1942–1944: Holy War of Defense
Journal: Cornell University Press eBooks
Year: 2021

This chapter argues that, despite eroding morale following the defeat at Stalingrad during the winter of 1942–1943, Romanian soldiers remained motivated to fight into 1944, but they were less motivated to commit atrocities. After the battle of Stalingrad, the Romanian Army fought for another year and a half alongside the German Army, helping to delay the Red Army’s advance. By mid-1943, Romanian soldiers knew the Axis was losing the war, and morale steadily eroded. Poor morale, mounting casualti