Nicolae Macici

Nicolae Macici (7 November 1886 – 15 June 1950) was a Romanian general during World War II.

Biography

Born in Craiova, he fought in World War I and was already a lieutenant colonel in 1920. By 1939 he had reached the rank of Major-General.

He commanded the 2nd Romanian Corps at the start of Operation Barbarossa.

With his Corps, he fought against the Soviets in the Danube delta and later advanced towards Odessa. When the city fell on 6 October 1941 after a 2 month siege, Macici and his 2nd Corps took over the city's garrison. On 22 October, a bomb when off at the headquarters of the Romanian 10th Infantry Division, killing 67 people, including 16 officers. Marshal Antonescu ordered reprisals against Jews and Communists. General Macici reported back on 25 October the execution of some 13,000 Jews and Communists, most of them innocent civilians. This event became known as the 1941 Odessa massacre.

In November 1941, he became commander of the First Army, which was based in Romania. He was promoted to Lieutenant General in January 1942 and didn't see much action, until 23 August 1944, when Romania switched sides and became an enemy of Germany. The First Army suddenly had to fight the German troops based in Romania, but was able to hold the mountain passes until Soviet reinforcements arrived.

Macici remained at the head of the First Army and participated in the advance in Transylvania and Soviet attack on Hungary and Slovakia. He participated in the Battle of Debrecen and Budapest Offensive, where he suffered a serious defeat in the Battle of Szolnok. He then fought with his army in the Western Carpathian Offensive, at the end of which he was dismissed.

Later that year, he was arrested and was put on trial for war crimes between 14 and 22 May 1945, in particular for the 1941 Odessa massacre. The People's Tribunal sentenced him to death, but this sentence was later changed to life in prison. He died at Aiud prison on 15 June 1950.