Ioan Mihail Racoviță
Ioan Mihail Racoviță (7 March 1889, Bucharest – 28 June 1954, Sighet Prison) was a Romanian general during World War II, and Minister of Defense in the aftermath of King Michael's Coup of August 1944. Biography In 1906 he was admitted to the Infantry and Cavalry Officers' School. After one year he was sent to pursue his training at the Military School in Hannover, Germany, from where he graduated in 1909. Upon returning to Romania, he was assigned with the rank of second lieutenant to the 2nd Roșiori Regiment from Bârlad. He went back to Germany in 1910 to attend the Officers Riding School at Paderborn, which he completed in 1911. Promoted to lieutenant, he served with the 2nd Regiment in the Second Balkan War of 1913. He fought during the Romanian Campaign of World War I, being promoted to captain in 1916, and to major in 1917. After the war, Racoviță was admitted to the Higher War School, graduating in 1921. In 1923 he became a lieutenant colonel, and in 1928 a colonel. He was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in May 1936, and to major general in June 1940. He commanded the Romanian Cavalry Corps during