This memorial in front of the Church of the Annunciation commemorates the victims of both World Wars from Şinca. Interestingly, only the years 1941 to 1945 are recorded here for World War II.
During the military dictatorship of Prime Minister General Ion Antonescu, Romania allied itself with Hitler's Germany and participated in the joint fight against the Soviet Union. Thousands of Romanian soldiers died in the Battle of Stalingrad.
After a major Soviet offensive in August 1944, Antonescu was arrested and deposed by several generals close to the king. The new government broke off diplomatic relations with the German Reich. After Hitler ordered the bombing of the capital Bucharest on August 24, 1944, Romania declared war on Germany the following day.
Romania lost approximately 378,000 soldiers and civilians during World War II. In addition, the Romanian government was actively involved in the murder of approximately 270,000 Romanian Jews as part of the Nazi genocide.