Interwar Romania

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Massive increase in size following the Treaty of Trianon led to obvious problems of integration Romania second largest state in Eastern Europe o Had doubled in size and population from pre-war o The Banat, Transylvania from Hungary o N. Bukovina from Austria o Bessarabia from Russia o Dobruja from Bulgaria in 1913 Imposed a common currency across Romania, standardised industry (such as railways using the same gauge etc) Ethnically only 70% Romanian now, Bulgarians, Austrians, Hungarians, Gypsies, Jews Constant tensions between ethnicities Didnt help that Bucharest constantly argued that any harshness towards the new Romanians was caused by the need for Romania to exact war-time reparations etc o The Allies couldnt say no because Romania was acting as a Bulwarks against Bolshevik Russia o Except for Germans, aliens were generally mistreated.

Political Crisis

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Peasant Party gained power due to its affiliation with the peasant movement The Liberalist Party lost support to their anti-peasant fiscal policies Pro-German Conservative Party lost support following the end of the war In practice it never lived up to the radicalism of its 1921 policies, dividing many of its supports down a nationalism or fascist routes. Leader, Ion Mihalache urged that Romania did not cut itself off from the rest of the world though Won in 1919 (Alexandru Voevod became Prime Minister) but King Ferdinand disregarded this election and placed general Avarescu of the Peoples Party in charge in 1920, however, could not have an all-liberal cabinet: but still had to enact land-reform in the 1920s. Other key party was the Transylvanian Nationalist Party which skilfully united the intelligentsia, the merchants and the peasants under the banner of nationalism. The Left was weak in the Romania, largely due to the fact that the Bolshevik threat was considered to be Romanias key point of weakness 1923 constitution favour centralism Creation of 71 prefectures with a governor appointed from Bucharest Male suffrage was introduced but trade union rights were limited. 1924: Romanian Communist Party banned general shift to the right any party with 40% of the vote gained half the seats in parliament, with the other 60% coming from the rest of the votes, including those for the 40% majority. o mimic democracy. This rightward shift also affected the monarchy the rumour that Prince Carol II was an anti-liberal led to his renouncement to the succession

o The pretext for this was his affair with Madame Lupescu, but the lax moral standards in Romania meant that everyone knew what was going on really. By 1927 very protectionist policies in Romania Heavy tariffs Export levies etc unpopular with peasants They complained of corruption in the cabinet These were not new complaints, but in 1926 they had a new vehicle with which to register these complaints with:

1926 Romanian Peasants Party joins with the Transylvanian Nationalist Party to form the National Peasant Party by May 60-100,000 followers were attracted to a rally in Abu Iulia o this rally ended with calls for a Mussolini style march on Bucharest embarrassingly the march fizzled out and the NPP had to ask the government for free rail transport for the peasants home As the NPP grew in power the liberals weakened 1927 Both King Ferdinand I and Ion Bratianu (party leader) die. NPP proposed policies of individual liberties, peasant reform and the end of censorship. Gained 78% of vote in one the only open votes in Romanian democratic history. Did not abandon the 40% rule however. Brought about a certain degree of sanacja Argued for the greater autonomy of mines and public industries BUT, In government the party developed harsh policies for dealing with any sort of civil or industrial unrest. 21 workers killed in 1929 police brutality formation of a private government military force

However, when liberals walked out of parliament it was not this they objected to, but plans to decentralise the administration and please the peasants with economic and fiscal policies i.e. Government abolished duties of agricultural exports. More assistance to rural cooperatives Easier credit attainment Relaxed issues on land sales Arguably, the National Peasant party did not fulfil its promise, but this can in part be argued to the Great Depression which limited economic abilities Reliance on foreign loans paid for by peasant exports obviously undermined it here HOWEVER Not enough was done to break up large land-holding that they had encouraged Lost much of its peasant character Also deliberated between the concerns of the Translylvanian National Party and the Peasants Party

Rise of the Right

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By 1930 both the liberal and the NPP had been in power and failed. Left the door open for Monarchists, Army and the Right Carol exploited this by furthering divisions between the peasants and the nationalists o i.e. Between Vintila (brother of Ion) Bratianu and Ion Duca murder of Duca meant that the peasants shifted Rightwards

Romanian Fascist movement centred around the figure of Codreanu in 1924 murdered police chief of Iasi for maltreating some National Christian Defence League members on release from prison (from an unconnected crime) in 1927 Codreanu set up the League of the Archangel Michael following a vision from the Achangel o after 1930 it was better known as the Iron Guard Iron Guard Wore bags of Romanian soil around their neck Macabre ritualism of songs and dancing Cults of death and self-sacrifice encouraged o Police killed much more guardists than guardists killed policemen Movement very close to the Orthodox church Constituted a 20th Century vision of tsarist Orthodox, Autocracy and Nationalism o Strength of the movement lay largely in the weakness of all other political parties Also the fault of the NPP regime, drove many young and intelligent peasants towards the Iron Guard Guard also won peasant support by organising volunteers to help build roads etc One group built a dam As elsewhere in Europe, the intelligentsia were drawn towards Fascism Largely born out of universities Romanian lawyers and teachers were associated with politics and as such drove the fascist ideology More lawyers in Bucharest than in Paris

More students per thousand people than in Germany

The failed strategy of the Francophile liberalists had not industiralised Romania by 1930s They embraced a new culture, surrounding extreme peasant nationalism

Role of the Monarchy

Carol II worked to keep Iron Guard at bay

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Made Gheorghe Tatarescu prime minister (remained until 1937, which was long considering there had been 18 between 1930 and 1940!!) Economy had recovered by this time Stimulated by government subsidies to industry Increased tariffs Guaranteed prices for agricultural produce Export bounties for wheat (in contrast to liberal government) 1937 Election very small turnout no one gained the 40% premium free from official interference o Main goal of NPP was to stop Tatarescu from regaining power, as such they ALLIED with the Iron Guard led many senior politicians to resign No real result from the election, Carol suspended the constitution after a few interim governments and formed a ministry headed by Patriarch Christea of the Orthodox Church with some politicians like Vaida Voevod Averescu and Tatarsecu involved Start of Carols Guided Democracy a royal dictatorship designed to keep the right at bay o Distinctly worried that the Iron Guard had developed proNazi foreign policies o Foreign policy was designed to be the decision of the monarch New constitution of 1928: Democracy a foreign import and not suitable for Romania o Disbanded all political parties o Front of National Rebirth (led by Carol) was the only political party Powers of Parliament reduced More centralised: ten prefectures replacing the 71 Largely against the new right

o Dissolved the Iron Guard, arrested Codreanu who was shot whilst trying to escape: what most conclude as garrotted In effect Carol had beaten the right, but had had to create an authoritarian state to do it. Germany did not contest this action Germans were well treated in Romania Romania was also dependent on Germany economically o Germany agreed to aid industrial and agricultural development o No reason for Germany to undermine stability hereyet!

Last Years of Romania

Defeat of Carol

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Following the fall of Poland the Iron Guard experience a resurgence They killed Calinesu, Carols advisor However, the major blow to anti-guardists was the fall of France and the end of the Francophile traditional links of Romania Carol bent to their wishes, creating a new, more totalitarian state with a new National Unity Party including the Iron Guard Romania was forced to give up Bessarabia and Bukovina to Stalin on 28th of June 1940 after receiving no help from the Great Powers or Italy. 30th August, Vienna award gave Transylvania back to Hungary o the terms of the award were so horrifying that the Romanian delegation fainted at the table 7th of September, Dobruja back to Bulgaria After an attempted putsch by guardists, Carol abdicated on 3rd of September Handed power over to general Antonescu, a pro-guardists Territorial losses had vindicated the guards anti-royal inclinations, Iron Guard became the only party Fall of the Iron Guard Antonescus tendency towards order clashed with the new leader of the Iron Guard, Horia Sima Economy was in bad shape and Carol had taken much of state funds in private bank accounts Meant that Antonescu could not stop attacks on Jewish and Liberal businesses Campaign of Romanisation meant that any non-Romanian factory or business could be seized The Iron Guard became increasingly extreme, attempting a full scale revolution and deposition of Antonescu in 1941. This worried the Nazis, now officially allied to Romania, who were going to need Romanian oil for Operation Barbarossa Context of the coup gave Antonescu permission to crack down on the guard

o After 3 days of civil conflict, guard was crushed, members removed from offices and a full scale military rule created. o In June Antonescu gladly aided the war against the USSR