Romanian Campaign of 1916.The Invasion

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Averescu Government begins negotiations

The delegation send by General Averescu at Bucharest was constituted by the minister Major in reserve Mitilineu ,politician and former prefect of police in Bucharest under the Conservator Government of 1911.Papiniu had the task to communicate to the german authorities of occupation of Bucharest the views of the Government about the peace and to ask for an extenssion of the Truce of at least 20 days.Ressel had the task to ask Mackensen a personal meeting with Averescu ,and Mitilineu to make contact with the politicians in Bucharest -especially with Marghiloman -to check them over the basis on which the negociation 0s of peace could be made.

Mackensen admitted an extenssin of the truce only till 22nd of february ,when the delegation of the Romanian Governemnt had to present to begin the tratatives of peace.It has been set a meeting with Mackensen and Averescu .As about the politicians in Bucharest ,these ones not oonly they refused to give their sligthest concur to Iasi Government (Romanian Government) in the announced tratatives ,but even,Lupu -Costaki has handed to the ROmanian delegats ,from Carp order, this declaration:"Mr. P.P. Carp ask you to tell with respect to His majesty that,in his oppinion ,even if the King would sign the peace with the central powers his remaining on the throne would give birth to a series of convulssions ,which would make the Dynasty impossible and would make hard the healing of the wounds caused by a fatal politics".

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At 18th of February took place in Stirbei Castle at Buftea ,the meeting between Averescu and Mackensen ;the second one was accompanied by general Hell,his chief of general staff and by Horstmann,the chief of the poltic department of the occupied territory.The meeting had only the character of making a contact for that the Romanian Government to get an orientation over the unfolding of the tratatives.The talk was made with curtoasy and in the spirit of a perfect military camaradery,Averescu and Mackensen being known one to another since during the time when Averescu has been the Romanian attache at Berlin.The delicate matters of the peace have been touched one by one ,without establishing nothing definitive .Mackensen gave the impression that the conditions of the peace would not be to hard.The matter of the Dynasty was taken out from the program of the discussions of the peace,as being"of a private order".Still,the marshal added that changing of the King is definitely fixed thing by the Kaiser and that over this matter have agreed also the leaders from Bucharest .To the Army will not be imposed humiliating conditions ;she will be able to stay even mobilised to be used in Basarabia.There will even had to be made concessions of territory in Dobrogea ,which will interest only the Cadrilater region and maybe "the bulgarian parts" from old Dobrogea ,until a line Mangalia -Adamclisi ;maybe even reach an understanding to postpone the matter of Dobrogea until the general peace.The territorial matters in the mountains ,towards austro-hungary ,will not be a big thing :they will be reduced to three rectifications of frontier in region Virciorovei ,Predeal and Dornei.

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Averescu leaves with good impressions from this meeting.But these impressions did not correspond with the reality .Mackensen did not have the power to treat the conditions of the peace in the name of the german government ;he has insisted over the fact that that the meeting has a private character ,expressing only personal oppinions in which ofcourse were reflected also the ideeas of the great general staff german.That is why it has not been recorded ina document the conversations.Same ideeas have been exchanged during the conversation with hell .It has remained that precise discussions to take place ,between the chief of the Romanian Government and the official empowered of the central powers .These ones were ministers Kuhlmann and Czernin ,which became available by the interr

uption of tratativs of Brest-Litovsk

The two ministers were in delay .The great general headquarter german was in a haste to end also with Romania ,to free the troops on this Front.An ultimatum ,adressed to Romania ,considered as being completelly paralised ,seemed to the german comandament as sure of success.Hindenburg invites categoric Kuhlmann ,by baron Lersner ,the representant of the german foreign ministry attached to the great headquarter to leave imediatelly in Romania , threatening with resignation if the minister delays two or thre days more.At 23rd of February ,the enemy delegats were finally in Bucharest.

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The meeting of Averescu with the two plenipotentiaries ,at Buftea ,clarified finally the situation .The intentions of the central powers were getting now a contur more precise.It is true that the matter of Dynasty has been definitivelly taken out from the frame of the discussions.The central powers considered now as a matter of internal politics;it was the bussiness of Mr. Carp,of Mr. Stere a.s.o.It has not been set any condition for the Army and have been touched in passing the matter of frontier rectifications towards austro-hungaria and of the concessions of economic nature.The big blow has been the matter of Dobrogea .The two ministers declared decissively that entire Dobrogea must be given to the cntral powers in condominium ,remaining for them to decide of her fate,reserving also for Romania a way to the Black Sea.

It was the bill pretended by the bulgarians as price of their colaboration and of which satisfaction they made a condition of their remaining in the alliance with the central powers.In the difficult situation in which were these ones ,the exit of bulgaria from the alliance would have been a catastrophe.That is why ,the central powers -with all the repulssion produced in some of the circles by this unjustified pretention -have seen themselves forced to give in to the blackmail and to take it as a sine qua non condition of the peace itself.

Averescu declares to the two ministers that taking away Dobrogea from Romania it is an impossibility for any Romanian government .Face to the exigences of the plenipotentiaries ,which are in the contrast with the declarations made by their governments ,such that they wish to close in the peace without territorial annexations and war bills compensations ,it would have to be brought to the knowledge of the Sovereign(the King) the new situation.In order to not break the tratatives ,Czernin asks from Averescu a meeting with His Majesty King Ferdinand of Romania .This one took place in Racaciuni train Station at 27th of February

The attitude of Czernin during the meeting has been arrogant and lacking the deference in the presence of a Sovereign.He has started the talk declaring to H.M. King Ferdinand that he has not come to beg for the peace ,but by the task of his Emperor which with all the "treason " of Romania ,wants to treat her gentle and with menajaments ,if H.M. King Ferdinand would agree to close imediatelly the peace with the central powers,under the fixed conditions by this one.The austrian minister adds the threat that,in the contrary ,being given the military superiority of the central powers ,now when the entire Front from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea is free,if the operations of War will be retaken ,in outmost six weeks Romania and her Dynasty will cease to exist.

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H.M. King Ferdinand protests against the cnditions of peace ,excessivelly hard ones,and affirms that there will be no Romanian government to sign the giving up of Dobrogea .Czernin replies,recommending to H.M. King Ferdinand,a Marghiloman government which,"to save Romania ,will receive the imposed conditions".To defeat the resistance ,the austrian diplomat declares ready to guarantee a free passing towards the sea to Constanta and diplomatic aid to gain Basarabia.

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Czernin repeats again the threat that "if Romania does not accept the conditions set,then the central powers will know to get ,in four weeks ,a more favorable peace than the one Romania must be happy today to obtain".

The zel unfolded by count Czernin had its explanation in the turmoiled situation which dominated in the backstage of the diplomacy and commandment,austro-german.Between germania and austro-hungaria was still valid the accord of Kreuznach *.With all this accord,Czernin supported at Brest -Litovsk his coleague Kuhlmann to ensure to germania the annexation of provinces marginal in Russia and "rectification of frontier" towards Poland.In exchange ,Romania was falling in the lot of pray of austro-hungaria ;Kuhlmann will leave free hand to his coleague and will give him all concur ,especially ,in the matter of rectification of border in the Carpathian Mountains ,which the hungarians were asking with insisstence.

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Diorama at scale 1/1 of Marasesti Battle

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The Great Romanian Headquarter(in 1916, before the reorganization of the Army previous August 1916,before our entering in the War)

*The Great General Staff*

.5 Commandments of Army Corps

.15 Divisions Of Infantry,Having In Organic:

-60 Regiments of Infantry

-10 Regiments Of Hunters

-15 Regiments of Easy Artillery

-15 Regiments of Howitzers

-30 Escadrons

--16 Batteries of Easy Artillery

--10 Batteries of Trench Artillery

-Units of Marching

-Services

.2 Brigades of Calarasi (4 Regiments)

.2 Brigades of Rosiori(4 Regiments)

1 Regiment Royal Escort

.Two Brigades Of Heavy Artillery (4 Regiments)

.2 Regiments of Mountain Artillery

.Antyaerian Artillery

.Aeronautic-Aviation (12 Squadrons)

-Aerostation(5 Companies)

.The Auto Corps

...and then after reorganization of 1916

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....these drawings and the diorama are from the Central Military Museum of Bucharest,

General Mihail Aslan

General Constantin Prezan

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General Ion Popescu Sanitarul ,Commander of the 13th Division in Marasesti Battle

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Same kind of divergences were separating the conception of the austrian leaders of that of the maghiars(hungarians );they coud be seen in the press and even in the parliamentary discussions.The austrians saw in the peace with Romania ,as the germans,an occassion of economic exploatation and it has been tried even the catching of the friendship of the defeated nation by a friendly attitude and resonable requests.The hungarians ,on the contrary ,wanted the weakening of the Romanian State and people ,the anihilation of its moral strengths and of its material resources ,thinking that by doing this will take away and even surpress the danger of Romanian iredent.The plenipotentiar of the Monarchy had to take into account of all these currents and to find the attitude which will "conciliate" them.

In reality ,the rapport of forces between the two adversaries did not present with that crushing superiority ,on which counted the great german headquarter .Emperor Carol of austria has telegraphed to his foreign minister ,imediatelly after the arrival of this one at Bucharest,that he does not permit under any circumstance to his troops to begin some new offensive ,neither on Siret River Sector,nor anywhereelse on another Sector of the Oriental Front,and general Hell ,the chief of general staff of mackensen ,declares that the german troops ,fewed by the sending of some divisions on the Western Front imediatelly after the Truce of Focsani ,were too weak to be able to risk alone an offensive action ,especially that the german commandment in Romania learned to respect the Romanian Army ,after the summer campaign.

With all the weakness of their situation ,the two ministers decided to play boldly.Averescu ,after he made contact with Bratianu and with Take Ionescu ,has made a new trial at 1st of March ,asking to the representatives of the central powers to give up at the sine qua non conditions and to consent to begin the tratatives in a conciliation spirit ,such that by reciproc concessions to reach to a result favorable for the both sides .The two plenipotentiaries ,following their intimidation method ,answered that the Romanian message was unsatisfying and somates/conjures the Government to answer if they receive the thre conditions formulated at 24th of february :giving up Dobrogea ,rectifyings of frontier in the mountains and concessions of economic order.If a favorable answer does not arrive until the next day ,2nd of March ,12 o'clock,the Truce will be considered as denounced even from this hour.

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The three Crown Councils

The moment was tragic.In complete unknowing of the real situation of the enemy,having only the presumption of his crushing superiority and the conscience of our complete isolation ,we had to take the difficult decission ,which meant ending our War with a complete faliment.

A Crown council gathers ,under the pretention of H.M. King Ferdinand ,at 2nd of March ,10 in the morning ,in Iasi ,to discuss the situation and take a decission .

Take Ionescu declares decissivelly against closing any kind of separate peace ;the only attitude which may save the being of the legal State is the retreat.The King ,the Government ,the Parliament and a part of the Army have to cross towards Southern Russia ,to not make a legal peace and to keep ,with this face ,all the rigths towards the Allies .

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Bratianu declares partizan of resistance ,with the weapon in hand ,as sign of protest against the mutilation of the territory.In the case in which the government does not share this ideea ,there is only the solution of peace.For this solution the Liberal Party cannot give its concur ,but thinks that no Romanian has the rigth to obstacle the Government in the way chosen.Still.Bratianu gives the Government ,in this eventuality ,two oppinions :a) to cross the power to the ones on the other side ,like Al.Marghiloman ,which would be able to obtain conditions of peace mor favorable ; if however the Government persists to treat himself the peace ,face to the sine qua non condition of giving up Dobrogea ,set by the enemy,to ask to this one to show all his conditions and to receive them in block ,withot discussion.It will be shown in this way that is not about a peace accepted definitive,but by an imposed peace ,by violence by those who say they want peace without annexations .This way would have constituted a moral protest which will impress the human kind and even the enemy nations more than when it would be about conditions accepted following discussions.Bratianu concludes for resistance with the weapon in hand as protest ,if ofcourse the Conservative Party and the government agree over this point.Averescu made the historic of the tratatives which he lead until the moment of the ultimatum and thinks that face with the conditions of peace ,inacceptable,set to him ,the mission of the actual Government has ceased.He does not share either the oppinion of Bratianu ,neither the one of Take Ionescu ,because he thinks that both the resistance and the retreat are desastre.

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That is why it is a moral imposibility to ask him to assume the responsibility of these solutions.The Army,Without subzistence and munitions,would only oppose a very short resistance.

The Council did not reach any decission .It has only been decided that the Government has to keep the helm and it only remains for the H.M. the King only one oppinion:the one of His Government.And in the afternoon of the day ,the Government answered to the ultimatum of the enemy ,communicating that has accepted the conditions imposed sine qua non and that they will send delegates to begin the trtatives.

But the representatives of the central powers understood to exploit the our situation ,imposing us with brutality suplementary conditions.The pretext has been found easy:the answer requested from us has not been given within the time limit.Because of the Crown Council ,which lasted till 2 and of the Council of Ministers ,in which has been taken the decission in the eve ,the answer of the Romanian Government could not have been given until 12 ,when the time of the ultimatum was expiring.,but only towards the evening.The enemy communicates the denouncing of the Truce .To reestablish it ,the enemy was asking for three more conditions ,new:the imediate demobilization of eight Divisions ,the transport of the austro-german troops through Moldavia and basarabia towards Ucraine ,the repatriation of the Officers of the Allied Missions.The dead line of the enemy by the new ultimatum was 5th of March ,12 midnight.If until this date Romania does not sign the preliminary peace ,the hostilities begin.

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The new conditions have been known by the second Crown Council ,which has united in the day of 3rd of March ,by a telegram arrived even during the Council.H.M. King Ferdinand shared to the council the decission taken in the eve ,declaring that it was the only solution ,from the moment in which the Government refused to execute the armed resistance ,proposed by the two political parties.The resolution was a painful one for the country which was cruely wounded ,but it was in any case preferable to suffer a wound ,than endanger her existance.The reading of the ultimatum with the new conditions has increased the spiritual dpression of the leaders gathered in the Council .The principal chiefs of parties maintained their oppinions.Bratianu proposed to ask to the enemy to formulate all his conditions ,to accept them in block ,without discussion,as the strongest moral protest.Take Ionescu asked again the leaving of the country ,with fight,although the situation is now worse ,because we give the impression that we agreed with giving up Dobrogea ,but we decide to fight because of the new conditions.Averescu answered that he considers the new conditions humiliating and proposes to held the next day a new Crown Council ,at which to reach the final decission.

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In the afternoon of the day, has been held a Council of Ministers with the participation of few generals ,to enligth the Government over the possibilities and the result of a retaking of operations.It has been noticed that the resistance would be possible but of a limitated duration,and it will end with the extermination of the Army.By this fate ,the Army will escape only if the enemy would not want or would not be able to attack ,or if it would produce during the resistance an unexpected event ,to change the face of things on the War Theatre.

The third Crown Council -to which have been envited also Generals Prezan,Grigorescu and Vaitoianu ,has been held at 4th of March.

H.M. the King has made a very touching exposing ,in which he has showed that the decission of the Government has been to receive all conditions formulated by the enemies and that he will send even this evening delegates to begin tratatives of peace at Bucharest.His spirit has tried in this evening the greatest suffering in his life.We have to kneel in the face of the power of circumstances ,with the belief that from this sacrifice of today will get out the repay of tomorrow for His brave people.Averescu has exposed the motives for which he thinks the solution of entering the tartatives as the only one possible ;it gives us the guarantee of saving the Dynasty and of Basarabia.

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Exposing the conclussion he has reached after consulting of the generals in the eve,he decided that although the conditions are very difficult ones ,still a resistance would be even more dezastrous.The two chiefs of parties have noticed that,from the moment entering the way of concessions and we gave up Dobrogea it was to be expected to be imposed to us new conditions and it is of no use to discuss this new conditions.Take Ionescu rejected the ideea of calling at the government of those from bucharest :it is inutile -because the peace conditions would have been remained aproximatively the same -and dangerous-because we would have given to the world the impression we have crossed to the enemy side.

But the cold ration has to defeat the generous elans.The King rejects the resignatin of Averescu Government .

The difficult step has been definitivelly decided.

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The preliminary peace

Just in the evening of 3rd of March ,the Government has communicated to the enemy that it has received the peace conditions.The next day,two delegations have left towards making contact with the delegates of the enemy.At Focsani has been signed in the day of 5th of March the protocol of extending the Truce .In the sma e day ,at Buftea ,the Romanian dlegation ,ahead with C. Argetoianu ,has signed the preliminary treaty of peace,imposed by the enemy powers ,by which the two sides ,understanding eachother to consider the Truce as expired at 5th of March ,as extended with another 14 days ,declares"fully! understood that during this time the definitive peace will have to be closed and namely based on the following accord":

1)Romania gives to the central powers Dobrogea until the Danube River.

2)The central four powers will take care to keep for Romania a comercial way to the Black Sea through Constanta.

3)The rectifications of territory asked by austro-hungaria at the frontier between austro-hungaria and Romania are accepted by Romania in principle.

4)Also are admitted in principle economical measures corresponding with the situation.

5)The ROmanian Government obliges to demobilize imediatelly at least eight Divisions of the ROmanian Army.The leading of the demobilization will be made in commune by the group of armies of Mackensen and by the Supreme Commander of the Romanian Army.

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