Petre Antonescu (October 25, 1891 in

Pitești Pitești () is a city in Romania, located on the river Argeș. The capital and largest city of Argeș County, it is an important commercial and industrial center, as well as the home of two universities. Pitești is situated in the historical re ...

– December 8, 1957 in

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 ...

) was a

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 ...

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. After attending the Artillery Military School in

(1911–1913), he graduated with the rank of second lieutenant. After

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 ...

, Antonescu pursued his studies at the Higher War School (1921–1923). He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1933 and to colonel in 1938. In 1941, he became General-Secretary of the

Ministry of Defense {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

. He was promoted to brigadier general in 1943. He served as the

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

, 4th Army, from 1943 to 1944. From 1944 to 1945, he was the

General Officer A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

Commanding the 1st Guard Division, the

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

commander of the 4th Army, and finally the commander of the 21st Division. He went into reserve in 1945.

Awards and honors

* Officer of the

Order of the Star of Romania The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the defunct Order of Michael the Brave. It is awarded by the President of Romania. It has five r ...

(8 June 1940). * Commander of the Order of the Crown of Romania (9 May 1941).Decretul Regal nr. 1.366 din 9 mai 1941 pentru acordări de decorații, publicat în ''Monitorul Oficial'', anul CIX, nr. 109 din 10 mai 1941, partea I-a, p. 2.520.

References

1891 births 1957 deaths People from Pitești Romanian Land Forces generals Romanian military personnel of World War II Officers of the Order of the Star of Romania Commanders of the Order of the Crown (Romania) Romanian military personnel of World War I Carol I National Defence University alumni {{Romania-mil-bio-stub