Romanian Land Forces
The Romanian Land Forces have completely overhauled their equipment and today they are one of the most modernized armies in Romania's vecinity. The modernized battle tank TR-85 M1 is the main pride of the Romanian army alongside its new GEPARD Anti-air system, however the full modernization will not be over until 2007.
8 combat brigades, 4 combat support and 2 logistic brigades comprise the military of Romania, while 10 combat, 5 combat support and 2 logistic brigades can be further mobilized in case of crisis.
About 75,000 of the military personnel and 15,000 of the civilians comprise the army, for a total of 90 000 men and women. Conscription is supposed to be abolished by 2007 according to the Romanian Ministry of Defence.
The Romanian Military has essentially undergone a three-stage resturcturing. As of 2005, the first short-term stage has been compleeted. 2015 marks the end of the second stage while 2025 is the date when the long-term stage is to be compleeted. The stages aim at modernizing the structure of the armed forces, reducing the personel as well as acquiring newer and more improved weaponry.
History
During World War I
In 1916, Romania declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary following the initial success of the Brusilov Offensive. The Romanian Army entered Transylvania, a territory it coveted, together with a Russian force. However, a mainly German force repulsed the attack and drove back the Romanians. The Germans drove deep into Romania and conquered the south of the country (Wallachia, including Bucharest) by the end of 1916. The Romanian Army, led by Marshal Constantin Prezan, retreated into the north-east part of Romania (Moldavia). In 1917, Prezan's force, aided by the future Romanian Marshal General Ion Antonescu, successfully stopped the German invasion led by Field Marshal August von Mackensen. The Romanian Army emerged victorious in 1918 with the defeat of the Central Powers.
Post World War I
Before Antonescu took power, Jews were allowed to serve in the army, as both officers and soldiers, in all branches of the military.
During World War II
After General (later Marshal) Ion Antonescu took power in September 1940, Romania signed the Tripartite Pact and also took part in Operation Barbarossa of 1941. An expeditionary force composed of the Third and Fourth Armies (later downsized to form the Fourth Army Corps) was sent in action in Bessarabia and southern Ukraine, where they fought in many battles, notably at Odessa and Sevastopol. From 1941 to 1944 the Romanian Army saw lots of action on the Eastern Front along with the German Army and other Axis forces.
The greatest disaster for the Romanian expeditionary force on the Eastern Front came at Stalingrad, where, during the Soviet counter-offensive of November 1942, the thinly spread forces of the Third Army (deployed north of the city proper, see Battle of Don's Bend) and of the Fourth Army Corps (deployed south of the city proper, see Battle of Kalmuk Steppe) were attacked by vastly superior Soviet forces and suffered combined losses of some 100,000 personnel. It is estimated by some historians that the total Romanian casualties (killed in action, wounded, missing in action, and POWs) suffered during the entire Stalingrad operation, between September 1942 and February 1943, could run in excess of 200,000.
In late August 1944, the Red Army entered Romania, and an anti-fascist coup deposed Antonescu and set up a pro-Soviet government. Romania soon declared war on Germany, and the First and Second Armies were added into action. The Romanian Army took part in the campaign in southwest Europe against Hungary and Germany. The First and Fourth Armies took part in the Prague Offensive of May 1945.