Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
mistreatment. Russian intervention finally quashed the Hungarian revolutionaries, ending
a revolution that had shocked all sides by its escalation to civil war.
In the aftermath, the region fell under the direct rule of Austria-Hungary from Bud-
apest. Ruthless 'Magyarisation' followed: Hungarian was established as the official lan-
guage and any Romanians who dared oppose the regime were severely punished. By con-
trast Wallachia and Moldavia prospered. In 1859, with French support, Alexandru Ioan
Cuza was elected to the thrones of Moldavia and Wallachia, which created a national state
known as the United Romanian Principalities on 11 December 1861. This was renamed
Romania in 1862.
The reform-minded Cuza was forced to abdicate in 1866 by mutinous army officers,
and his place was taken by the Prussian prince Carol I. With Russian assistance, Romania
declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877. In 1881 it was declared a king-
dom and on 22 May 1881 Carol I was crowned the first king of Romania.
WWI & Greater Romania
Through shrewd political manoeuvring, Romania greatly benefited from WWI. Despite
having formed a secret alliance with Austria-Hungary in 1883, it began WWI with neut-
rality. In 1916 the government, under pressure from the Western allies, declared war on
Austria-Hungary, with the ultimate prize being to annex Transylvania from Austria-Hun-
gary. The defeat of Austria-Hungary in 1918 paved the way for the formation of modern
Romania. Bessarabia, the area east of the Prut River that had been part of Moldavia until
1812 when it was taken by the Russians, was joined to Romania. Likewise, Bucovina,
which had been in Austro-Hungarian hands since 1775, was also reunited with Romania.
Part of the Austro-Hungarian Banat, which had been incorporated in Romania, was also
handed over. Furthermore, Transylvania was finally united with Romania. Hence, at the
end of WWI, Romania - now known as Greater Romania - more than
doubled
its territory
(from 120,000 to 295,000 sq km) and its population (from 7.5 to 16 million). The acquisi-
tion of this new territory was ratified by the Triple Entente powers in 1920 under the
Treaty of Trianon.
Carol II & The Iron Guard
In the years leading up to WWII, Romania sought an alliance with France and Britain, and
joined Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia in the Little Entente. Romania also signed a
Balkan Pact with Yugoslavia, Turkey and Greece, and later established diplomatic rela-
tions with the USSR. These efforts were weakened by the Western powers' appeasement
of Hitler and by Romania's own King Carol II, who succeeded his father Ferdinand I to
