Description
German-Romanian WW2 Crusade Against Communisn Medal
The medal was established on 1 April 1942 and awarded to military personnel who distinguished themselves in combat on the Eastern Front. In 1940, Romania found itself between the USSR, which had forced the cession of Bessarabia, and Germany, which imposed the return of northern Transylvania to Hungary. The presence of nearly 500,000 German troops on Romanian soil influenced the situation significantly. Following King Carol II’s abdication, Romania, under General Ion Antonescu’s government, entered World War II on 23 November 1940 on the side of the Axis powers. When Germany invaded the USSR in June 1941, Romania contributed more troops than any other German ally. However, after the Battle of Stalingrad, King Mihai led a successful coup on 23 August 1944, and the Romanian army subsequently fought alongside the Allies, pushing the Germans back through Transylvania, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia.
