The Soviet Minister of the Exterior then, Molotov, informed the German attaché in Moscow, von der Schulenburg on June 23, 1940, of the imminent occupation of Bessarabia (See above). The German Minister of the Exterior, von Ribbentrop, had Molotov informed that Germany was disinterested in the Bessarabian question itself, but not in the fate of the roughly 100,000 German nationals living there and expected from the Soviet Union that their future would be secure. It was expected to discuss plans to resettle these German nationals.

Von der Schulenburg reported to Berlin on June 26, that Moscow had agreed to respect the wishes of Germany in regards to the German nationals of Bessarabia. The Rumanian Government complied with the Soviet ultimatum without resistance on June 27, 1940 and ceded Bessarabia to the Soviet Union. Broneske, the German Gauleiter in Bessarabia, had received a hint of the imminent development from the German attaché in Bucharest. On June 28, 1940, the Soviet occupation of the country began. Occasionally, they met with Rumanian troops on their way out, who had been given 4 days to vacate the area. The retreat of the Rumanian military soon escalated into a panicky flight. ¹⁾

Herbert Gäckle reports in his chronicle of Alt-Posttal: ²⁾) On June 29, 1940, the first Soviet troops came to our village. The first Russian civilian officials and police leadership in Tarutino arrived in Alt-Posttal at the beginning of July. (1940)
Kaspar Ternes writes: ³⁾ Then, the Red Army arrived in armored equipment in our village. The troops pitched their tents on a meadow in Oberdorf. The officers sought private quarters.
Max Riehl remembers: The young men of the Rumanian army came out of formation, singly or in groups, through the villages on their way home. The advance guard of the Red Army offered quite a contrast with men in orderly uniforms and in polished vehicles. A large tent camp for the troops was established on the fringes of the village. When these troops arrived, the appearance of the Red Army became worse. The recruits were unkempt and wore uniforms not designed for the weather there. The leadership kept the troops away from the villagers.

Right after the Soviets marched in the German national group was informed that they were under the protection of the German Reich and that their resettlement was imminent. This explains in part why the Germans did not flee like members of the other national groups.

Although the Soviets treated the Germans more or less correctly, they were then in danger from people who felt underprivileged and believed that the time was right to take the German possessions. The Soviets had everything under control within a few days of their arrival, ending a chaotic initial situation. The occupation force did not harm the Germans, although they were frightened. The Bessarabian Germans had witnessed how the Soviets treated the non-German neighbors. The forced measures of Soviet officialdom made the Germans realize what they had to expect in the time to come. Nightly arrests of landowners and other nationals increased the fear. The situation was not without risks for the Germans. Josef Erker remembers that a Russian official lost a note containing the names of 127 Krasna residents. It was not obvious what these names were listed for, but it could not have been a positive thing. The list disappeared and the officer became very perturbed.

The lives of the Besarabian Germans were changing in hurtful and fear-inspiring changes. The mayors (Primars) were replaced by village councilmen. Often, people not capable of them filled these positions. In Krasna, the cowherd Simeon was made mayor.
See 4.8, The Administration

Initially, the German residents were not allowed to leave the villages. German newspapers were not allowed any more. Within a few days, all perishable goods were sold out. The Russians, taking advantage of the great exchange rate of rubel to lei, bought everything in sight. Commerce and trade collapsed quickly. A sudden worsening of living conditions ensued.

Schools were closed. Hospitals and pharmacies confiscated. Free traffic on the streets was curtailed and train travel was only possible with permits. Banks, industrial enterprises and rented houses were confiscated, some of the houses utilized for troop housing. This was based on the edict issued by the Presidio of the Supreme Soviet of August 15, 1940. Taxes for the year 1940, which the Bessarabian Germans had pre-paid to the Rumanian government to take advantage of the pre-payment premiums, had to be paid again to the new government. Since the lei currency became devalued overnight, these payments had to be made in produce, especially in grain. Aside from the taxes, additional payments were demanded and these were hurtful, since they were oftentimes higher than the entire harvest was. If one type of grain could not be delivered, one had to pay many times the amount of another kind. Waiting lines at the delivery sites were long.

Right after the Soviet troop arrival, agriculture was converted to collectives, although not immediately in the German villages. Sowchoses and Kolchoses were founded. A settlement of Russians, Ukrainians and White Russians began. A wave of repressions against the population began simultaneously (against the assumed political opposition). The Germans heard of deportations of Ukrainian, Rumanian and Jewish intellectuals and property owners to Siberia. Many arrests, not of a criminal, but of a political nature, took place.

On August 2, 1940, the Soviet Union divided Bessarabia and established the Moldovian Socialistic Republic (MoISSR) from the larger part of the north and center of the land, adding the Moldavian Socialist Soviet Republic (MASSR) located east of the Dnjestr.
The south and the area of the north around the city of Chotyn (Oblast Czernowitz) together with the German settlement area went to the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic (USSR).

Although the Germans were treated more fairly since they were under the protection of the German Reich, they were aware of the radical changes of their situation through the measures taken by the Soviets as they marched in. As soon as it became known, that they were supposed to get resettled, they focused on that event (2.5.1, The Resettlement). Long and fear-filled weeks and months followed starting with the arrival of the Soviet troops at the end of June 1940 until the German resettlement commando arrived in September.

Note: To see what happened after the Germans left, See 9, The Village of Krasna after the Exodus of the Germans until Today.