Romanian Campaign of 1916.The Invasion

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(german troops on Calea Victoriei)

.from "Romania's Tragic Story" by Hamilton Fyfe

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(german troops on Calea Victoriei)

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"My memories of Bukarest and a Brave Queen" by Hamilton Fyfe

"WHEN I went down to Rumania from the Russian front in August, 1910, I went in good spirits, believing that the Rumanian Army would be able to help towards the ending of the war.

I left the country four months later, having seen that Army broken to pieces, the richest part of the kingdom over-run by the enemy. Now, left in the lurch by Russia's refusal to go on fighting, Rumania sees herself compelled to give in. Looking back to-day, one is almost tempted to. ask if it was not a disaster for her, for us, for the world which longs so wearily for the war to be over, that Rumania ever took up arms ? And yet no other course seemed open to her at the hour of decision.

I remember walking up and down the platform of the frontier station on a sunny afternoon in harvest-time, thanking goodness that I was getting out of Russia again.

In another few hours I should be in a Latin country, instead of one which based its system of Government and, in large measure, its civilisation upon Latin remains. I was sick of that. It had taken a week to get my passport arranged, and I was under orders to go "at once." Even on that railway-station there were still formalities to be gone through, and one could never feel quite sure until they had been completed that some difficulty might not be raised.

Yet four months later, when I left Rumania, I was glad to be getting into Russia again.

Coming of Gloom

The Rumanian people are all right. The peoples everywhere arc all right. Troubles arise from their being governed badly. M. Bratiano governed Rumania a long time, and he made a terrible mess of it. This could not be said while he was still Prime Minister, but now that he has been succeeded by that excellent soldier and honest man, General Avarescu, I need not hesitate to say that it is M. Bratiano who will have to bear, according to the verdict of history, the blame of leading Rumania astray.

Somehow I felt as soon as I reached Bukarest that a shadow of coming evil lay across what once gay and dissipated little capital. The railways were in a state of confusion which made me uneasy about the management of the war. Instead of leaving the frontier in the afternoon, and reaching Bukarest at night, I had to spend the night at Jassy, little thinking how well I was to know this dirty town later on, when it became the seat of Government.

Next morning the train left about eight. I hoped to get to Bukarest towards evening, but we dragged on all through the hot day, and half through the night as well. We did not pull into the dark station of the capital until half-past two o'clock.

Station dark, streets dark, not a cab to be found.. Terror of the air raids had already gripped the population. Nothing for it but to walk to a hotel, hiring a rapacious fellow to carry one's baggage. Fifteen francs (12s. 6d.) was his charge. Take it or leave it. Plenty of passengers ready to take it if I did not. I paid gladly enough. Sometimes there were no men to carry luggage even. A friend of mine, who arrived some weeks afterwards, had to leave his and walk to the hotel, pyjamas in one pocket of his overcoat, toothbrush and slippers in the other.

Tea and Gossip Shop

From being the "racketiest" of pleasure places Bukarest had transformed itself in the first days of war into the most gloomy. Everything closed at nine o'clock, all taxis and almost all horse-cabs "gone to the war." No one allowed to be out after nine without a special permit. Windows had to be darkened on this wise :

At half-past seven an hotel servant would march into my room, shut the outer windows, pull a Venetian blind over them, shut the inner windows, which had blue paper pasted on them into the bargain, then lower a thick green blind. Imagine what rooms so sealed up were like on a hot September evening !

There was a famous tea-shop in the main street of Bukarest. They made really good tea there; which could not be said of any other tea-shop. The secretary of the British Legation had once gone down into the kitchen and shown them how to make it. This was both a fashionable resort and a great place for gossip among politicians. Suddenly it was closed.

The Government were afraid of gossip, even over the teacups, after the reverse which the Rumanian troops suffered in the south at the hands of the Bulgarians. After this nothing went right for them.

Very soon it became evident that, instead of being prepared for war, as the British and French nations had been encouraged to believe, the Rumanian Army was not in any state to undertake even an easy campaign. M. Bratiano had either deceived himself or misled the Allies. He had no heavy artillery for his troops, no aeroplanes to speak of. He sent old generals to command at the front, men who were unfit for any position of responsibility. The soldiers even lacked such necessaries for campaigning under today's conditions as nippers to cut barbed-wire ; there were in some units not enough spades for digging positions.

Terrible Mismanagement

I saw a good deal of the hospitals in the early days. They showed plainly that the war had- not been prepared for in a medical sense. The Army Medical Service had studied what ought to be done. It was the only branch of the Service which had done this. It had sent officers to the front in France to make reports, and as a result the Rumanian field hospitals were good. But here again misfortune befell. The idea of M. Bratiano was that the invasion of Transylvania must be easy, the Austrians being, as he thought, exhausted and the Germans having no assistance to spare. The medical service was, therefore, all up at the front. There many hospitals had nothing to do, while in the rear, at Bukarest and in other cities, the wounded men were pouring into the improvised hospitals, and the difficulties of taking care of them caused a terrible number of deaths and a tragic amount of suffering which better management might have avoided.

I remember visiting in Craiova a hospital where four hundred sick and wounded were under the charge of one heroic woman surgeon with a few junior students to help her. She was a young woman, and very strong, she declared, but she admitted the strain was telling on her.

How could it be otherwise ? A French doctor, one of a very fine party of able and self- sacrificing men, told me the number of wounded Rumanians sent back to the Army after treatment was only ten per cent. It sounded unbelievable. But I am afraid it was not far from being literally true.

Queen Marie had in the Palace one of the best hospitals of Bukarest. As she said to me one day : "Of course mine is all right. I can get anything that is to be had." But it was well managed, too, which was more than could be said for most ; and there was no stealing. A lady who had a hospital, the mother of a Rumanian friend of mine, told me her doctors were aggrieved because she would not let them take away meat and vegetables to their homes. They said “all other hospitals allowed it."

Rumania's Brave Queen

The Queen is not only the most beautiful of her class, but I should think the most capable, too. She has none of the shyness and gaucherie which so often make Royal personages, and those who are presented to them, uncomfortable. She made me feel after I had been talking to her for ten minutes as if we had known each other for years. She was perfectly frank and natural. "It has been difficult for the King and me," she said. "He is a German. I am English. But We have never let difficulties stand in our We are both Rumanian. That was our safeguard."

She has been through hard times, sure , as neither she nor her cousin, the Empress of Russia, ever dreamed of going through until misfortune fell upon them. But Queen Marie has never flinched or faltered. She has sometimes said, "It is hard on the children." But not a complaint will she make about what she herself suffers. I hate to think of what she must be feeling in her brave English heart in this dark hour of Rumania's humiliation, brought, upon that unhappy country by political incapacity and intrigue."

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3.The Romanian Politics in The Occupied Territory

The "germanophils"

The political life ,in the understanding of the discussion of the government principles ,as in the public of the country one,was all together suspended in the occupied territory,where it reigned only the will and the fist of the occupant.The organs of political life ,the political parties ,were disorganized .All the leaders of the parties ,whicch have lead or propagated action against the central powers ,were refugeed in Moldavia.The ones which stayed here,personajes with roles less proeminent in politics,were keeping themselves in reserve,or have been arrested and interned as hostages.

It have remained all ,so called "germanophils"(german lovers) ,under which name it was understood ,in commonn tongue ,the politicians which ,either from simpathy and admiration for germania or because of the way of judging the interests of the country ,the chances and risks of the War and political eventualities or,for some,of interests and calculuses less moral ,have been the partizans of keeping"the traditional poitics",either by maintaining of a good will neutrality to the central powers ,or by a military action with these ones.Not wanting to understand that ,once the War declared ,there could be but one target ;victory over the enemy ,and only one flag ,the one rose up and held up by the sovereign of the country ,the government of the country and the national army ,the "germanophils' rushed to desert from this elementary duty and cross in the enemy camp .Between them and the government of military occupation started to establish personal rapports ,for a colaboration for the actual times and especially for the future ones.It was counted with certainty on the eventuality of a definitive victory of the central powers ,which would have held Romania in the chains of a vasality ,political german.The Romanian politicians ,germanophil,were indicated ,as persons of trust ,to be the future leaders of vasal Romania.

The inclinations and personal connections ,as well as the combinations of internal politics ,separated the germanophils from the occupied territory in several groups.

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Carp and Maiorescu

The first one was the one gathered around Petre Carp.It was a less numerous group ,but treasured by the germans because of the great authority of the chief.The Carpists believed that the only escape of the country could only be the replacing of the actual dinasty by one of the sons of the german emperor.This one would be capable to maintain the territorial integrity of Romania-maybe even the Dobrogean Cadrilater .The action of Carp ,wrong and in contradiction with the real interests of the country ,was however started by a real belief .Proud character ,intransigent and prob,uninclined towards any kind of tranzaction ,he inspired trust to the germans and respect.He was simpathysed and supported especially by the german iuncheri ,agrarian conservators,the nationalists ,with which politics ,under the national rapport ,as well as under the economic one ,the way of thinking of Carp had great afinity.The members of the guarantees government have been chosen from his partizans ,political ones,or from his friends.He ,himself,has refused to take the lead of a goverment,as long as in Moldavia was the Romanian Government legitime of the country.He has left the memory of an original spirit ,always in contradiction withthe public oppinion of the country ,and many times with his own friends ,without linking his name by any positive action for the well being of the country.

It has to be reminded here the proud attitude of Titu Maiorescu .Germanophil by education ,pacifist by temperament ,evolutionist by his philosophical beliefs ,being against quick jumps and violent transformations ,he has been the adversary of the War in the Entente camp.Near the entering of Romania in the War ,the name of Maiorescu has been set forward as the most indicated to form a government which to continue the poltics of neutrality in a liked direction by the central powers ,from which to obtain the acomplishing of that program of revendications ,minimal,with which the so called "moderates" politicians were happy.The perspective of Maiorescu government has been presented in an abile/able manner by Bratianu to the representatives of the two central empires ,to spread away their suspicions ,made by the convokation of the Crown Council.After the occupation ,he refuzed ,out of patriotic pride,to enter in relatons with the occupant and desaprobed "the political plots planned by the occupant".Well ballanced soul ,he has tried to temper the germanophil zel of his friends from politics and died in the summer of 1917,bitter by the missfortunes and humiliations of his country and in fight with his old friend Carp.

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(moving Romanian prisoners after the fall of Bucharest-December 1916)

(battlefield scene North-West of Bucharest)

(Romanian dead)

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(von Mackensen parading in Bucharest,7 December 1916)

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The politics of "plots"

The "plots" desaprobed by Maiorescu ,if they could not be translated in governing acts ,were however expressed by the guarants's government.It was the action of enslaving unconditionate to the german politics of renaunciation to the independence of the country ,of capitulation in front of overpwerful germans.

In July 1917 ,the guarants government have organized some kind of plebicist ,by which the country had to give to Carp the empowerment to form a legal government .He wanted to believe that "if in the actual circumstance ,the parliament of the country would had the power to meet at Bucharest ,without a doubt that Mr. P.P. Carp would have received from it ,by an unanime declaration ,the mandate to work in full power in the name of the Patria.As,however,the expression of this will is missing,it must that the nation itself to give direct mandate to Mr. Petre.P.Carp .That is why the so nicknamed "pantahuza" spread all over by the agents of the guarants government ,had this paragraph:"the signed...persons,having the belief that,in the circumstances through which the country is going ,the action of Mr. Petre P. Carp is the only one capable to give back to Romania the lost situation ,we give him the task to defend the wrights of the country in the negociations that will follow for getting the peace desired by all".It was talk about the separate peace with the germans ,which will be treated and closed ,in the name of the country ,a government prezided by Carp ,rose up to helm,by this plebicist(vote).The trial did not work out .It has hit the commune sense,popular,and by the patriotism of the intelectual blankets."Pantahuza" came back white.Carp has remained simple particular ,the man with great passing to the germans ,wanting with passsion the crushing of the Romanian resistance on Siret River and pushing the german military commanders to offensive which was supposed to conquer Moldavia ,the only way which this strange soul of patriot thought possible for the happyness of his patria.

One of the most active propagandists of infeudation to germania was the diplomat Al.Beldiman,former minister of Romania at Berlin.He kept,under the paronaj of the guarants government and of the military authorities ,conferences in Bucharest and in some of the big cities of the occupied territory,by which it was tried to be demonstrated the big national mistakes and to pleed for the traditional politics of King Carol.The confrences had no effect whatsoever.The empty oratory of the former diplomat was nothing for the germanophils out of belief or out of interest,which constituted the great mmajority of his auditorium ,invited with special card ,and lacking the gift of persuation for others.

Also under the patronaj of the guarants government was enterprized the propaganda of demoralization of the fighters.It has been executed in several ways.

Colonel Al. Sturdza ,the traitor run away from the fighting Front ,to put himself in the job of the enemy ,failed in his trial to organize an action on to the fighting Front.His mate ,Crainiceanu ,caught in flagrant delict of plotting with the traitor,has been executed.His appeals towards the officers on the Romanian Front ,as to the Romanian soldiers prisoners behind enemy lines ,have been received as normal.Ironized by the german officers for his insuccesses ,Sturdza moved to Bucharest where,together with germanophil politicians from here changes the way of his activity ,transforming himself in agent of bringing back to the country of the Romanian officers prisoners ,with weaker souls.He hase chosen as terrain of propaganda the camps of Romanian officers prisoners in which,the bodies weakened by hunger and the souls bittered by missfortune ,gave him good conditions for the demoralizing action.The officers who let themselves convinced by he propaganda or were concentrated in the camp at Krefeld ,set under a treatment of favour and then freed in exchange for signing of a declaration ,by which they took the responsobility "to not combat the poltics of the central pwers in Romania and to not qualify it unfavorable",as well as to put their services to the dispozition of the occupied country or,better said ,of the occupant and his men.To the honesty of the Romanian spirit ,the krefeldists have constituted a weak minority.The majority has rejected with despise the shamefull offer.

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The most daring trial was the one tried by the girant/guarant of the Ministry of Instruction and Culture ,Virgil Arion .By means of a pressure of inquisitor ,Arion and his mates have forced the mitropolit (the greatest priest in Orthodox Church),an octagenar with his intelligence and will weakened -and some other church faces -to signe a manifest addressed to the soldiers which were guarding the Front line in trenches ,which is an appeal to desertion from the holly duty of defending the land of patria."The calling of the Primat Mitropolit" ,throwed from aeroplnes in the trenches to the soldiers ,was saying among others:"God All Mighty has had mercy for this country .He tamed the heart of the conqueror towards us and made by himself our mate of work,for the forgiveness(as in holly) of Romania.Peasants,hamletsmen,workers and whatever you might be ,have the good faith that the conqueror ,which enters in Moldavia ,is not thirsty of revenge ,does not kill,does not plunder ,does not arson ,does not desert in his way .Here ,in Muntenia(the Romanian Country or Valahia),the wealths,houses ,our honesty of evrybody ,have been respected...

Only one duty towards the country you have now:to not leave the land of the country ,to not miss Romania by your strengths ,to not put your arm up for a foreign cause...."

This murder against patria had also so less success as the others.The arm of the fighter ,which was just rising the sword at Marasesti and Marasti ,did not weak for one moment under the murderous call.The Romanian soldiers have throwed with despise the odious paper ,as they did with the packages of the "Bucharest Gazet" ,which was throwed to them in the trenches in front,in the same way they answered to the pushing to mutiny of the Russian camarads.

Amongst all the vicisitudines of the fate ,the spirit of Romanina masses kept untouched the vigor and clean.

The sad tableau of the personajes which put their services to the dispozition of te enemy ,against their own country ,completes with Colonel Verzea.From Ardeal as origin,impressing everybody by his noisy nationalist manifestations,he became to enjoy an outstanding trust and to be given very confidential missions.In the important job of chief of the Post and Telegraph ,keeper of all national defence secrets ,he started to become suspect.He was inquiring by all the moves of the troops ,was intercepting and recording all corespondence between military chiefs ,and when it begun the retreat ,he delayed the measures of evacuation of the telegrapho-postal pesonell and material,such that ,at the entering of the germans ,these ones have captured rich material and 7 000 000 Lei in cash.Although he received the formal order of leaving,he remained behind ,under pretext of sickness in the occupied territory ,and received the dignity of Mayor of the Capital,under te occupation regime.Sued in the free territory ,he has been condemned to death,as missing ,together with his acomplice Flechtenmacher.A new trial ,after the ending of the War ,changed his punishment in prisson for life.

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The opportunism of Alexandru Marghiloman

The group garhered around Alexandru Marghiloman was more numerous ,representing an important part of the Conservative Party.This party has been disorganized in the wake of the dezaccord produced on the matter of Romania's attitude towards the War.A part of it followed Filipescu in his Ententophil politics .The rest has separated between Carp and Marghiloman .After the death of Maiorescu ,Marghiloman has remained the effective chief of the majority of the Filocentralist branch of the Conservative Party.

Able politician ,with oratoric talent,with elegant prestance ,very rich ,sportsman,Marghilomann differences fundamentally by Carp and all personal and spiritual connections were to France.At the first Crown Council in Sinaia ,Marghiloman declared himself categoric against the action with the central empires.Then ,however ,because of the breakings in his party on the matter of the War,,appreciating the perspectives of the War as favorable to austro- germania ,wanting to gain the simpathy of King Carol of Romania(the predecesor of King Ferdinand of Romania),Marghiloman enters decided in the waters of filocentralist politics.The germanophilism of Marghiloman was not ,then, a germanofphilism of belief ,but of oportunism started from combinations of internal plitics.Having a big passion for turf,Marghiloman has bet on the german horse .Its winning was supposed to bring him as prize the definitivation of the long disputed presidency of the Conservator Party .During the Campaign of 1916 ,Marghiloman refuses to enter in a national government ,and after the catastrophe he remained in the occupied territory.

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Marghiloman,as his principal friends ,had tight connections with leading personalities of the german military government;still ,he did not enjoyed their total trust ,because of his attitude which ,compared with the franc attitude of Carp ,seemed to the germans opportunist and hesitating.Under the influence of Maiorescu ,the group was against a dinastic change .It was preocupied especially by the internal politics and was organizing for the masterpiece of governing the country ,to which he was sure he will be summoned ,after the political desastre of the Liberal Party.Near the closing of the peace,then when the victory of the austro-germans seemed deffinitive ,Marghiloman thought that he is able to make in public a politic converssion ,to win him for good ,the trust of the central powers and make him the future Chief of vasal Romania.The german agency "Trans-Ocean" published an interview ,in which Marghiloman declared himself for a connection of Romania with the central powers ,which has to be a link from country to country :"Out of the ranks of the 300 000 fighters will not rise no reistance against the fact that in Romania has formed another government.Only with such a government could the central powers close the peace .And,if the conditions of this peace would make necessary as the King ,which has declared the War in the first place ,to not be able to close the peace ,there is no doubt that the King will make the unavoidable act".

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His Majesty King Ferdinand of Romania

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austrian 30.5 cm artillery and Romanian prisoners

austrian 30.5 cm artillery in action

Romanian position in the Carpathians with armourred cupola

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Bridge blown up by Romanians ,being rebuild by wurtemberger engineers

austrian artillery in the Carpathians

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german 21cm artillery in action on Romanian Front,summeer 1917

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The action of Stere

The third group germanophil was the one gathered around C. Stere.The group was less nummerous ,the only personality with relief being its chief ,having as principal secondant the professor and writer D.D.Patrascanu.Because of the spreading of its newspaper "Lumina"(the Light) and of its incontestable talent as piblicist ,having a vast culture ,the propaganda of Stere for the politics of accepting things and attaching to the german cause was made very activelly.

Starting from the premises of unslaving Basarabia face to Transilvania and of the collaps of Russia face to austro-hungary,Stere evolved and became the partizan of the organic attacment of Romania to the central powers,first to austro-hungary -which ,after himself,would have resolved the matter of Romanians fromm over the mountains after the conception of "Gross Oesterreich" of Aurel Popovici -then to germania ,with proclaiming the kaiser or one of his sons as king of Romania.In the spring of 1917 ,Stere went to Viena and Berlin and taught to the leaders of the austro-german politics a memoir in which he exposed his views over the "new orientation"of Rommanian politics.

The starting point of the new orientation would have been the interest of germania to have at the Danube and at the Black Sea a strong state ,to oppose a dam between Rusisia and the slav states from the Balkans Peninsula.He will obstacle these countries to master the Narrows ,which would have meant the complete surrounding and blokade of the central powers.Romania ,not being strong enaugh to be able to acomplish by herself this mission ,European, and the solution of an alliance proven uneffective,must attach to the central powers ,not by a short time link and unsure of an alliance ,but based solidly on a new constitution.The new situation which would create to Romania would be,f.t.p.o.w. economic ,the entering in Mittel -Europa*, and f.t.p.o.w. politic ,an union with one of the two empires .The actual dinasty must be drifted away ,and one of the two monarchs of the central powers ,must be proclaimed as king of Romania.

In the spirit of its author ,the solution proposed would have simplified also the solution of the Polish matter ,which was an apple of quarrel between germania and austria -which gave it a more general interest ;would have disarmed for eternity the Romanian iredenta from hungary ,and in the country ,thanks to an abile proceeding ,like the agrar reform and the emancipation of the Jews ,executed in the same time ,would have been received with simpathy.

This solution off anihilation complete and of free will of any political independence and economic of the country ,this transformation of Romania in a german colony was considered by Stere as the only possibility of saving of the country ,the only one which would have obstacled the "spreading of Romanians between four states,prefering the slavery of all in one place".It was the solution of the one that kills himself ,of fraid of not being asassinated.The few partizans of stere made him a passionant propaganda in the public :"In our knees we should ask the emperor Wilhelm to receive the Crown of Romania ;the great difficulty is that he doesen't want to!"

Latter on,Stere admitted himself the mistake of this political conception ,confessing in Parliament:"Anyone can bring me the blame that I have made mistakes of intelectual order ;my conscience tells me I made no mistake of moral order"**.

*Under this name ,a politician from germania ,Fr.Neuman ,has foreseen the unification of the countries in Center of Europe in an unique comercial territory.

**The meeting of the deputies of 21st of December 1922.

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Shadows and sadness...

The political fights ,usually so fierce and noisy in Romaniaa ,were now all together shut.They have dissappeared once with the surpressing of the freedom of conscience ,of the word and of the press ,the three conditions of existence of political life ,buried under the severe regime of police.The germanophil political partizans were they themselves forced to edge their activity at small meetings in which they fabriced personal intrigues and were made plans for constituting a new government.One thing was considered as definitive earned :the taking out forever from the political liffe of the "gentlemen from Iasi" ,"of the ones that made the national dezastre".There weren't harsh enaugh qualificatives to be applieed to them ,nor punishments hard enaugh to which to be repayed with the murder of throwing Romania in the abyss from which them,the saviors from this side ,had to take out ,together with the corresponding benefices.The perseveration of the Government from Iasi , in the politics he has engaged ,was considered as a madness ,which had to be obstacled by any means.

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If it is without any doubt that the political action of the "germanophils" remained in the occupied territory deserve the most severe condemnation of the history ,it is not the same with the administraive action of the leaders ,of different orders ,of the public institutions .It is beyond discussion that the clerks ,Romanians,remained in the occupied territory had to acomplish a difficult task.In a territory conquered by force by the enemy ,they must ensure,in the permitted limits by the occupant ,the continuity of the public life Romanian,to maintain our institutions ,to defend life,the honour and the wealth of the inhabitants ,putting many times their person as guarantee and using sometimes personal relations with the masters.Some of them understood perfectlly this duty and acomplish it with difficulties and sacrifices .Many sufferings have been eased ,many humiliations sided,many plunders have been obstacled ,many institutions or wealths of the public have been saved by the intervention ,when full off tact ,when energic ,off some off the leaders or chiefs of pubic institutions.

The general accuzation of "treason" throwed to all Romanians remained in hthe occupied territory ,understanding here all those who had a funcion under the occupation governement -even those let by the Romanian Government at the retreat to Moldavia ,with special missions -it is unjust and started ,either from envy ,or by the ignoration of the public life during this time.Not the simple fact of receiving of a public service deserves to be stigmatized ,but the attitude taken by some of these dignitaries or the face in which they thought they had to fulfill their office.Those who served the interestts of the country and of their compatriots ,in those heavy circumstances ,with the broken heart by pain ,without kneeling in front of the conqueror and without sellig their conscience ,have gave proof of a spiritual power greater than many of those who run in Moldavia ,and from there in Russia and further ,without any trouble but care of their wounded nerves and put to shelter their person.

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Also very true is ,a good part of these leaders did not know to rise up to the moral height asked by the sad circumstances.The injuries addressed to the political adversaries -"the gentelmen from Iasi"(the Romanian Government in exile in Moldavia in Iasi city) -to make the pleasure of the masters ,the ridiculization of the continuation of our military action ,the trials of corruption and of weakening of the moral of the fighting Army ,are ugly deeds ,or even crimes of treason of patria.Some had the lack of dignity to make rapports,social, with the enemy ,to take part at receptions and parties organized by this one ,or to invite him at feasts given by them themselves ,in which to party "in an atmosphere of intime cordiality".

There have been many unconscious ,even amongst the great political leaders ,amongst the guarants of the ministries and their aghiotants ,during the tragic days of Marasesti and Oituz ,they were frictioning their hands of joy and were announcing ,in loud shout,that in two weeks Mackensen will be in Iasi.The perspective of destroying that heroic Army which was keeping the guard of Siret and of Trotus ,the crossing of the enemy plough over the bodies of brothers and sons of ours and installation triumphal of the enemy on the land piece which was still the embodyment the unhanging and honour of the country ,was awaited with unrest and saluted with satisfaction as the entireing of Romania.It even had the tragic title of parody ,of "the unification of the principates".(there are 3 principates or countries : Valahia or Muntenia or the Romanian Country ,Moldavia,Transilvania).

The bravery of the Romanian soldier did not procured to these hyenes the pleasure of eating the dead body of their own country.

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Unfortunately ,these were the oppinions etalated through the cancelaries of the big public administrtions ,through the offices and bureaus of the press and the columns of newspapers ,foreign, or estranged ,through public locals ,because they were on the taste of the miitary authorities ,in front of which their authors recomended themselves.The other oppinions were said with reserve and in small circles.

And the public poisson had to take effect ,pushing the power of resistance of the spirit of the country ,as the privations of material order were anihillating the body strength!Because,the unfolding of the end seemed to close in.Hit in the face by the enemy ,hit in the back by the ally ,Romania was pushed with strngth towards the edge of the abyss.The fatal day was closing in,when,drained out of strengths and without any helps ,Romania had to put down arm[7].

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[1] The gravity of the economical problems of germania result in part from the evolution of the physic volume on head of inhabitant between 1914-1919 ( in 1913=100:agriculture -62,industry-61.Instead of the 2 800 calories daily -the necessary average and vital ,the german was receiving in 1917 1000 calories daily or even less.In the winter of 1916-1917 ,the german has received weekly only 190 grams of bread.With all the considerable hardships in their way ,of the subalimentation of the population ,civile, germania managed to ensure until November 1918 the replenishment of the army with aliments and material militar .At this have contributed the resources of the Romanian territory occupied for a while ,then the one of Ucraine ,Crimeea and Caucaz -taken in mastering for a while in year 1918.

[2] Helmut von Moltke(1848-1916) ,chief of the great general staff ,german general during the 1914 campaign

[3]"Zentralpolizeistelle"-central post of police.

[4]"Studie-Moldauer Bauer-"Sketch -Moldavian Peasant".

[5] To be able to cover the consume during peace time ,germania was forced to import anually enormous quantities ,which represented 2/5 until half ,of the needs of fat and oils .Or,in the conditions of the economic War ,the blokade to which germania has been subjected by the Entente ,isolated it in great measure by the old resources extern of replenishment.

[6]The extenssion of submarine warfare -instrument of the german counterblokade against Great Britain -has increased considerable in the years 1917-1918 the importance of Romanian petrol.

[7] About the diverse aspects of the great theme of this chapter ,Romanian istoriography in the last years ,studies and research etc.

[razu]

Chapter II(volume two)

The enslaving peace of Bucharest

1.Romania Betrayed And Abandoned

Alone in the face of the enemy

Romania has not been defeated by the enmy .She held chest with manhood to it and made it to bite the dust ,powerless ,in the face of barrier of chests and bayonets guarding Moldavia.The revolution and Russian defection throwed her ,however, with tight hands,to the feet of the adversary.Undefeated,but without luck ,Romania had to start again the climb of her calvary.The truce had been the first stage .A truce is only a provisory solution:it must lead either to the closing of the peace ,definitive,or at retaking of the hostilities.The one closed at Focsani had to be of a short while.germmania was eager to profit of this luck which came her way ;she needed the troops from the Russian-Romanian Front ,to prepare the decissive blow in the West.Her intention ,was such ,very clear :She will push with all strength to separate peace on the Eastern Front.On the other side ,the intentions of bolsevic Russia were as clear :the new masters of Russia were they as well in a great haste too to close the separate peace ,to have free hands inside the country ,and the Russian Army was melting day by day ;soon ,there will be no Russian soldier on the Front anymore.

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These being the facts ,it could be counted as very close the day when Romania will find herself alone ,isolated ,in the face of the central powers.Of almost a year and a half now ,since she entered the war ,Romania passed through numerous crisis;never ,though, in the situation as now,under the aspect of most cumplite tragedy.

The leaders of the country and of the Army saw themselves forced to count on this eventtuality ,to examine with cold blood the circumstances and to analyze the solutions which might appear.

Without any doubt ,in December 1917 our situation became desperate.

We were surrounded now from all parts by enemies.At the natural enemy in front of us ,was added also the enemy next to this one and the one from behind ,the allied from until now.And this kept us occupied the territory and all the wires of our military action and of the replenishments of the Army of the Country.We did not had even the power of the slightest help from outside ,because the new enemy had interposed with its enormous mass between us and our Allies in the West .We did not had,in case of defeat ,not even a line of retreat and a place of refuge.And next to this ,we started to feel the needs of all kinds.We did not had deposits of food and munitions.We were drained out financially and in impossibility to complete our used equipment.All around ,empty,lack ,darkness and enemies.

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