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German soldier with a Romanian civilian dwarf at his farm at Felsővisó (Vișeu de Sus) on the Romanian Front, 1917.

 German soldier with a Romanian civilian dwarf at his farm at Felsővisó (Vișeu de Sus) on the Romanian Front, 1917. 


Today 107 years ago, on August 27, 1916, Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary and invaded them in the Battle of Transylvania.

Romania had drafted plans for a potential invasion of Austria-Hungary since 1913 which would now be executed.

It called for the Romanian 2nd Army to invade Transylvania in the center of the front, with Budapest as the final objective, knocking out Austria-Hungary of the war as well. 

The 2nd Army would be supported on its left flank by the 1st Army and on its right flank by the 4th "North" Army.

The three Romanian armies totalled 350,000 troops and would be up against just 4 depleted Austro-Hungarian Divisions of the A-H 1st Army guarding the Hungarian border in Transylvania.

On August 27, 1916, Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary, as the Romanian Armies invaded Transylvania. 

The Romanian forces immediately advanced, only encountering sporadic Austro-Hungarian resistance.

The Romanian 1st Army captured the strategic coal village of Petroșani, the 2nd Army seized the city of Brașov and the 4th Army reached the city of Târgu Secuiesc, all by August 29.

The German 9th Army was deployed into Transylvania on September 5 to bolster the lone and weak A-H 1st Army. 

To the unexpected pleasure of the Central Powers, the Romanian 1st Army halted their advance and consolidated their positions. 

The 2nd and 4th Armies kept advancing, but this time against stiffer German resistance.

On September 14, the Austro-Germans launched a counter-attack across the front, pushing the Romanian 1st Army back across the border. 

The Romanian 2nd Army had advanced over 100 km by September 26, but was decisively beaten and forced to retreat at Brașov on October 8.

Since September 2, Bulgarian forces had attacked further south in the Battle of Turtucaia, and had decisively beaten the Romanian 3rd Army guarding the border by September 6.


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