Army's strength

[Republican Guard]

What was the Army's strength at its peak?

PS When Mark Axworthy titled his book "Third Axis, Fourth Ally" was he referring to Romania's rank among European Axis nations, by its army personel in service? I need a clarification on this one :?

[Victor]

The number of men able to serve in 1941 was 2.2 million.
In the first part of the 1941 campaign (Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina) the 473,103 men were engaged in battle (this figure is for front line troops): 14 divisions and 9 brigades, the ARR and the MRR. Later that year another two divisions and 3 brigades were committed on the front, so you can add an extra 58,000 men. I do not know the number of troops concentrated inside the country (partea sedentara).

In 1942, Romania committed a total of 26 divisions on the Eastern Front (the mountain and cavalry brigades had been upgraded to divisions, as they were about the same size as an Italian division). That would make about 350,000-400,000 as the infantry divisions had been reorganized and not all were at full strength.

In 1943, following the disaster at Stalingrad, only 9 divisions served on the front (in the Kuban and Crimea). With the Navy and airforce, that would make 100,000-150,000 probably.

On 15 August 1944, the Romanian army had 1,150,036 men mobilized, of which 431,735 on the front (this figure does not include the airmen and navy). Before that date the Romanian army suffered at least 20,000 casualties in 1944 (which raises the total number of mobilized men).

Against the Axis, from 24 August onwards, Romania committed 538,536 men on the front.

The Romanian army suffered 794,562 casualties during WWII: 92,620 dead, 333,966 wounded and 357,976 MIA (of these about 130,000 were taken POWs by the Red Army, after Romania had quit the Axis and Romanian forces were engaged in battle in Transylvania).