The end of the XIX-th and the beginning of the XX-th the century find Romania in a period of transition from the predominant feudal relationships to capitalism. Manufacturing and industrialization developed, but the country still remained one predominantly agrarian. The local authorities and "boieri" were reluctant to the wind of change blowing all over Europe, and they were imposing big taxes, wouldn't allow the free of movement between properties, etc. So 1907 marks a very important moment in the Romanian history - "the peasants' riot". Tens of thousands of peasants from all over the country reacted at once. Even though the riot was drown in blood it had beneficial effects on the country, the boiari and local authorieties deciding now that they should change their way of treating peasants.
The only noticeable thing during the next 10 years was the participation of Romania into the second Balkan War against Bulgaria (1913). This had as result the reunification of Southern Dobrogea with the rest of the Country.
Despiting the familial relationship between the Romanian Royal family and the German One, King Ferdinand I -st declared Romania as a neutral country when the I -st World War started in 1914. When the allies promissed support for all Romanian provinces reunification (1916), Romania joined the War beside the Allies even though the army wasn't strong enough or well equipped . As a result of this, following the first successes recorded against the Austro-Hungarian army, they were forced to retreat into Moldavia where, together with the Russian troups organized the defense. There were some memorable battles like the one from Marasesti and Oituz won by a small but courageous army against the undefetead german army led by Marshal Von Mackensen. But Russians signed a separate peace treaty (March 1918) with the Central Powers, and even though the Allies tried to send equipment and instructors, Romania was forced to do the same thing. So, in May 1918, Romania signed a peace treaty, but in October, same year reentered the war and participated at the final victory.
Once again, there was a chance to fulfill the old dream - reunification of all Romanian Provinces into a single independent state, and the Romanians didn't loose it. The Country Council of Bassarabia voted to be unified with Romania (March27/April 9, 1918), the National Council of Bukovina voted to unite that province to Romania ( November 15/28, 1918) while Transylvania voted on December 1, 1918 (at Cimpia Islaz) to join the rest of the Country. For the first time since Michael the Brave, all Romanian Provinces were unified into one body.
The period between the two World Wars is actually the most nourishing and flowering period of the country. In 1923 a new, and probably the most democratic, constitution replaced the old one (1866). Industry starts playing a more important role in the economical life, cultural events marked the social life, architecture developed in new ways based on the Romanian culture and traditions. Bucharest (capital of the country) become known in Europe as the "Little Paris" with beautiful monuments or buildings (see Arch of Triumph). The natural resources made the Romanian efforts to build a stronger economy succesfull, therefor Romania became one of the biggest economical powers in Europe. Romania was also affected by the international crisis from 1929, but the recovery process wasn't as painfull as in other countries.
Despite his sentimental adventures, Carol the II-nd was not the cruel, corrupted and sexual obsessed man that the monarchy' enemies were trying to portray in order to compromise it. The first years as a king proved a very mature personality. His popularity was enormous, bigger than the ones of his father and grandfather. But he made the same mistake as the Spanish Bourbons - he surounded himself with a group of people (Camarila) that shouldn't have had any connection with a Royal Court. Another big mistake was to continue as a king his adolescent passion for a women - Elena Lupescu - instead of forgetting her once he stepped on the throne. In 1927 he abdicated in favor of his son Michael, but in 1930 changed his mind, returned and regained his crown. Being intoxicated by the wrong advices received from Camarila he established his own dictatorship in 1938, abolishing the Constitution and asking for full powers be awarded to the king through the new one.
The early 30's showed a rising National Party (Natzi) in Germany, and dark clouds gathered above Europe. Romania signed different non-agression pacts with it's neighbours and entered different alliances (Little Entente, Balkan Entente).
Same as the beginning of the I -st World War, Romania declared neutrality in 1939 when the II -nd World War begun. When the country was mutilated by the secret Ribbentrop-Molotov pact against Romania (taking away Bassarabia, Bukovina and Hertza land), Bulgaria taking over Southern Dobrogea, and part of Transylvania being ceded to Hungaria as an award following the Vienna dictate, Caroll the II -nd abdicated in favor of his son Michael the I -st. A military government was formed and General Ion Antonescu was the head of it. He tried to involved the radical movement "Iron Guard Legion" in the new government, but following the Legionaires riot 1941 he eliminated them from the politics life and, in a desperate try of getting back the lost provinces, he joined the Axis in the war against Russia (Soviet Union). The Romanian army stopped after they re-occupied Bassarabia and Bukovina, and when the Germans were forced to retreat from Sevastopol, Antonescu and all the other political leaders (I.I.C. Bratianu, Iuliu Maniu) increased their efforts to take Romania out of this alliance. In 1944, August 23, Marshal Ion Antonescu, was arrested by the order of King Michael the I-st, his cabinet disolved and the next day Romania declared war to Germany and his allies. It was maybe the smartest move done by a country during the II-nd World War. First they regained their Eastern territories, now they were fighting to regain their western ones. In the same time, this turnover was, probably the "grace shot" for the Germans. With the Romanian support (army, oil and economy), germans whould have been able to keep the Eastern front for another six or maybe more months, enough time for them to develop new weapons (yes, Hitler's speeches about the new weapons were not just a desperate man's dream, it has been proven that German scientists were developing such weapons). Without Romanian army, and actually fighting against them, the Eastern german front collapsed like a sand castle hit by a wave. In less than nine month the War was over and Germans were defeated. Even though Romania had one of the highest rate of casualities, the Peace Treaty from Paris 1947, denied the co-belligerant status and imposed huge war reparation payments (to their Russian allies). The Treaty recognize the reunification of Transylvania with Romania, but Bassarabia and Bukovina remained under Russian jurisdiction.
Romanian form of guvernment remained the Constitutional Monarchy until 1947, when King Michael the I -st was forced to abdicate. It was the most abject form of blackmail. His Majesty was recalled from Peles Castle, where he was preparing for the Christmas Holiday, to Bucharest in order to discuss national importance subjects. Dr. Petru Groza (Romanian Prime-Minister educated at Moscow by the Russians) forced His Majesty to sign the abdication by telling him that if he doesn't sign the students that were outside, demonstrating pro-monarchy will be killed. At the end of the meeting he asked the King to touch his pocket (in that pocket Dr. Groza had a gun - see Interview with his Majesty King Michael the I -st published by ZIUA magazine). His Majesty was declared as no longer being a Romanian citizen, and forced to emigrate. Despite all the lies spreaded out by the communist to cover their own actions (i.e. stilling from the Royal Crown treasure), King Michael the I -st didn't take anything that wouldn't have belong to his family. The lies talkes about 10 wagons loaded with jewelry, pictures by famous artist, gold, furniture and money. The truth is that King Michael wasn't allowed to take anything with him but his four cars (a jeep donated by the American government in the summer of 1947 and 3 GM's recently bought and delivered to him) and his personal effects.
After his Majesty and the Royal family left the country, the communists took the power and the following period was one of darkness, madness and cruelty. Former members of the Iron Guard were invited and welcomed to join the new Party. Hundreds of thousands of people were arrested for the most unbelievable reasons. One of the highest crimes was to belong to the former high society. Politicians, bankers, artists or reach people were arrested, imprisoned, tortured and killed in the Romanian Gulag. For the killers there wasn't a need for a trial. It was just the sadistic and pure revange of the pours. It was like the French revolution, but worst. People were hunted like wild animals. The smallest complain against our "great eastern friend" or against the regim was a capital crime and punished adequately. All the famous politicians (Maniu, Bratianu, etc.) were "trialed", found guilty of treason and punished to forced labor in Dobrogea (Danube-Black Sea Channel). Thousands of them died of malnutrition, lack of sanitation and medical care or beaten by the guards.
In 1947, once the King was forced to abdicate, the communists abolished the Monarchy, declared the old constitution as null and void and the country as "The People's Republic of Romania".
In 1948, every single industrial enterprise, bank or company was nationalized and a year after the agriculture was collectivised (paesants were forced to donate their land, animals and tools). The country was following the Russian model, and using the presence of the Russian troups on the Romanian territory in the years following the war, they succeded.
When Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (Romanian President) died (in 1965), he was followed by Nicolae Ceausescu, the most selfish and cruel dictator in the history of all eastern comunist countries. He seemed stupid to lots of people, but he was actually very smart. There are not enough facts to prove the following theory, but more nad more romanians started to believe in it.
While he was posing as a more liberal comunist leader, opening his country towards the west and avoiding to get involved in the invasion of Czechoslovakia (1968) together with Soviet Union and other eastern countries, he was actually having very close relations with USSR. The theory is this was just a simple game played in order to gain the trust of the western countries thus access to the latest western technologies, technologies that will be further shared with their partners in the Warsaw Pact.
His leadership turned into dictatorship after 1970, and everything was done in Romania was done for him. All the shows were dedicated to him and his family and the most grotesque poems and songs were specifically written for them. In order to control everything in the country, the political police (Securitatea) was reinforced and according to unofficial results almost every other citizen was an informer. Blackmail, terror and crime were the common weapons used to control a frightened population. The situation remained under control until Gorbachov initiated his Perestroika movement. Ceausescu refused to follow the directions received from Gorbachov, even after several meetings between the two presidents or the prime ministers. The result - Romania was one of the last communist countries where a change took place.
There are several theories regarding the so called Romanian Revolution, but one thing is for sure. Ceausescu was betrayed by "Securitatea" and his collaborators. With such a powerfull political police, he should have been informed that something is going on between the masses, and he should have done something to prevent it. One of the theories circulating in public is that there was no initial revolution but just a plain and pure coup d'estat. Everything was arranged between Moscow and a group of members of the Communist Party, including the person that should replace Ceausescu - i.e. Ion Iliescu. There are lots of arguments pro this theory, like date when the Revolution started, very close to the last meeting between Ceausescu and Moscow representatives; names of the peoples that formed the National Salvation Front hours after Ceausescu left Bucharest (in majority second political level members of the Communist Party); Ion Iliescu (who wasn't even between those first entering "the Republics's Palace") was "naturally" invited to join the Front and, also "naturally" assumed the leader role; the grotesque show broadcasted the evening of 21st on December 1989, when "higly trained terrorists and snipers" were shooting to the balcony where the new leaders were talking to the people, but amazingly all the bullets were hitting the building at least 15-20 feet far from the balcony (nobody was even wounded); Ion Iliescu's speech towards the country in which he stated "I have asked USSR to help us in our fight against the terrorists" (later on he denied this statement); no terrorists were arrested.
But we will never know the truth until those involved will decide to talk.
A new constitution was ellaborated based on the communist one with some western influences.
After six years of lies, in November 1996 the democratic oppositon won the ellections. The next logical step of the new government, expected by all of us who believe in the Constitutional Monarchy, will be to have a referendum to decide if Romania will remain a republic or it will regain it's previous status - Constitutional Monarchy.
