STEPS TAKEN TOWARDS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SOVIET DOMINATION OVER ROMANIA AFTER AUGUST 23, 1944. A RETROSPECTIVE AFTER 80 YEARS (MARCH 1945)
Journal: Historical Yearbook
Year: 2025

The coup of August 23, 1944, which overthrew Antonescu's dictatorship, spared Romania from immediate Soviet takeover but soon brought the country under Red Army occupation.With the entry of Soviet troops into Bucharest on August 31, Romania lost autonomy, and the small Communist Party, supported by Moscow, became the main tool for dismantling existing institutions and preventing a democratic restoration.The army, police, and judiciary were systematically weakened, while propaganda, often framed