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The Battle of Prunaru was a military engagement between
On 28 November, the leading elements of the 217th Division encountered strong Romanian forces near the village of Prunaru. Only with the arrival of heavy artillery around noon were the Romanians driven back.
Barrie Pitt, Peter Young, Purnell, 1970, ''History of the First World War, Volume 4'', p. 1721
/ref>
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
and Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
n forces during the Romanian Campaign of World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. It resulted in a tactical German victory, but following the heavy Romanian resistance the Germans halted after taking Prunaru. General Constantin Prezan
Constantin Prezan (January 27, 1861 – August 27, 1943) was a Romanian general during World War I. In 1930 he was given the honorary title of Marshal of Romania, as a recognition of his merits during his command of the Northern Army and of the ...
's maneuver group checked the German forces in the region within two days, exposing the left flank of Field Marshal August von Mackensen
Anton Ludwig Friedrich August von Mackensen (born Mackensen; 6 December 1849 – 8 November 1945), ennobled as "von Mackensen" in 1899, was a German field marshal. He commanded successfully during World War I of 1914–1918 and became one of t ...
's Danube Army.
Background
On 23 November, the 217th Division of the Danube Army was ferried across the Danube onto Romanian soil. On 27 November, GeneralErich von Falkenhayn
General Erich Georg Sebastian Anton von Falkenhayn (11 September 1861 – 8 April 1922) was the second Chief of the German General Staff of the First World War from September 1914 until 29 August 1916. He was removed on 29 August 1916 after t ...
's 9th Army linked up with Mackensen's Danube Army
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
. Two days prior, on 25 November, Falkenhayn's 9th Army was subordinated to Mackensen's overall command, in order to unify the command of the Central Powers
The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
forces in Romania. The two armies could now converge on the Romanian capital, Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
. On 22 November, Prezan assumed command of a new Romanian southern army group, tasked with defending Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
.
Battle
On 28 November, the leading elements of the 217th Division encountered strong Romanian forces near the village of Prunaru. Only with the arrival of heavy artillery around noon were the Romanians driven back.
Aftermath
The German division captured 700 Romanians and 20 guns at Prunaru. However, the Romanian defence had succeeded: following the battle, the 217th Division halted. Although it moved some battalions to Naipu, these were checked by Prezan's maneuver group within two days. The left flank of the Danube Army had thus been exposed./ref>
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prunaru, Battle of Battles of the Eastern Front (World War I) Battles of World War I involving Germany Battles of World War I involving Romania History of Muntenia Conflicts in 1916 1916 in Romania November 1916 events