Aspecte referitoare la formarea ofițerilor de rezervă de infanterie, 1941-1944. Studiu de caz: Școala de Ofițeri de Rezervă de Infanterie nr. 5 Galați
Aspects Concerning the Training of Reserve Infantry Officers, 1941-1944. Case Study: the No. 5 Reserve Infantry Officers’ School Galați

Summary/Abstract: This study is part of a series of papers that aim to present relevant information about the military education system in Romania during the Second World War, more specifically the training of reserve officers for the infantry, a subject that has unfortunately not received adequate attention from researchers. In the following pages, we aim to show the conditions under which the penultimate military educational institution, established during the difficult years of war, operated with the mission of training platoon commanders: the No. 5 Reserve Infantry Officers’ School Galați. The presentation will highlight the main moments in the existence of this institution, the particular conditions in which the educational process took place, the challenges encountered, and the results achieved during its limited period of activity. The archival documents were complemented by an oral history interview conducted in December 2024 in Moinești, Bacău County, with war veteran Ion Procopie, the last surviving student of the school, who at that time had reached the age of 105. Although he had intended to pursue a professional career unrelated to the rigours of military life, the course of the war marked his destiny, which is why he had to present himself at the gates of the reserve infantry officers’ school. From the outset, the school’s activities were hampered by numerous shortcomings: a lack of space, staff, textbooks, supplies, vehicles, etc. Although these problems were reported by the school’s commanders to higher authorities, the support received was limited. Less than a year after its establishment, it was decided to reorganise it for the training of infantry non-commissioned officers. We argue that the impact of this school on the professional training of platoon commanders was minimal, owing to an unfortunate combination of factors.

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