Events from the year 1944 in Romania. The year was dominated by the Second World War. The year started with the Soviet Army assault on Romanian troops and the Battle of Romania. King Michael led a coup d'état during the year and Romania left the Axis powers and joined the Allies. The Romanian army subsequently won victories against German and Hungarian troops.

Incumbents

King: Michael I of Romania.^[1]

Prime Minister:
- Ion Antonescu (until 23 August).^[2]
- Constantin Sănătescu (23 August to 5 December).^[3]
- Nicolae Rădescu (from 7 December).^[4]

Events

29 January – Romania surrenders the Transnistria Governorate to advancing Soviet troops.^[5]
5 March – The Uman–Botoșani offensive commences, which lasts until 17 April and ends with a Soviet victory against the Romanian and German Armies.^[6]
2 April – Soviet forces cross the Prut and entered Romania, initiating the Battle of Romania.^[7]
4 April – Aircraft of the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces commence the first of what will be seventeen aerial bombardments of Bucharest, ultimately killing 5,524 inhabitants, injuring 3,373, and leaving 47,974 homeless.^[8]
8 April – The First Jassy–Kishinev offensive starts as Soviet troops advance on Târgu Frumos.^[9]
9 April – The First Battle of Târgu Frumos commences between Romanian and Soviet forces.^[10]
7 May – The Second Battle of Târgu Frumos closes with Romanian and German forces holding out against the advancing Soviet troops.^[11]
12 May – The minelayer Amiral Murgescu is the last Axis warship to leave Crimea, finishing the Crimean offensive.^[12]
23 August – King Michael and opposition allies launch a coup d'état, leading to Romania switching allegiance from the Axis to Allies.^[13]
25 August – Romania declares war on Germany.^[14]
31 August – The Romanian Army defeat the last German troops in Romania.^[15]
5 September – Romanian and Soviet forces attack the Hungarian soldiers supported by the German Army in the Battle of Turda. Fighting lasts until 5 October and, although the Allied forces are initially repulsed, the battle ends with the retreat of the remainder of the Axis soldiers.^[16]
12 September – Romania signs an armistice with the Allies.^[17]
25 October – Romanian and Soviet troops retake the last section of Northern Transylvania from Hungarian troops in the Battle of Carei.^[18]

Births

11 February – Dumitru Velea, equestrian.^[19]
26 May – Constantin Niculescu, boxer.^[20]
4 June – Ion Bașa, ice hockey player.^[21]
14 June – Viorel P. Barbu, mathematician and member of the Romanian Academy.^[22]
22 September – Ana Derșidan-Ene-Pascu, medal-winning fencer at the 1968 and 1972 Summer Olympics, and President of the Romanian Fencing Federation (died 2022).^[23]
28 October – Ileana Enculescu, volleyball player.^[24]

Deaths

26 January – Smaranda Gheorghiu, poet, novelist, essayist, playwright, educator, feminist and traveler (born 1857).^[25]
9 March – Grigore Antipa, biologist (born 1867).^[26]
3 April – Octav Băncilă, realist painter and left-wing activist (born 1872).^[27]
4 August – Francisc Rainer, pathologist, physiologist, and anthropologist (born 1874).^[28]
11 August – Ion Minulescu, avant-garde poet, novelist, and short story writer (born 1881).^[29]
15 August – Ștefania Mărăcineanu, physicist (born 1882).^[30]
18 August – Alexandru Șerbănescu, fighter pilot and flying ace in World War II (born 1912).^[31]
13 September – Grigore Bălan, brigadier general during World War II, killed in action at the Battle of Turda (born 1896).
14 September – Paul-Mihu Sadoveanu, novelist and soldier, killed in action at the Battle of Turda (born 1920).
17 October – Eva Heyman, Romanian-born victim of the Holocaust (born 1931).^[32]
17 November – Magda Isanos, poet (born 1916).^[33]
Date unknown – Alexandrina Cantacuzino, political activist, philanthropist and diplomat (born 1867).^[34]^[35]

References

^ Scurtu, Ioan (2004). Istoria românilor în timpul celor patru regi (1866-1947) [The History of the Romanians under the Four Kings (1866-1947)] (in Romanian) (2a ed.). Bucharest: Editura Enciclopedică. pp. 191–199. ISBN 978-9-73450-441-1.
^ Roper, Steven D. (2000). Romania: The Unfinished Revolution. London: Routledge. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-20369-507-4.
^ Loghin, Leonida; Lupășteanu, Aurel; Ucrain, Constantin (1985). Bărbați ai Datoriei: 23 August 1944 – 12 Mai 1945. Mic Dicționar [Men of Debt: August 23, 1944 – May 12, 1945: Mini-Dictionary]. Bucharest: Editura Militară. p. 370. OCLC 977778092.
^ Vladimirov, Katya (2018-08-20). "General Nicolae Rădescu: New Sources, New Perspectives, 1940s–1950s". History. 103 (357). Wiley: 610–627. doi:10.1111/1468-229x.12626. ISSN 0018-2648.
^ Frieser, Karl-Heinz (2017). The Eastern Front, 1943-1944: The War in the East and on the Neighbouring Fronts. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 791. ISBN 978-0-19872-346-2.
^ Glantz, David M. (2007). Red Storm Over the Balkans: The Failed Soviet Invasion of Romania, Spring 1944. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-70061-465-3.
^ Davidson, Edward; Manning, Dale (1999). Chronology of World War Two. London: Cassell & Co. pp. 187–189. ISBN 978-0-30435-309-5.
^ "Bombardarea Bucureștilor în '44: mii de morți și sute de clădiri făcute praf" [The bombing of Bucharest in '44: thousands killed and hundreds of buildings destroyed]. Adevărul (in Romanian). February 22, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
^ Hall, Richard C. (2014). War in the Balkans: an encyclopedic history from the fall of the Ottoman Empire to the breakup of Yugoslavia. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-61069-031-7.
^ Glantz, David M. (2007). Red Storm Over the Balkans: The Failed Soviet Invasion of Romania. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-7006-1465-3.
^ Tiquet, Pierre; McAdams, Hannah (2020). The 3rd SS-Panzer Regiment : 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf. Havertown: Casemate. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-61200-732-8.
^ Rotaru, Jipa; Damaschin, Ioan (2000). Glorie și Dramă: Marina Regală Română, 1940-1945 [Glory and Drama: The Romanian Royal Navy, 1940-1945] (in Romanian). Bucharest: Ion Cristoiu Publishing. p. 157. ISBN 978-9-73995-447-1.
^ Tomiuc, Eugen (May 6, 2005). "World War II – 60 Years After: Former Romanian Monarch Remembers Decision To Switch Sides". Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.
^ Gella, Aleksander (1989). Development of Class Structure in Eastern Europe: Poland and Her Southern Neighbors. Albany: State University of New York Press. p. 172. ISBN 978-0-58506-470-3.
^ Axworthy, Mark; Scafeș, Cornel; Crăciunoiu, Cristian (1995). Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945. London: Arms & Armour. p. 193. ISBN 978-1-85409-267-0.
^ Bernád, Dénes; Kliment, Charles K. (2017). Magyar Warriors. Volume 1 The History of the Royal Hungarian Armed Forces 1919-1945. Solihull: Helion & Company. p. 129. ISBN 978-1-91217-449-2.
^ "Armistice Negotiations and Soviet Occupation". Country Studies: Romania. US Library of Congress.
^ "Ziua Armatei 2019 – 75 de ani de la bătălia de la Carei" [Army Day 2019: 75 years Since the Battle of Carei] (in Romanian). Radio România Actualități. 24 October 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Dumitru Velea". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Constantin Niculescu". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Ion Bașa Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
^ Hristodol, Felicia; Mândruţ, Stelian; Hristodol, Gheorghe (2010). Bibliografia Istorică a României Volume 12, 2007-2008 : Bibliografie Selectivă [Historical Bibliography of Romania Volume 12: 2007-2008: Selective Bibliography] (in Romanian). Bucharest: Editura Academiei Române. ISBN 978-973-109-214-0.
^ Dușmănescu, Oana (10 December 2014). "Interviu: "Cînd faci un sport de drag, nici nu îți dai seama ce sacrifici"" [Interview: "When you do a favorite sport, you don't even realize what sacrifices you are making"]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian).
^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Ileana Enculescu Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
^ Bîrlea, Petre Gheorghe (1988). O Româncă Spre Polul Nord: Pe Urmele Smarandei Gheorghiu [A Romanian Woman at the North Pole: In the Footsteps of Smaranda Gheorghiu]. Bucharest: Editura Sport-Turism. p. 176. OCLC 26162361.
^ "Grigore Antipa (1867-1944) - Author - Resources from the BnF", data.bnf.fr, archived from the original on 3 April 2019, retrieved 3 February 2022
^ Frunză, Victor (1990). Istoria stalinismului în România [The History of Stalinism in Romania] (in Romanian). Bucharest: Humanitas. p. 214. ISBN 978-9-73280-177-2.
^ Riga, Ilie Th.; Călin, Gheorghe (1966). Dr. Fr. I. Rainer (in Romanian). Bucharest: Editura Științifică. p. 101.
^ Călinescu, Matei (1967). "Tabel cronologic". Ion Minulescu, Romanțe pentru mai târziu și alte poezii [Ion Minulescu, Songs for Later On and Other Poems] (in Romanian). Bucharest: Editura pentru literatură. p. XLX. OCLC 6434366.
^ Marilyn Bailey Ogilvie; Joy Dorothy Harvey (2000). The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science: L-Z. New York: Taylor & Francis. p. 884. ISBN 978-0-415-92040-7.
^ Bernád, Dénes (2003). Rumanian Aces of World War 2. Botley: Osprey Publishing. p. 79. ISBN 1-84176-535-X.
^ Freeburg, Jessica (2017). Fight for Survival: The Story of the Holocaust. North Mankato: Capstone Press. p. 94. ISBN 9781474713535.
^ Sasu, Aurel (2004). Dicționarul biografic al literaturii române [A Biographical Dictionary of Romanian Literature "volume=1]. Pitești: Editura Paralela 45. p. 791. ISBN 978-9-73697-758-9.
^ Roxana, Cheșchebec (2006). "Cantacuzino, Princess Alexandrina". In de Haan, Francisca; Daskalova, Krasimira; Loutfi, Anna (eds.). Biographical Dictionary of Women's Movements and Feminisms in Central and South Eastern Europe, 19th and 20th Centuries. New York: Central European University Press. p. 92. ISBN 978-9-63732-639-4.
^ Ion, Constantin (2010). Gherman Pântea intre Mit și Realitate [Gherman: The Gap Between Myth and Reality]. Bucharest: Editura Biblioteca Bucureștilor. p. 276. ISBN 978-9-73836-983-2.

[1] Scurtu, Ioan (2004). Istoria românilor în timpul celor patru regi (1866-1947) [The History of the Romanians under the Four Kings (1866-1947)] (in Romanian) (2a ed.). Bucharest: Editura Enciclopedică. pp. 191–199. ISBN 978-9-73450-441-1.

[2] Roper, Steven D. (2000). Romania: The Unfinished Revolution. London: Routledge. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-20369-507-4.

[3] Loghin, Leonida; Lupășteanu, Aurel; Ucrain, Constantin (1985). Bărbați ai Datoriei: 23 August 1944 – 12 Mai 1945. Mic Dicționar [Men of Debt: August 23, 1944 – May 12, 1945: Mini-Dictionary]. Bucharest: Editura Militară. p. 370. OCLC 977778092.

[4] Vladimirov, Katya (2018-08-20). "General Nicolae Rădescu: New Sources, New Perspectives, 1940s–1950s". History. 103 (357). Wiley: 610–627. doi:10.1111/1468-229x.12626. ISSN 0018-2648.

[5] Frieser, Karl-Heinz (2017). The Eastern Front, 1943-1944: The War in the East and on the Neighbouring Fronts. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 791. ISBN 978-0-19872-346-2.

[6] Glantz, David M. (2007). Red Storm Over the Balkans: The Failed Soviet Invasion of Romania, Spring 1944. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-70061-465-3.

[7] Davidson, Edward; Manning, Dale (1999). Chronology of World War Two. London: Cassell & Co. pp. 187–189. ISBN 978-0-30435-309-5.

[8] "Bombardarea Bucureștilor în '44: mii de morți și sute de clădiri făcute praf" [The bombing of Bucharest in '44: thousands killed and hundreds of buildings destroyed]. Adevărul (in Romanian). February 22, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2020.

[9] Hall, Richard C. (2014). War in the Balkans: an encyclopedic history from the fall of the Ottoman Empire to the breakup of Yugoslavia. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-61069-031-7.

[10] Glantz, David M. (2007). Red Storm Over the Balkans: The Failed Soviet Invasion of Romania. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-7006-1465-3.

[11] Tiquet, Pierre; McAdams, Hannah (2020). The 3rd SS-Panzer Regiment : 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf. Havertown: Casemate. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-61200-732-8.

[12] Rotaru, Jipa; Damaschin, Ioan (2000). Glorie și Dramă: Marina Regală Română, 1940-1945 [Glory and Drama: The Romanian Royal Navy, 1940-1945] (in Romanian). Bucharest: Ion Cristoiu Publishing. p. 157. ISBN 978-9-73995-447-1.

[13] Tomiuc, Eugen (May 6, 2005). "World War II – 60 Years After: Former Romanian Monarch Remembers Decision To Switch Sides". Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

[14] Gella, Aleksander (1989). Development of Class Structure in Eastern Europe: Poland and Her Southern Neighbors. Albany: State University of New York Press. p. 172. ISBN 978-0-58506-470-3.

[15] Axworthy, Mark; Scafeș, Cornel; Crăciunoiu, Cristian (1995). Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945. London: Arms & Armour. p. 193. ISBN 978-1-85409-267-0.

[16] Bernád, Dénes; Kliment, Charles K. (2017). Magyar Warriors. Volume 1 The History of the Royal Hungarian Armed Forces 1919-1945. Solihull: Helion & Company. p. 129. ISBN 978-1-91217-449-2.

[17] "Armistice Negotiations and Soviet Occupation". Country Studies: Romania. US Library of Congress.

[18] "Ziua Armatei 2019 – 75 de ani de la bătălia de la Carei" [Army Day 2019: 75 years Since the Battle of Carei] (in Romanian). Radio România Actualități. 24 October 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2022.

[19] Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Dumitru Velea". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2022.

[20] Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Constantin Niculescu". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2022.

[21] Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Ion Bașa Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2022.

[22] Hristodol, Felicia; Mândruţ, Stelian; Hristodol, Gheorghe (2010). Bibliografia Istorică a României Volume 12, 2007-2008 : Bibliografie Selectivă [Historical Bibliography of Romania Volume 12: 2007-2008: Selective Bibliography] (in Romanian). Bucharest: Editura Academiei Române. ISBN 978-973-109-214-0.

[23] Dușmănescu, Oana (10 December 2014). "Interviu: "Cînd faci un sport de drag, nici nu îți dai seama ce sacrifici"" [Interview: "When you do a favorite sport, you don't even realize what sacrifices you are making"]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian).

[24] Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Ileana Enculescu Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2022.

[25] Bîrlea, Petre Gheorghe (1988). O Româncă Spre Polul Nord: Pe Urmele Smarandei Gheorghiu [A Romanian Woman at the North Pole: In the Footsteps of Smaranda Gheorghiu]. Bucharest: Editura Sport-Turism. p. 176. OCLC 26162361.

[26] "Grigore Antipa (1867-1944) - Author - Resources from the BnF", data.bnf.fr, archived from the original on 3 April 2019, retrieved 3 February 2022

[27] Frunză, Victor (1990). Istoria stalinismului în România [The History of Stalinism in Romania] (in Romanian). Bucharest: Humanitas. p. 214. ISBN 978-9-73280-177-2.

[28] Riga, Ilie Th.; Călin, Gheorghe (1966). Dr. Fr. I. Rainer (in Romanian). Bucharest: Editura Științifică. p. 101.

[29] Călinescu, Matei (1967). "Tabel cronologic". Ion Minulescu, Romanțe pentru mai târziu și alte poezii [Ion Minulescu, Songs for Later On and Other Poems] (in Romanian). Bucharest: Editura pentru literatură. p. XLX. OCLC 6434366.

[30] Marilyn Bailey Ogilvie; Joy Dorothy Harvey (2000). The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science: L-Z. New York: Taylor & Francis. p. 884. ISBN 978-0-415-92040-7.

[31] Bernád, Dénes (2003). Rumanian Aces of World War 2. Botley: Osprey Publishing. p. 79. ISBN 1-84176-535-X.

[32] Freeburg, Jessica (2017). Fight for Survival: The Story of the Holocaust. North Mankato: Capstone Press. p. 94. ISBN 9781474713535.

[33] Sasu, Aurel (2004). Dicționarul biografic al literaturii române [A Biographical Dictionary of Romanian Literature "volume=1]. Pitești: Editura Paralela 45. p. 791. ISBN 978-9-73697-758-9.

[34] Roxana, Cheșchebec (2006). "Cantacuzino, Princess Alexandrina". In de Haan, Francisca; Daskalova, Krasimira; Loutfi, Anna (eds.). Biographical Dictionary of Women's Movements and Feminisms in Central and South Eastern Europe, 19th and 20th Centuries. New York: Central European University Press. p. 92. ISBN 978-9-63732-639-4.

[35] Ion, Constantin (2010). Gherman Pântea intre Mit și Realitate [Gherman: The Gap Between Myth and Reality]. Bucharest: Editura Biblioteca Bucureștilor. p. 276. ISBN 978-9-73836-983-2.

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