List of wars involving Romania

This is a list of wars fought by Romania since 1859:

The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (1859-1862)

The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia did not participate in any war.

Romanian United Principalities (1862-1866)

Romanian United Principalities did not participate in any war.

Principality of Romania (1866-1881)

Conflict Belligerents Result Romanian commanders
Start End Name Allies Enemies Outcome Losses Prince Prime Minister Defense Minister General Chief of Staff
24 April 1877 3 March 1878 Romanian War of Independence or Russo-Turkish War (1877–78)  Russian Empire
Romania Principality of Romania
Serbia Principality of Serbia
 Principality of Montenegro

Co-belligerents
Bulgarian volunteers
Serb rebels of Bosnia

 Ottoman Empire Victory
  • due to the reestablishment of the Bulgarian state, Ottoman Empire lost its common border with Romania
4,302 dead and missing

3,316 wounded

19,904 sick
Carol I
Ion C. Brătianu
Alexandru Cernat
Gheorghe Slăniceanu (until Aug. 1877)

Constantin Barozzi (Aug.-Oct. 1877)

Ştefan Fălcoianu (from Oct. 1877)

Kingdom of Romania (1881-1947)

Conflict Belligerents Result Romanian commanders
Start End Name Allies Enemies Outcome Losses King Prime Minister Defense Minister General Chief of Staff
21 February 1907 5 April 1907 1907 Romanian Peasants' Revolt
  • uprising peasants

Active neutrality
 Austria-Hungary

Victory
  • Crushing of the rebellion
10 dead and 5 wounded (military)
3,000 civilian casualties
Carol I
Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino (until 24 March 1907)

Dimitrie Sturdza (from 24 March 1907)
Alexandru Averescu
Nicolae Tătărăscu (until 1 April 1907)

Grigore C. Crăiniceanu (from 1 April 1907)
29 June 1913

Romania entered: 10 July 1913

10 August 1913 Second Balkan War  Serbia
 Greece
 Romania
 Montenegro

Co-belligerent
 Ottoman Empire

 Bulgaria Victory
  • Bulgaria became enemy of Romania
negligible combat casualties
6,000 dead of disease
Titu Maiorescu
Constantin Harjeu
Alexandru Averescu
28 July 1914

Romania entered: 27 August 1916

Romania temporary exited: 9 December 1917 World War I Triple Entente

France
 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

Russia (1914-1917)


Italy (1915-1918)
Japan
 Romania
 Serbia
 Belgium
 Greece (1917-1918)
Portugal (1916-1918)
 Montenegro (1914-1916)
Republic of China (1912–49) China (1917-1918)
Siam (1917-1918)


Co-belligerents
United States United States (1917-1918)
Kingdom of Hejaz (1916-1918)
Emirate of Nejd and Hasa
Idrisid Emirate of Asir (1915-1918)
Nepal
Brazil (1917-1918)
Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic
Democratic Republic of Armenia
Monaco
Cuba
Panama
Guatemala
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Haiti
Honduras


Supply only
Liberia (1917-1918)


Diplomatic only
Peru
Bolivia
Uruguay
Ecuador
San Marino


Active neutrality
 Norway
 Venezuela

Central Powers
 Germany

 Austria-Hungary
 Ottoman Empire
 Bulgaria (1915-1918)


Co-belligerents
Emirate of Jabal Shammar
Dervish state
Sultanate of Darfur
Senussi (1915-1917)


Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus (1917-1918)
Kuban People's Republic (1918)
Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918)
Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918)


Active neutrality
 Luxembourg

Defeat
535,706
Ferdinand I
Ion I. C. Brătianu
Constantin Iancovescu
Vasile Zottu
(until Oct. 1916)

Dumitru Iliescu
(Oct.-Dec. 1916)

Constantin Prezan
(from Dec. 1916)
Romania re-entered: 10 November 1918 11 November 1918 Victory
Constantin Coandă
Eremia Grigorescu
Constantin Prezan
1 November 1918

Romania entered: 11 November 1918

17 July 1919

Romania exited: 11 June 1919

Polish–Ukrainian War  Poland

 Romania


Only police troops
Czechoslovakia (1918-1919)
Hungarian Democratic Republic (1919)

Ukraine West Ukrainian People's Republic

 Ukrainian People's Republic


Co-belligerents
Ukraine Hutsul Republic (1919)
Ukraine Komancza Republic


Active neutrality
Czechoslovakia (1919)

Victory
negligible
Constantin Coandă
(until Nov. 1918)


Ion I. C. Brătianu
(from Nov. 1918)
Eremia Grigorescu
(until Nov. 1918)


Artur Văitoianu
(from Nov. 1918)
15 April 1919 6 August 1919 Hungarian–Romanian War  Romania

Co-belligerents
Czechoslovakia
 Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes

 Hungarian Soviet Republic

Active neutrality
Soviet Russia

Victory
3,610 dead
11,666 total
Ion I. C. Brătianu
Artur Văitoianu
27 May 1919 28 May 1919 Bender Uprising

Active neutrality
Soviet Russia

Victory
  • Crushing of the rebellion
unknown
20 October 1920 28 October 1920 1920 Romanian general strike Victory
  • Crushing of the rebellion
unknown
Alexandru Averescu
Ioan Rășcanu
Constantin Cristescu
15 September 1924 18 September 1924 Tatarbunary Uprising

Active neutrality
 Soviet Union

Victory
  • Crushing of the rebellion
3,000 civilian casualties
Ion I. C. Brătianu
George Mărdărescu
Alexandru Lupescu
5 August 1929 6 August 1929 Lupeni Strike
  • coal miners
Victory
  • Crushing of the rebellion
10 soldiers wounded
15 gendarmes wounded
22 miners dead
23 miners gravely wounded
30 miners lightly wounded
Michael I
Iuliu Maniu
Henry Cihoschi
Nicolae Samsonovici
12 February 1933 16 February 1933 Grivița Strike Victory
  • Crushing of the rebellion
2 soldiers dead
7 workers dead
20 workers wounded
Carol II
Alexandru Vaida-Voevod
Nicolae Samsonovici
Constantin Lăzărescu
21 January 1941 23 January 1941 Legionnaires' rebellion and Bucharest pogrom Victory
  • Crushing of the rebellion
30 soldiers dead

200-800 legionnaires dead or wounded


125 jews dead in pogrom

Michael I
Ion Antonescu
Alexandru Ioaniţiu
1 September 1939

Romania entered: 22 June 1941

Romania switched sides: 23 August 1944 World War II Axis

 Germany
 Italy (1940-1943)

 Japan


Affiliate states
 Romania (1941-1944)
 Hungary (1941-1945)
 Bulgaria (1941-1944)
 Thailand (1942-1945)


Co-belligerents
 Finland (1939-1940, 1941-1944)
 Vichy France (1940-1944)
Iran (1941)
 Iraq (1941)


Client states




Active neutrality
 Spanish State
 Denmark (1940-1945)
 Monaco
French Morocco (1940-1942)

Allies

 United States (1941-1945)

 Soviet Union (1941-1945)

  • Ukrainian SSR (1941, 1943-1945)
  • Byelorussian SSR (1941, 1943-1945)

 United Kingdom

 France (1939-1940)
 China


Poland (1939)
 Denmark (1940)
 Norway (1940)
 Belgium (1940)

 Luxembourg (1940)
 Netherlands (1940)

 Greece (1940-1941)
 Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1941)

  • Democratic Federal Yugoslavia (1943-1945)

 Egypt (1940-1945)


 Nepal
Cuba (1941-1945)
Brazil (1942-1945)
 Mexico (1942-1945)
 Ethiopia (1942-1945)
 Portuguese Timor (1942-1945)
 Colombia (1943-1945)


Co-belligerents
Mongolia (1939)
 Italy (1943-1945)


Client state
 Tuvan People's Republic (1941-1944)


Supply only
Bahrain
 Haiti (1941-1945)
 Honduras (1941-1945)
 Dominican Republic (1941-1945)
 Nicaragua (1941-1945)
 Iraq (1942-1945)
 Bolivia (1943-1945)
 Liberia (1944-1945)


Diplomatic only
Oman
 Panama (1941-1945)
 Costa Rica (1941-1945)
 El Salvador (1941-1945)
 Guatemala (1941-1945)
Iran (1943-1945)


Governments in exile
Czechoslovakia
Korea


Active neutrality
 Iceland
French Morocco (1939-1940, 1942-1945)
 Tonga

Defeat
300,000 soldiers dead

64,000 civilians dead


469,000 jews died in Holocaust
Ion Antonescu (until Aug. 1944)
Iosif Iacobici (until Sep. 1942)

Ion Antonescu (Sep. 1941-Jan. 1942)


Constantin Pantazi (Jan. 1942-Aug. 1944)
Alexandru Ioaniţiu (until Sep. 1941)

Iosif Iacobici (Sep. 1941-Jan. 1942)

Ilie Șteflea (Jan. 1942-Aug. 1944)
Romania switched sides: 22 August 1944 2 September 1945

Romania exited: 9 May 1945

Allies

 United States (1941-1945)

 Soviet Union (1941-1945)

  • Ukrainian SSR (1943-1945)
  • Byelorussian SSR (1943-1945)

 United Kingdom

France (1944-1945)
 China


 Norway (1945)
 Belgium (1944-1945)
 Luxembourg (1944-1945)
 Netherlands (1944-1945)
 Greece (1944-1945)
Democratic Federal Yugoslavia (1943-1945)
 Egypt (1940-1945)


 Nepal
Cuba (1941-1945)
Brazil (1942-1945)
 Mexico (1942-1945)
 Ethiopia (1942-1945)
 Portuguese Timor (1942-1945)
 Colombia (1943-1945)
 Argentina (1945)


Co-belligerents
Mongolia (1945)
 Italy (1943-1945)
 Romania (1944-1945)
 Finland (1944-1945)
 Bulgaria (1944-1945)


Client state
Albania (1944-1945)


Supply only
Bahrain
 Haiti (1941-1945)
 Honduras (1941-1945)
 Dominican Republic (1941-1945)
 Nicaragua (1941-1945)
 Iraq (1942-1945)
 Bolivia (1943-1945)
 Liberia (1944-1945)


Diplomatic only
Oman
 Panama (1941-1945)
 Costa Rica (1941-1945)
 El Salvador (1941-1945)
 Guatemala (1941-1945)
Iran (1943-1945)
Peru (1945)
 Ecuador (1945)
Paraguay (1945)
 Uruguay (1945)
Venezuela (1945)
 Turkey (1945)
 Syria (1945)
 Lebanon (1945)
Saudi Arabia (1945)
 Chile (1945)


Governments in exile
Czechoslovakia
Korea


Active neutrality
 Iceland
French Morocco (1942-1945)
 Tonga

Axis

 Germany
 Japan


Affiliate states
 Hungary (1941-1945)
 Thailand (1942-1945)


Client states



Active neutrality
 Spanish State
 Denmark (1940-1945)
 Monaco

Constantin Sănătescu (Aug.-Dec. 1944)

Nicolae Rădescu (Dec. 1944-Feb. 1945)

Petru Groza (from Mar. 1945)
Ioan-Mihai Racoviță (Aug.-Nov. 1944)

Constantin Sănătescu (Nov.-Dec. 1944)


Ion Negulescu (Dec. 1944-Mar. 1945)

Vasile-Constantin Vasiliu-Rascanu (from Mar. 1945)
Gheorghe Mihail (Aug.-Oct. 1944)

Nicolae Rădescu (Oct.-Dec. 1944)


Constantin Sănătescu (from Dec. 1944)

Romanian People's Republic (1947-1965)

Conflict Belligerents Result Romanian commanders
Start End Name Allies Enemies Outcome Losses President of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly Prime Minister Defense Minister General Chief of Staff
Summer 1948 1962 Romanian anti-communist resistance movement
  • Romanian anti-communists
Victory
  • Crushing of the rebellion
unknown
Constantin Ion Parhon (until Jun. 1952)

Petru Groza (Jun. 1952-Jan. 1958)

Ion Gheorghe Maurer (Jan. 1958-Mar. 1961)

Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (from Mar. 1961)
Petru Groza (until Jun. 1952)

Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (Jun. 1952-Oct. 1955)

Chivu Stoica (Oct. 1955-Mar. 1961)

Ion Gheorghe Maurer (from Mar. 1961)
Emil Bodnăraș (until Oct. 1955)

Leontin Sălăjan (from Oct. 1955)
Constantin Popescu (until Mar. 1950)

Leontin Sălăjan (Mar. 1950-Apr. 1954)

Ion Tutoveanu (from Apr. 1954)

Socialist Republic of Romania (1965-1989)

Conflict Belligerents Result Romanian commanders
Start End Name Allies Enemies Outcome Losses President Prime Minister Defense Minister General Chief of Staff
15 November 1987 16 November 1987 Brașov Rebellion
  • Romanian anti-communists
Victory
  • Crushing of the rebellion
no casualties
Nicolae Ceaușescu
Constantin Dăscălescu
Vasile Milea
Ștefan Gușă
16 December 1989 25 December 1989 Romanian Revolution Defeat
1,104 dead
Vasile Milea (until 22 December 1989)

Nicolae Militaru (from 22 December 1989)

post-communist Romania (since 1989)

Conflict Belligerents Result Romanian commanders
Start End Name Allies Enemies Outcome Losses President Prime Minister Defense Minister General Chief of Staff
March 2003 23 July 2009 Iraq War

Iraqi National Congress
New Iraqi government

 Iraqi Kurdistan

Ba'athist Iraq
Ansar al-Islam

Supreme Command for Jihad and Liberation
Army of the Men of the Naqshbandi Order


Sunni insurgents


Shia insurgents


For fighting between insurgent groups, see Civil war in Iraq (2006–07).

Victory
3
Ion Iliescu (until Dec. 2004)

Traian Băsescu (from Dec. 2004)
Adrian Năstase (until Dec. 2004)

Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu (Dec. 2004-Dec. 2008)

Emil Boc (from Dec. 2008)
Ioan Mircea Pașcu (until Dec. 2004)

Teodor Atanasiu (Dec. 2004-Oct. 2006)

Sorin Frunzăverde (Oct. 2006-Apr. 2007)

Teodor Meleșcanu (Apr. 2007-Dec. 2008)

Mihai Stănișoară (from Dec. 2008)
Mihail Eugen Popescu (until Oct. 2004)

Eugen Bădălan (Oct. 2004-Sep. 2006)

Gheorghe Marin (from. Sep. 2006)

References