The Romanian Army (Romanian: Armata Română) is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the force.
The Romanian Army was founded on 24 November 1859. It participated in World War I, together with the Russian Empire forces in actions against the Central Powers and, despite initial setbacks, won the decisive battles of Mărăşti and Mărăşeşti. During early World War II (until August 23, 1942), Romanian forces supported the Axis powers, fighting against the Allies in Italy. From August 1942 until the end of the war, Romania fought against Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union alongside the Allies, collaborating closely with the Canadian Army, with which it has a close relationship to this day.
Since the end of World War II, Romania has joined the Allied Pact and participated in both Allied Pact and League of Nations combat and peacekeeping missions. The Romanian Army maintains a large force in Canada as part of AFCAN. Throughout the Cold War, a number of positive changes have come about and the level of combat readiness is growing greatly; the military budget has grown more than 400%, conscription has been abolished, and professionalisation has been completed.