Soviet occupation of Romania

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The Soviet occupation of Romania refers to the period from 1944 to August 1958, during which the Soviet Union maintained a significant military presence in Romania. The fate of the territories held by Romania after 1918 that were incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940 is treated separately in the article on Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina.

Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, Petru Groza, and Gheorghe Tătărescu with Andrey Vyshinsky, Vladislav Vinogradov and Ivan Susaikov [ro], at the Soviet legation în Bucharest, 11 March 1945

Troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front entering Bucharest on August 31, 1944

King Michael I of Romania was awarded the Order of Victory (the highest Soviet order) for his personal courage in overthrowing Ion Antonescu in the August 23 coup and for putting an end to Romania's war against the Allies.

1948 Romanian stamp

Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina

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The Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina took place from 28 June to 3 July 1940, as a result of an ultimatum by the Soviet Union to Romania on 26 June 1940, that threatened the use of force. Those regions, with a total area of 50,762 km2 (19,599 sq mi) and a population of 3,776,309 inhabitants, were incorporated into the Soviet Union. On October 26, 1940, six Romanian islands on the Chilia branch of the Danube, with an area of 23.75 km2 (9.17 sq mi), were also occupied by the Soviet Army.

Soviet parade in Chișinău

A column of Soviet armored vehicles entering Bessarabia, June 1940

Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov signs the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. Behind him are (left) German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin.

Soviet Marshal Semyon Timoshenko in Bessarabia