Retragerea din Basarabia (28-30 iunie 1940). Un moment dureros din istoria Regimentului 8 roșiori
The Withdrawal from Bessarabia (June 28-30, 1940). A Painful Moment in the History of the 8th Cavalry Regiment

Summary/Abstract: The 8th Cavalry Regiment was a traditional unit in the Romanian army, established on July 1st, 1872. The unit was involved in all the military events from the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, the conduct of the officers and soldiers always being beyond reproach. However, in June 1940, the Regiment experienced a very painful moment, triggered by the withdrawal from Bessarabia, as a result of Romania’s acceptance of the Soviet ultimatums. Despite being prepared to fight back, the Regiment received the order to retreat to the West of Prut River and not to open fire against the Soviet troops, who constantly harassed the Romanian troops. The men of the 8th Cavalry Regiment have endured three days of humiliations and the morale deteriorated visibly. The question on everyone’s minds was why were they not allowed to fight back, to resist, to defend their honour.

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