Battle of Transylvania

Battle of Transylvania
Part of the Romanian campaign of World War I

Romanian troops crossing the mountains into Transylvania
Date27 August – 16 October 1916
Location
Result Central Powers victory
Full results
  • Romanian invasion repulsed
  • Successful Romanian retreat (Central Powers failure to destroy any of the three Romanian armies)
  • Erich von Falkenhayn replaced as Chief of Staff of the Imperial German Army
  • German offensive at Verdun halted, as well as German offensives on other fronts
  • Central Powers invasion of Dobruja
  • Assumption of supreme military command of the Central Powers by the German emperor
Belligerents
 Kingdom of Romania  Austria-Hungary
 German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Kingdom of Romania Ioan Culcer
Kingdom of Romania Alexandru Averescu
Kingdom of Romania Grigore Crăiniceanu (replaced Averescu after Turtucaia)
Kingdom of Romania Constantin Prezan
German Empire Erich von Falkenhayn
Austria-Hungary Arthur Arz von Straußenburg
Units involved
Kingdom of Romania 1st Army
Kingdom of Romania 2nd Army
Kingdom of Romania North Army
Austria-Hungary 1st Army
German Empire 9th Army
Strength
27 August:
369,000[1]

18 September:
Less than the Central Powers[2]
27 August:
34,000[3]

18 September:
>200,000[4]
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown
200,000 civilians internally displaced

The Battle of Transylvania was the first major operation of Romania during World War I, beginning on 27 August 1916. It started as an attempt by the Romanian Army to seize Transylvania, and potentially knock Austria-Hungary out of the war. Although initially successful, the offensive was brought to a halt after Bulgaria's attack on Dobruja. Coupled with a successful German and Austro-Hungarian counterattack which started in mid-September, the Romanian Army was eventually forced to retreat back to the Carpathians by mid-October. The Romanian armies however managed to escape the Central Powers' attempts to completely destroy them. The Battle of Transylvania also caused the replacement of the Chief of Staff of the German Army and the shifting of German attention to the region, causing German offensive operations at Verdun to cease.

  1. ^ Holger H. Herwig, A&C Black, Apr 24, 2014, The First World War: Germany and Austria-Hungary 1914-1918, p. 211
  2. ^ Stephen Pope, Elizabeth-Anne Wheal, Pen and Sword, Nov 1, 2007, Dictionary of the First World War, p. 399
  3. ^ Holger H. Herwig, A&C Black, Apr 24, 2014, The First World War: Germany and Austria-Hungary 1914-1918, p. 211
  4. ^ Stephen Pope, Elizabeth-Anne Wheal, Pen and Sword, Nov 1, 2007, Dictionary of the First World War, p. 399