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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, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
and Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
n forces during the Romanian Campaign
The Kingdom of Romania was neutral for the first two years of World War I, entering on the side of the Allied powers from 27 August 1916 until Central Power occupation led to the Treaty of Bucharest in May 1918, before reentering the war on 10 ...
of World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. 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 th ...
'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 Mackensen (ennobled as von Mackensen in 1899; 6 December 1849 – 8 November 1945), was a German field marshal. He commanded Army Group Mackensen during World War I (1914–1918) and became one of the German Empire ...
'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
Erich Georg Sebastian Anton von Falkenhayn (11 September 1861 – 8 April 1922) was a German general and Ottoman Field Marshal who served as Prussian Minister of War and Chief of the German General Staff during the First World War. Falkenha ...
's 9th Army linked up with Mackensen's Danube Army
The Danube ( ; see also other names) is the second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest south into the Black Sea. A large and historically important riv ...
. 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,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...
forces in Romania. The two armies could now converge on the Romanian capital, Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
. On 22 November, Prezan assumed command of a new Romanian southern army group, tasked with defending Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
.
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 Battles in 1916 1916 in Romania November 1916 Bucharest in World War I