More than 70 years after World War II, one would think that few secrets remain from what might be the most heavily researched and examined period ever in world history. Each year, however, historians uncover new elements to the scope of horror that defined this era and in particular the Holocaust.

One such example must be the complicity of the Romanian government in the murder of more than 400,000 Jews, the vast majority of them in the villages and forests of the Ukraine. Among Hitler’s allies, the Romanians are all too often forgotten.

In 1939, at the outbreak of WWII, Romania adopted an official policy of neutrality. However the increasing instability in Europe and growing anti-Semitism lead a Fascist political force known as the Iron Guard to rise to power. The regime’s policy platform was staunchly anti-communist and ultranationalistic. Members were known for their virulent anti- Semitism. During this period, the growing weakness of Romania’s main territorial guarantors France and Britain became increasingly obvious. The Iron Guard already favoured an alliance with Nazi Germany and hoped their alliance would ensure similar territorial guarantees from the Germans.