Iran would almost certainly have fallen, yet I officially contest your opinion of Rumania and its armed forces.

During a recent article, 'Forgotten Axis: Rumania to 1943' in Strategy & Tactics Mag., the author cites that due to the relatively high value of Rumanian patroleum, Bucharesti could afford to purchase arms and equipment far out of proportion to their domestic industrial standards.

Rumanian mountain, frontier, and royal guard divisions were superb, veteran units often cited for their key role in the siege and later capture of Odessa. Meanwhile, it was Rumanians who filled out and bolstered the handful of shattered German units in Crimea, providing a much-needed infusion of willful, hard-fighting troops who had seen battle.

While Rumania's 3rd Army is most remembered for breaking outside of Stalingard - mostly due to Hitler's refusal - after the death of his Iron Guard cronies - to provide adequate artillery or armored support. Rumania did provide, during the course of the war in the Russian territories, more troops for the Axis cause than any of Hitler's other allies in the European theater.

Of these, at least three divisioned were considered universally to be "crack" along with perhaps a half-dozen brigades. This does not include Rumania's fairly competant armored division. Rumanian troops held a major front in the Ukraine where German infantry and armor seemed likely to fail. Many commanders turned to Antonescu for aid after Hitler denied them additional support.