The Red Army in Romania by Constantin Hlihor Hlihor

Author:Constantin Hlihor Hlihor
Format: epub

The proposed convention was examined by specialists of the Allied Control Commission — Colonel of Justice Spilman and Major of Justice Mironov — who reached the conclusion that “No convention needs to be concluded between the Allied Headquarters and Romania for regulating the relations between them since these relations have already been established through the Armistice Convention of 12 September 1944.”⁷³ Consequently, an extremely useful document for alleviating the state of emergency in those times was turned down by the Allied Control Commission on 16 March 1945, for reason that “since these relations are not established through the Armistice Convention, the commission is not obliged to regulate them.”⁷⁴

On 1 March 1945 Lieutenant-General Vinogradov answered the many requests made by the Romanian Commission for the Application of the Armistice concerning the measures necessary to put an end to the abuses and crimes committed by the Soviet soldiers. Regarding the murders and serious injuries inflicted by Soviet soldiers it was stated: “We have proceeded to examine the accusations. After a diligent inquiry our investigations have almost always resulted in the dismissal of most of the accusations.”⁷⁵ With the same candor, General Vinogradov, on behalf of the Allied Control Commission, denied the accusations of abduction.⁷⁶ The known incidents had been committed, in the opinion of the representative of the Allied Control Commission, by individuals of the Iron Guard and by other violent men dressed in the uniforms of the Soviet Army “for the purpose of compromising the Red Army.”⁷⁷ General Vinogradov asserted that such incidents would not be investigated in the future, and ordered that: “This avalanche of complaints should stop” and that those people found guilty of “gathering information about the actions of the Red Army” should be identified and held responsible.⁷⁸

The Allied Control Commission informed the Romanian authorities and police to take the necessary administrative measures. Thus, for example, on 20 May 1945 General Marin Anton, General Inspector of the Gendarmes, ordered his subordinates, through the General Order 33.586, to put an end to “rumors,” a euphemism for the accusations of offences committed by Soviet soldiers, which “have become an extremely dangerous means of propaganda that could lead to the deterioration of the friendship between the Soviet and Romanian armies.⁷⁹ According to this order, whoever denounced a Soviet soldier committed an offence and was tried before the Martial Court.⁸⁰ The number of anti-social acts which involved Soviet soldiers decreased. In the period between May and September 1945, according to a note of 4 October 1945 of the military commission within the Romanian Commission for the Application of the Armistice, Soviet soldiers committed only 14 offences.⁸¹ In reality, the number of incidents involving Soviet soldiers was much larger. “The incidents between members of the Soviet Army and the Romanian military and citizens have sensibly increased in number lately.”⁸²

Many of the robberies, rapes, and aggressive acts committed by Soviet soldiers could not be registered. The Romanian Commission for the Application of the Armistice would not file a complaint if the name of the

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