ed ▁Roman ia ▁into ▁a ▁political ▁crisis . ▁Sm och in ă ▁deeply ▁adm ired ▁Con du c ă tor ▁I on ▁Anton es cu , ▁who ▁was ▁Roman ia ' s ▁dict atorial ▁r uler ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁to ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁The ▁Trans n ist rian ▁eth n ograph er ▁preserved ▁Anton es cu ' s ▁image ▁as ▁a ▁" gre at ▁lo ver ▁of ▁the ▁nation " ▁and ▁an ▁" hon est ▁man ", ▁particularly ▁since ▁Anton es cu ▁promised ▁to ▁revis it ▁the ▁B ess arab ian - Trans n ist rian ▁issue ▁" with ▁an ▁ax e ". ▁According ▁to ▁his ▁mem oir s , ▁Sm och in ă ▁accompanied ▁the ▁Con du c ă tor ▁on ▁all ▁of ▁his ▁vis its ▁to ▁Naz i ▁Germany , ▁where ▁Anton es cu ▁reported ly ▁im posed ▁respect ▁on ▁German ▁dict ator ▁Adolf ▁Hitler . ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁Roman ia ▁formal ized ▁its ▁al liance ▁with ▁the ▁A xis ▁Pow ers ▁and , ▁in ▁summer ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁joined ▁Germany ' s ▁sudden ▁attack ▁on ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁stages ▁of ▁war , ▁the ▁Roman ian ▁leader ▁appointed ▁Sm och in ă ▁his ▁personal ▁advis er ▁on ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁Trans n ist ria . ▁His ▁work ▁for ▁that ▁year ▁included ▁the ▁bro ch ure ▁Mas acre le ▁de ▁la ▁N ist ru ▁(" M ass ac res ▁on ▁the ▁D ni ester "), ▁which ▁accused ▁the