A Satellite Empire: Romanian Rule in Southwestern Ukraine, 1941–1944 by Vladimir Solonari (review)

Vladimir Solonari's book provides an essential analysis of the Romanian occupation regime in Transnistria, documenting several unrecognized but important facets. He examines both the policies of the Romanian administration in a top-down manner and the responses of the local population in a bottom-up approach, creating the most balanced social and political history of Transnistria to date. Combining the perspectives of the Romanian government in Bucharest, the Transnistrian administration, and the "facts on the ground," he illustrates the disconnect between the Romanian government's stated aims for the occupation and its policies, and the effects of those policies on the people of Transnistria.

A Satellite Empire is divided into three main sections. The first examines the creation of Transnistria, its role within Romania's grand strategic designs, the aims and limitations of the occupation regime, the design of the regime's institutions, and the selection of its personnel. "Transnistria" did not exist as a separate political entity before the war and was an ethnically diverse region without a collective sense of identity. The occupation was controversial within Romania because Transnistria was not historically part of Romania, though ethnic Romanians who had emigrated from Transnistria to Romania attempted to foster the idea that they were lost Romanian brothers. Romanian dictator Ion Antonescu wished to annex Transnistria, ethnically cleanse it, and repopulate it with Romanians, an idea that had at least some public support; however, because Romania did not immediately annex Transnistria after it occupied the territory, its legal status remained unclear.

Antonescu also viewed Transnistria as a potential bargaining chip that he could use to extract concessions, including the return of northern Transylvania from Hungary, in the aftermath of the expected German victory. In the short term, however, he had two aims that proved to be in great tension. The first was a desire to transform Transnistria into a "model province" and carry out a "civilizing mission" in the East (p. 29), which he believed would demonstrate Romania's capability to administer a colony and thereby earn the respect of Western European colonial powers. The second was to exploit the economic capacity of Transnistria to support the Romanian war effort, which would entail the extraction of significant amounts of resources, thus hampering the creation of a "model province."

The second section of the book focuses on these competing processes of transformation and exploitation. Transnistria's status within Antonescu's plans was contingent on its leadership, particularly the governor general of the province, Gheorghe Alexianu. Solonari argues that the dynamics of their relationship were more important to the organization of the administration in Transnistria than Romanian cultural characteristics. He provides a clear description of the administrative structure and personnel in Transnistria, noting how the rampant corruption at the lower echelons undermined the implementation of policies devised at higher levels, and that the design of the administration in Transnistria was not suited to the circumstances and the tasks it was expected to perform.

Solonari analyzes Romanian rule in Transnistria through two main frameworks: a nationalist one focused on ethnic cleansing, and an orientalist one focused on the hierarchical relationship between the Romanian ruling class and their Slavic subjects. He notes that both framings encouraged chauvinism and ethnic violence, and that both denied the agency of the local population. The nationalists planned to "purify" Transnistria through massive population exchanges after the war. In the meantime, however, they were focused on increasing the "national consciousness" of the local ethnic Romanian population through cultural "education," but the results were inconsistent (p. 113). The Romanians were somewhat successful in their efforts to revive Orthodox Christianity, but their emphasis on ethnic divisions undermined any sense of unity this created between the ethnic Romanian and Slavic populations. Religious participation declined again once it became clear that the Soviets would win the war. Meanwhile, orientalist framing emphasized the "uncivilized" nature of the peoples of Eastern Europe. According to Solonari, this idea had...