Hitler's Forgotten Ally: Ion Antonescu and his Regime, Romania, 1940 -1944

390 Pages·2006·1.79 MB·English

by  Dennis Deletant

Hitler’s Forgotten Ally
Ion Antonescu and His Regime, Romania 1940–44
Dennis Deletant
Hitler’s Forgotten Ally
Also by Dennis Deletant
CEAUSESCU AND THE SECURITATE
COMMUNIST TERROR IN ROMANIA
HISTORIANS AS NATION BUILDERS (editor)
ROMANIA AND THE WARSAW PACT (editor)
SECURITY INTELLIGENCE SERVICES IN NEW DEMOCRACIES
Hitler’s Forgotten Ally
Ion Antonescu and His Regime, Romania
1940–44
Dennis Deletant
Professor of Romanian Studies, University College, London
© Dennis Deletant 2006
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First published 2006 by
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ISBN-13: 978–1–4039–9341–0 hardback
ISBN-10: 1–4039–9341–6 hardback
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully
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A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Deletant, Dennis, 1946–
Hitler’s forgotten ally:Ion Antonescu and his regime, Romania 1940–44/
Dennis Deletant.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1–4039–9341–6
1. Antonescu, Ion, 1882–1946. 2. Romania—Politics and government—
1914–1944. 3. World War, 1939–1945—Romania. 4. Romania—Foreign
relations—Germany. 5. Germany—Foreign relations—Romania.
6. Heads of state—Romania—Biography. 7. Marshals—Romania—
Biography. I. Title.
DR262.A5D45 2006
949.8′02092—dc22
[B] 2005056375
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham and Eastbourne
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
Abbreviations of Primary Sources ix
Introduction 1
1 The Prelude to Antonescu’s War 8
2 Antonescu’s Path to Power 37
3 Antonescu and the National Legionary State 52
4 Military Dictatorship and War 69
5 Antonescu and the Jews 102
6 Antonescu and the Holocaust 127
7 Deportation 150
8 Transnistria: The Fate of the Jews and Romas 166
9 Suspension of Deportation, Repatriation and
Emigration of Jews 205
10 The Coup of 23 August 1944 230
11 The Trial of Ion Antonescu 245
12 Conclusion 262
Annex 278
Notes 280
Bibliography 355
Index 366
v
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Acknowledgements
Several institutions and persons have helped me to make this book what it
is. Among the former, my greatest debt is to the Leverhulme Trust in the
United Kingdom which awarded me a senior research fellowship, thereby
allowing my college, University College, London, to release me from my
teaching and administrative duties; and to the Center for Advanced Holocaust
Studies at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington,
DC which granted me a William Rosenzweig Family Fellowship for the
academic year 2000–1. I am especially grateful to Dr Paul Shapiro, Director
of the Center, and to Dr Radu Ioanid, Head of the International Archival
Programs Division, who both gave me warm encouragement in my research
and expert navigation around the unique Romanian microfilm collection of
the Center. That collection lies at the heart of this book.
In Washington, DC I was also fortunate to receive precious insights into
the Antonescu era from my friends Mircea Raceanu and Dr Ernest Latham.
Ernest has been a generous host during my visits to Washington, as has
been Ruth Sulynn Taylor. To both go my heartfelt thanks.
In Romania Claudiu Secasiu of the Council for the Study of the Securitate
Archives (CNSAS) facilitated access to the Antonescu files while they were
in the temporary custody of that body. Dr Serban Papacostea, Professor
Ioan Chiper and the library staff of the ‘Nicolae Iorga’ Institute of History
helped me to identity and access secondary Romanian literature and
relevant journal publications. I have drawn enormous benefit from the
discussion of my research with Dr Papacostea and Professor Andrei Pippidi.
Lya Benjamin and General Mihai Ionescu were generous with their time
and their critical observations of existing scholarship – doubtless my own
study will attract their incisive attention. Marius Oprea, Armand Gosu,
Stejarel Olaru and Dragos Petrescu of the Institute for Recent History were
valuable sparring partners in analysing the Antonescu regime and its
immediate aftermath.
My friends at the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca created the condi-
tions, both cerebral and culinary, in which I could reflect at length on the
results of my work in the archives. Professor George Cipaianu was my anchor in
Cluj, extending a warm welcome in his home and providing me with countless
opportunities to review the progress of my study with him and his colleagues
Dr Virgiliu Tirau, Dr Liviu Târau, Ottmar Trasca, Ioan Ciupea, Dr Marius Bucur,
Professor Gheorghe Mândrescu, Stefan Matei, and Dr Toader Nicoara.
I owe my colleagues in the Department of East European Languages
and Culture of SSEES, UCL, special thanks for taking over my share of
vii
viii Hitler’s Forgotten Ally
administrative duties during my research leave, especially Dr Alex Drace-Francis
who covered my teaching commitments, and Dr Rebecca Haynes who
smoothed my path in dealing with Antonescu’s uneasy alliance with the
Iron Guard. My greatest debt is to Dr Maurice Pearton. Maurice read the
manuscript of the book and gave it its final shape. His knowledge and
understanding of twentieth-century economic and political history saved
me from a number of critical errors. I record here with affection my gratitude
for his unstinting assistance and guidance throughout the entire course of
this project.
Abbreviations of Primary Sources
ANIC Arhivele Nationale Istorice Centrale (The Central Historical
National Archives (formerly the State Archives) Bucharest)
ASRI Archive of the Romanian Information Service [the Security
Service]
CNSAS Consiliul National pentru Studierea Arhivelor fostei Securitati
(National Council for the Study of the Archives of the former
Securitate)
DGFP Documents on German Foreign Policy, Series D: 1937–45, 14 vols,
Washington, DC, London and Arlington, Virginia, 1949–76
MAE Arhiva Ministerului Afacerilor Externe (Archive of the Ministry
for Foreign Affairs, Bucharest)
MAN Arhiva Ministerului Apararii Nationale (Archive of the Ministry
of National Defence, Pitesti)
PRO formerly the Public Record Office, now the National Archives,
London
USHMM Archives of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
ix