ABSTRACT
In 1938, once racist ethno-nationalism became a foundational ideology of the government, the claim could no longer be sustained in law or policy, that the contract between the state and its inhabitants was based on what citizens did rather than what their purported identity was. This chapter follows the aftermath of those changes into World War II, to show the transformation of the IOVR as part of Romania’s fascization under Carol II, Horia Sima and Ion Antonescu. Further changes happened after World War II, especially after the communist takeover. I offer some explanations for why veterans became invisible in the civic culture in Romania during the second half of the twentieth century. The chapter concludes with a brief analysis of the legacies of the 1920s for current veterans’ policies.
