ard, Romania was
overrun by Soviet armies and joined them against Germany.

Nearly all of the military tradition cited by communist regimes since
World War II starts at this point. On occasions honoring the forces they
are reminded that they mobilized more than 500,000 men for this
campaign, suffered 170,000 casualties, and liberated 3,800 localities
while helping to push the German armies about 600 miles from central
Romania.

A postwar buildup of Romania's forces began in 1947. Since then all
major weapons and heavy equipment have been of Soviet design, and
organization and training largely followed the Soviet model.

When the Warsaw Pact was formed in 1955 its members were given alliance
responsibilities, and new procedures were introduced to enable them to
perform as an integrated force. More modern equipment was furnished,
basic units were brought closer to authorized combat strengths, and
training was undertaken on a larger and more exacting scale. Romania's
forces were expanded to nearly the maximum that could be readily
sustained by universal conscription. Strengths were greatest before
1964, especially during the Berlin and Cuban crises of the early 1960s.
Reduction of the tour of duty in 1964 to sixteen months for most
conscripts necessitated a slight reduction in the overall size of the
forces.

GOVERNMENTAL AND PARTY CONTROL OVER THE ARMED FORCES

The Ministry of the Armed Forces is the governmental agency that
administers the military forces, but policymaking is a prerogative of
the party hierarchy. Top ministry officials are always party members and
often concurrently hold important party posts. In 1971 Nicolae
Ceausescu--as president and chief of state, supreme commander of the
armed forces, and chairman of the Defense Council--was, in each case,
the immediate superior of the minister of the armed forces. At the same
time, the minister of the armed forces was an alternate member of the
executive committee of the party and, as such, not only was an important
party leader but was again responsible to Ceausescu, this time in the
latter's capacity as the party's general secretary.

One of the deputy ministers of the armed forces is secretary of the
Higher Political Council. Although administered within the ministry,
this council is responsible to the party's Central Committee. It is in
charge of political education in the military establishment and has an
organization paralleling, and collocated with