Maraçesti, Battle of

World War I defeat of Austro-German force by combined Russian and Romanian forces in August 1917; the greatest battle fought by the Romanian army during the war.

After defeating the Russians in Galicia in 1916, the German general von Mackensen advanced toward Maraçesti, an important railway junction. He was stopped close to the town by a strong Russo-Romanian force and the battle continued for some days. Bolshevik agitators subverted the Russian troops who abandoned the defences and ran. However, by this time Romanian reinforcements were arriving and in spite of heavy fighting defeated Mackensen's force and prevented him taking Moldavia.