areas at the mercy of the Nazis. He also approved the slaughter of Jews in Bessarabia and Bukovina, and the deportation of the survivors to concentration camps in Transnistria. Late in the war and execution As 1942 came to a close, Ion Antonescu became alarmed at the deterioration of the Axis war effort and started looking for ways to withdraw Romania from the war. He attempted to persuade Hitler to make peace with the Western Allies and focus the full power of the Axis forces on the Soviet Union. When the Soviets won the Battle of Stalingrad on 2 February 1943, Antonescu came to the conclusion that the war was lost for the Axis, proceeding to destroy files and documents that revealed his active persecution of Romania's Jews. With Ion Antonescu's approval, he came to advocate the withdrawal from conflict of all minor allies of the Nazis - Romania, Hungary, Italy, and Finland. Antonescu believed Benito Mussolini was powerful enough to stand up to Hitler, and that Italy could successfully negotiate an armistice with the Western Allies. Under Antonescu's plan, the four states and other European nations would turn against Hitler and join the Allies against Germany. In his capacity as foreign minister, Antonescu strengthened Romania's ties with Italy and paid a visit to Mussolini in June 1943, at which time he discovered that Mussolini agreed with certain aspects of his plan but was less than enthusiastic in regard to actually implementing it. Antonescu subsequently increased his efforts to improve Romania's relations with the United States and Great Britain. As such, he stopped the deportations of Romania's Jews, allowed Jewish emigration to non-Axis nations, and repatriated those who had survived Transnistria. On 23 August 1944, as Soviet forces drew closer and closer to Romania, King Michael dismissed the government of Ion Antonescu, declared the nation's surrender, and had Mihai Antonescu arrested. He was subsequently handed over to the new authorities, tried by a Communist Party-influenced Bucharest People's Tribunal, and found guilty of war crimes. He was executed by a firing squad, together with Ion Antonescu, Constantin Vasiliu and Gheorghe Alexianu, near the fort of Jilava. His resting place is unknown. See also Latin Axis (World War II) External links Footage of Antonescu's death before a firing squad 1904 births 1946 deaths People from Dâmbovița County Eastern Orthodox Christians from Romania Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church National Liberal Party-Brătianu politicians