Aurel Aldea (18 March 1887 – 17 October 1949) was a Romanian general, Interior Minister, and anti-communist resistance leader.

He served in World War I as a battery commander, and participated in the battles from Dobrogea and Bucharest.

In the interwar period Aldea worked within the General Staff of the Romanian Armed Forces in the Transport Division and Historic Service, Head of Staff of the 11th Infantry Division and 1st Army Corps, then commander of the 23rd Artillery Regiment.

[1] In June 1940, during the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, Aldea led the Romanian delegation that discussed with Red Army commanders the evacuation plans from those territories.

Aldea was instrumental in the coup d'état led by King Michael I, which resulted in the arrest of Antonescu and Romania switching allegiance from the Axis powers to the Allies.