The Jassy–Kishinev Offensive: Romania's August 1944 Turning Point

In August 1944, the Soviet Red Army launched one of World War II's most devastating campaigns: the Jassy–Kishinev Offensive. This episode dives into the six-day battle that annihilated German Sixth Army for a second time, forced Romania to switch sides, and changed the balance of power in the Balkans. We follow the Soviet pincer movement around Iași and Chișinău, the role of Marshal Ion Antonescu's last stand, and how King Michael's coup that same month was made possible by the military collapse. Featuring the strategic thinking of Soviet generals Malinovsky and Tolbukhin, the desperate German defense under General Friessner, and the human cost—over 100,000 Axis casualties. We also touch on the controversial legacy of the offensive: did it liberate Romania or set the stage for decades of Soviet domination?

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