Romanian Campaign of 1916.The Invasion

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The central powers's governments were aware by the imorality of the bulgarian request and by the embarassing effect which the carrying it through will have in the entire World.They are faced with a grave situation.in fact,the central powers connected themselves by their treaties of alliance to give the bulgarians ,in case of success ,the new Dobrogea -the Cadrilater-and the South of old Dobrogea ,until a line which reaches few kilometers South of Railway Cernavoda-Constanta .Now ,the bulgarians were making a real blackmail : they were categorically threatening with the breaking of the alliance and with the leaving of the War ,if they do not receive the entire Dobrogea .They were based also on a word with which they caught Emperor Wilhelm.This one has promissed to Radoslavov ,in a convention which they had at Potsdam ,that the bulgarians will have Dobrogea ,entire,together with "the beautiful city of Constanta",and the bulgar minister hasted to announce the thing in Sobranie ,in the interest of his popularity .But the foreign minister of germania ,Zimmermann brought to the knowledge of Radoslavov that no convention does not oblige germania and others to give up Dobrogea ,entire,and even Wilhelm attracted his attention for this indiscretion.

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Czerin is looking for exquses for the complicity of the austro-germans to the brigandage act of the bulgarians:"Emperor Franz Josef and Burian ,as the government in Berlin ,took towards the bulgarians formal engagements ,which proved latter as obstacles for a peace of understanding .Still,no rational man could not say that when a state ,in fight for life and death,is looking for allies ,will not ask from the beginning if the keeping of the promisses will make latter difficulties ,bigger or smaller.The fireman which puts down the fire of a burning house ,does not ask himself if the water will ruin something in the house.When Romania fell in our back ,the need was very big ,the house was burning with flames and the first concern of my predecessors was natural and completelly rigthfull ,to conjure the danger .No one bothered by the gravity of the engagements and promissed to bulgarians Dobrogea".No scrupul of conscience could stop the governments of the central powers to satisfy the bulgarians.The form adopted in unanimity by the political world ,military one and in the germano-maghiar press was :"Our duty is to keep bulgaria in the alliance".With this is given satisfaction to "the brave ally" and is punished the "traitor country".The fate of Dobrogea was in this way sealed.

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Two difficultie have been born during the tratatives.The first one came from germania.This one had big comercial interests linked by the mouths of Danube River and by the Black Sea and did not want to remain to the discretion of bulgarians.The practic spirit of the germans found quickly the formula "of the comercial access of Romanmia to the Black Sea by the line CernaVoda -Constanta".It seemed a concession accorded to the necessities of Romania .In reality Kuhlmann held to explained that the german interest were dictating to leave Constanta Harbour the role of natural opening of the Romanian hinterland organized by the peace treaty ,in the german tranzit territory.Put under the control and watch of the germans ,the comercial line Cerna Voda -Constanta was not a concession made to Romanians ,but a serving imposed to bulgarians ,future masters of Dobrogea,inthe favour of the germans.

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The second difficulty ,much serious,came from the turks.Face to the great earning which the bulgarian mate was on the way to cash in out of the commune pray,the turks brought to their memory that they also have contributed with an important part to the taking down of the victim and hence they have their rigth to the share.In truth,at the occupation of Dobrogea took part also two turkish divisions .It would be so unjust and imoral to profit only the bulgarian ,to swallow entire Dobrogea ,and the turk to go back to Constantinopole with the hand in the empty pocket !But because it was impossible out of geographical reasons ,to slice them a piece of Dobrogea ,the turks were asking for a compensation ,territorial and namely ,to restitute to them the stretch of territory on the rigth shore of Maritia ,in front of Adrianopol-which they have been forced to give to the bulgarians in 1915 ,to buy them the enterance in the War on the side of the allies *-and over this one more piece of Tracia ,until Mesta River.

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The turkish -bulgarian conflict on this matter became very acute and gave way to viollent scenes at the Peace Conference.At the stubbornes and vehemence of the bulgarian delegates ,the turks answered witha a vehemence and subborness equal.At the threat of the bulgarians that they let the boat sink if they are not satisfied ,the turks ripost that for the same reson they are ready to leave the fregate .Between the two mates in skirmish ,Kuhlmann and Czernin were making efforts to play a role which did not suit them ,the one of the "genuine" tradseman which is looking to make friends the parts in conflict,of a fraid that the going out of one of them from the bussiness will endanger the whole "deal".

The discussion has been transported to berlin and at the german general staff of Spa ,which was sympathizing with the turks.Under the influence of colonel Mertz ,the chief of the section of bulgarian affairs ,which could not stand the bulgarians ,Ludendorff was pressing with all his weight of his authority in the favour of the turks,against the bulgarians.With much difficulty they reached a compromise .It has been adopted a temporary solution and tranzactional:bulgaria receives only new Dobrogea -the Cadrilater -with a stretch of land from the South of Constanta county ,near to the rail way -conform with the old stipulations of the alliance treaty closed with austro-hungaria .The rest of Dobrogea ,until the mouths of Danube ,is given in condominion to the rest of the four allied powers ,remaining that the definitive attribution of Dobrogea to be reglemented at a latter dade.Imediatelly though,germania and austro hungaria gave to the bulgarians a secret counter receipt ,in which were giving those all rigths over their share ,for the moment when the different with the turks would have been aplanat 229.

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This solution ,indifferent if it closed the turkish bulgarian conflict ,was settling though the matter for Romania;she was desperate by her TransDanubian province.Next to the kidnapping of the mountains ,adds a new crime :the old Dobrogea ,spiled with the blood of the heroes of Plevna ,a territory of 15 000 squared Kilometers ,lived by over 350 000 inhabitants ,in the greatest part Romanians ,land brought to civilization and flourishing by Romanian labour ,the land through which breathed the entire country ,was ripped from us with brutality and lies to be throwed to those that owed us a great deal to our martyrs ,to their existence as independent state(bulgaria).

Signing the brigandage treaty ,Radoslavov did not see maybe rising,in front of the green table in the conference room ,the bloody shadow of the Dorobant(Romanian sosdier-1877 ) from Grivita ,rising his unfleshed finger ,in a gesture of threat and reprimand?

Six months latter ,the punishment came.The bulgarina Premier was running abroad ,as travestite(wearing someoneelse's clothes) ,to escape the rage of his nation [12] as in his wake was collapsing the building which he wanted to rise with greed ,hatered and ingratitude.

*Bulgarien,Land und Leute ,II Teil ,Leipzig 1917.

**Romunska Dobroza ,in Balgarski Pregled,vol II both quotes after N.Iorga and Z.Arbore .

***This reality :Romania is an exporting country of mercendizes with big volume:cereals ,petrol,wood which is transported on water .In 1912 the total of these merchendizes exported by the three harbours has been:1 240 459 tons through Constanta ,552 949 through Braila and 290 455 through Galati.

*A second congres has been held also in babadag ,in July 1918 ,to protest against the solution which was not giving the entire Dobrogea to bulgarians.

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The economic slavery

The economic conditions of the peace were so pressuring and in their formulation germania,especially,showed so greedy ,that even Czernin thought himself obliged to intervine:"On the german side appeared imediatelly that unfedable appetite ,which has been observed also at Brest-Litovsk.The germans wanted to obtain a compensation of War,indirect,by that that Romania had to give her petrolifer regions ,domains , railways and harbours towards german firms and to put her finances to a direct german control".

Czernin is saying with pride in his memoirs that he has succeeded ,provoking even the personal intervention of his Emperor Wilhelm ,to reduce the german demands with 50% of fraid that his patient will dye on the operating table.

The principal productions of the Romanian soil being cereals ,petrol and forests ,towards them went the reckless hand of the enemy ,which was looking to ensure for the future the pray regime during the occupation .

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The agricol convention imposed further the obligation and kind of work in Romania ,was asking in the profit of the central powers the exclusive monopol of the agricol sales -with the interdiction to sell them in other part than in determined circumstances and was fixing the price from the beginning to an inferior sum to the real value ,established on the Mondial Market ,meaning sale in loss.A special offoce of austro-germania will had to function within the country to organize the reception of merchendizes ,the office was in fact taking over of the entire production ,agricultural of the country.Besides this,any german or german society(firm) coud lease agricol terrains to up to 90 years .It was looking in this way to overtake the Romanaian lands ,the inhabitant being reduced to the role of workers with arms.The convention of petrol was giving the entire production of petrol to two german firms and namely:one of them was taking,on the way of liquidation of the enemy goods,the totality of existent enterprizes with other capital than german ,and to the other one was taking into concession all the petrolifer terrains of the state.All the extracted petrol was given to a third firm ,in the favour to which it was instituting the monopol to comercialize the petrol.

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german societies have the rigth to use all the public resources and-by way of expropiation -and the private ones of the country.Almost the entire production is destined to export;the need of the Romanian state ,of his institutions and of the population will be appreciated and satisfied by a german commission!This system of exploatation ,colonial, was closed for 30 years,with the rigth for the germans to extend it until 90 years if ofcourse in this interval would have been rmained a drop of petrol in the underground of the country!

The convention of the forests gave the rigth to the military authorities to requisite withot any restriction and limit the wood from Romania and was obliging the Romanain state to bring to fulfillment any dispozition taken by administration in this matter.The state obliges to to leave to the forestier enterprizes established during the occupation to continue their exploatation,and to pay for the damages suffered because of the War by the anterior exploatations of year 1916 and to buy all the installations ,when they will be of no use to the firms.Romania was in this way,firstly robbed by her principal forestier region ,which was in the portion kidnapped by hungaria ,secondly has supported during the occupation the most barbarian devastation ,and now was imposed to her to recognize the legimity and continuity of this regime and to pay to the devastators compensations for the damages made by these ones to the country!

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The Romanian industry and comerce have been annihilated or aserved .All the factories ,with other capital than german or austro-hungarian ,have been made pieces during the occupation and send to the enemy states ,especially in bulgaria.The treaty of peace was legitimating this robbery and was obstacling the reconstituing of the Romanian industry.A german office of export and import for Romania was monopolizing the entering of the merchendizes ,which they limited to"objects necessary for the evolution of the agricol production ".Without the power to bring machinneries,Romania lacking raw materials and energy,by the monopolysing of the wood of the forests of the agricol production and of the petrol.The industry of the mills received a trumendeous blow,by the limitation to 6% of the quantity which Romania could export under the form of flour.A special border regime ,a special regime of transports on the railways ,favorized the german merchendizes and austro hungar ones in the detriment of the Romanian ones ,even on our networks ,and the new constructions of railway were to be made to satisfy the interests of the german tranzit and austrohungar .austro-hungaria has confiscated without any indemnization the naval yard of Turnu Severin ,and germania tokk the rigth to build a big naval yard at Giurgiu.

In this way the industry and comerce were all together set to the dispozition of the central empires ,which were imposing us a monstrous regime ,which not even to the colonies was ever imposed.

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The financial regime imposed to the country completed the masterpiece of total enslaving .Two german commissaries ,attached next to National Bank of Romania and next to the Central House of Pupular Banks ,would have to controle and aprobe amongst others "any bussiness of internal loan or external and any operation with the outside world".No operation ff devizes could be made but through a central of divise,established next to the National Bank ,in which the two commissaries had the absolute rigth of vote.To complete this masterpiece of mastering of the comerce of Romania,the germans have introduced also a condition of terrorysing of the clerks:"The administration will keep in mind by the wishes of the supreme commandment about naming or revoking of the clerks ,because is about persons which have worked against the interests of the central powers and about which there is the fraid that,given their past would work also in the future against these interests".

The treaty also obliged Romania to retreat from circulation tickets oft he General Bank ,emmited by the occupant ,with which he has made all payments for the imense quantities of materials taken from the country ,for maintaining his figthing armies and of occupation and for the payment of the services of the public clerks .They reserve the rigth to emite and use same kind of money further, after the signing of the treaty of peace,such that at the end of October 1918 ,were in circulation in the country 2 200 000 000 Lei(Romanian currency) in the coin of the General Bank.

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At this ingenious contribution of war disguised must be added the sum of 750 000 000 Lei ,lifted from the country during the occupation ,under different pretextes ,as well as and-this time again without any conjure -"a sum of 35 000 000 golden coroane9crowwns) ,to be given to austro-hungry ,in monetar parity".

Under the chapter"War losses" ,it is stipulated that:"Romania gives up to indemnizations about the War losses /damages made on her territory by measures of military order german ,comprizing also all the requisitions and contributions".This ,to guarantee the plunderings made in mass and also the ones made individually by the germans and their allies in the houses and ownings of the inhabitants.On the contrary:"Romania will pay to the germans all the damages caused on her territory by measure of military order of any beligerant power".So ,Romania has to pay to the germans in the country and to the numerous societies industrial and comercial ,even the damages made by the measures taken by the german army itself!All these losses/damages had to be evaluated by the german authorities and aquited/payed by the Romanian state in one month term from their establishment.Drastic dispozitions and stealing ones,of the same kind ,were taken to the compensations of the neutrals ,at war requisitions and compensations for the maintainance of the prisoners.

In this way,under the mask of giving up to an indemnization of War ,formal,germania was imposing in reality to a small country ,exhaused of War and drained out to the middle of the bone by the regime of occupation and by the conditions of peace imposed,also a War contribution to be payed in money in the favour of the german state and of its subjects,which Stresemann [13] ,known german politician ,has evaluated summary at five milliards ,but which,at the application of it into practice ,could be clearly be seen that is way over double this sum.

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Around the criminal peace

At 7th of May 1918 has been signed in Cotroceni Pallace from Bucharest ,the odios peace imposed to Romania by the central powers ,under the name "The Peace of Bucharest,1918".To please the owners ,the foreign affairs minister Arion had the missfortuned inspiration to declare in public that"Romania will get out with rising powers (!) from the closed peace",as Marghiloman was telegraphing to the prefetcts that"all obstacles which could have stand to a peaceful intern evolution ,are definitivelly sided and,under her constitutional institutions ,remained unbudged by the blast of the War ,Romania may start working...".

If the vasal government of the enslaved country felt obliged to express in this way ,is no wonder that the newspaper ,which had only Romanian the language in which was written ,was publishing in its turn the news that:"All afternoon ,until late in through the nigth ,the city has been very animated and on everybody's faces was happyness..."!

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The true feelings of the country are read between the rows of the cold and dignified answer which H.M King Ferdinand gave to his primeminister:"Taking notice of the treaty closed at Bucharest , I am grateful to Yourselves and also to the other delegates for the hard work and devoted which you made in defending our rigths ,in painful moments.I have the unmoved hope ,as King and Romanian ,in the future of my brave and hardworking nation and I thank you for the assurances you give me and for the trust you have in the endurance and prosperity of the country under my leadership and of my dynasty".Ferdinand.

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Because the censsure regime in the country was imposing silence to Romanians ,we must look abroad to the true expression of our desastre .One of the most emotional characterization of the tragedy was made by the ilustrous French ,Herve, in a beautiful article ,inspired by the deepest sympathy for the mutilated country ,lowered and stolen:"No matter how much we would have expected to this catastrophe ,the news will be received today by all Allies ,and especially by us,with a live pain.Romania has not been beaten by the germans ,she has been surendered to them,with tight hands and legs ,by the Russian revolution.By an excese of scrupules ,the conquerers have left her the nominal independence.Surrounded ,chained ,Romania ceases,from today,to be an independent country.She becomes a vasal of pangermania .This is the recompense of Romania for her great gesture ,which in summer of 1916 ,she has made by throwing herself in to the spin...This is the repayment of her passional love for France ,her great latin sister ,of which love has contributed a great deal at her entering in the figth on the side of those figthing for the rigths of nations...In this day of sadness,which is a day of shame but only for revolutionar Russia ,what else may we say to our Romanian brothers than that their patria has never been so dear to us as in the moment when she suffers the most undeserved of inequities.In the day of victory ,the day in which all the oppressed nations will be free by their chains ,the day in which all Alsacias-Lorenas will be integrated in their mother patrias,the Allies from the West will not forget that in <<hungarian Transilvania >> and in <<Russian Basarabia >> are two Romanian Alsacia-Lorena .Romania will have her revanche ,or ,if it will be different,would be because we would have fallen in to slavery"*.

*Gustav Herve ,Pauvre Romanie !in "La Victorie ",7 Mars 1918.

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The public oppinion of our great Allies has been profuoundly moved by the sacrifycing of Romania ,against which they had no power to intervene.The entire press of the Allies has uncovered with respect in front of the mourning of Romania,and the leaders of the states have made declarations ,which were an encouragement for us and an engagement for them.The monstrous peace will not be able to remain standing;there cannot be assasinated states in XX-th century.The public spirit ,modern, and all programs of international order reviewing, tended to abolish of existent slaveries ,the viollence and cinism to triumph in the great move of remaking which was made in the middle of the entire human nature.This was also the sentiment mastering the entire Romanians in this hours of cumplite tragedy ;he has given to them the trust and the power to endure the hard blow.

In germania the impression produced by the Peace of Bucharest has not been at all the expected one .In general ,the peace was considdered as too weak(!) that Romania went cheap ,as austro ungaria and bulgaria have obtained great territorial earnings ,germania did not take , financially and economically the whole profit it could be obtained.The conservatve circles and militarist ones,in direct link with the romanian group Carp-Beldiman,were expressing with voice the deception.Kuhlmann would have been played by Czernin .Maintaining on the Romanian Throne of H.M King Ferdinand and coming at the helm of Marghiloman government meant the trumph of austrian plitics and siding of german influence and its people ,which tended to "purification of the Romanian politic atmosphere".The great accuzations were throwed to Kuhlmann.It was imputed to him that he has left himself on the second plane,being thankful with an unsuited role with the prestige of the country which he represented ;the life which he would have lived in Bucharest and his relations with an actress of opera gave much talk to the street ,cofeeshops and press.

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Kuhlmann defended showing the great advantages he managed to obtain.if it has not been obtained a War compensation in itself,in cash,it is because such compensation has not been foreseen in the instructions which the german government gave to the negociators and this because the assurings of nature prestations corresponded much better to german interests ,than a sum of money ,no matter how high.The profit made in this way will be considerable.germania has obtained the advantages ,aconomical, going to the limit of the capacity of randament of Romaia ,meaning all the country could give ,without perishing.The german minister declares with cinism that germania must ease for sometime the Romanian finances ,"because we must have a debter capable of payment":"the ruin complete of Romania would have not been in the interest of the german creanceer!"

As about the punishment deserved would have been considered as a matter of internal order of Romania.The treaty had also some secret conventions which must be applied "with leality" by the new germanophil government ,imposed to the country by the central powers.They had to harness definitive the enslaved country to the waggon of the triumphant.

The peace of Bucharest has had also a great merit:it showed in the most clear ligth , to the Entente powers at what they could expect in the case of a victory of germania* and has been ,by this, the strongest propaganda in the favour of continuing the fight till the last resource of strength,for winning the War[14].

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(In very grave international politico military conditions for our country ,imperialist germania has imposed to Romania at 24th of April 1918 an enslaving peace treaty according to which the national territory has been severe mutilated ,the economical life and the political one totaly subordonated to the central powers .

This treaty has never been ratifyed by H.M. King Ferdinand of the Romania and Parliament of Romania.)

-this wing of the Central Military museum of Bucharest,for the Great War, has not been refurbished yet since the '70s- '80s,-so above it says Chief of State instead of H.M. King...etc.Also there are no pictures of the generals but only drawings ,possibly to not upset the Romanian Chiefs of state of that time .I have asked the museolog why there are no British orders on display to the Romanian Generals and I was told that many pieces of are not on display but he assured me that they are in the museum collections(!?).

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(uniform and knight orders belonging to H.M King Ferdinand

Polish Order of The Restitution {Restitutia}

Greek Order of The Redeemer

Order of the Crown of Italy is the one on the left...("Victor Emmanuel II Rex Italiae 1866")

Order of the Crown of Yugoslavia.)

Order Michael the Brave

...contributors Harry,Simon and Flory.

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H.M King Ferdinand and H.M. Queen Marie ,arriving in Bucharest,18th November 1918

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*Latter on defeated germania was looking for excuses and explanations for the conditions of the exterminating peace imposed to Romania .The abdicated Emperror Wilhelm the II-nd was writing in his memoirs :"The conditions of the peace at Brest and Bucharest -incomparable with the ones at Versailles,could not be aimed against us.They have been decided during War time and had to enssure us advantageous conditions until the end of it.In a general peace ,the peace in the East would have been different.If the War would have ended with our victory ,the peace conditions in the East ,would have been reviewed.When it was closed (the pece of Bucharest) it was necessary to take into account the military exigences".

Notes

[1] The counterrevolutionar Army figthing against soviet power.See G.G. Alahverdov ,N Kuzmin ,M.V Ribakov ,L.M.Spirin ,N.I.Sataghin "Short history of the civil war in Russia."

[2] At the base of the intervention against the soviet power has stood the Anglo-French accord closed at Paris at 22nd of December 1917 ,by which it was according the establishing of connections with different counterrevolutionary governments formed in several regions of the former Tzarist Empire .In the winter of 1919-19120 it was already obvious the failure of the trials made by the Entente to crush the soviet power.At 16th of January 1920 has been lifted the economic blocade against urss.

[3] Thomas Woodrow Wilson (1856- 1924)President of U.S.A. (1913-1921) ,he has formed his political oppinions inthe 14 points exposed in the prezidential message of 8th of January 1918 addressed to the Congress of U.S.A .See text in Documents of American History ,eigth edition vol.II ,edited by H.S.Comager ,New York ,Meridith Corporation ,doc .no 423 ,p 137-144.

At 11th of February in a speech W.Wilson formulated a series of principles of which we mention:"Nations and provinces must not be objects for ssale or exchange ,to be considered as a simple game ,or as the pions of a chess ..."the postbelic reglementations ....mnust be made in the interest and profit of the interested populaton .They must not make the object of compromise between rival nations ";all national aspirations ,clearly defined ,must be satisfyed..."(R.Lansing,Memoires,Paris ,payot ,1925,p ,305)

[4] In the german reichstag resolution was mentioned:"The Reichstag aspires to a peace of understanding and an enduring make up of the nations.The territorial extenssions through violence ,measures of politic oppression,economic and financial are ireconciliable with this kind of peace";"the Reichstag rejects all plans which have as agenda an economical block and despise between nations ..."( M. Erzberger ,Souvenires de guerre ,Paris,Payot ,1921,p 305-307).

[5]About the politics of germania towards this zone of Europe ,see F.Fischer,Griff nach der Weltmacht .Die Kriegszielpolitik des kaiserlichen Deutchland 1914/18

[6] generla Max Hoffmann,colaborator of feldmarshal Paul von Hindenburg.

[7] Refering to the grave situation of the double Monarchy in 1917 ,general E.Ludendorff wrote:"The austro-hungarian army is starving ,at leas a part of it ,as did ,also the german austria ,and especially Viena"(Ludendorff,memories from the War,volI,Bucharest ,Editura Raspindirii Culturii ,1919,p 435).

[8] The peace signed at 3rd of march 1918 by Russia sovietic ,with the central powers and their allies has been very dearly payed by the sovietic republic.She has been ,as noted v.i. lenin,"a very heavy peace",but absolutelly necessary to the salvation of the revolution ,and the consolidation of the soviet mastering.The sovietic government has been forced to abandon more than a quarter of the territory of Russia ,lived by 34% of the population of the sovietic state on which it was 54% of the industry and 90% of the coal of the country.

[9] A outrance -to the limit.

[10] Al Averescu cabinet has led the country in January-March 1918 period.

[11] Sixt,princip of Burbon-Parma (1886-1934),brother of the Empress Zita of austr-hungaria.

[12] At 27th of September 1918 ,after the truce made by bulgaria (25th of September),the bulgarian soldiers have mutinied ,have occupied Radomir city and have proclaimed the republic.In the period June -November 1918 the bulgarian government has been led by Aleksandar Malinov.

[13] Gustav Stressmann(1878-1929) leader of the populist german party ,cancelar and foreign minister of germany (1923-1929).

[14] About the peace of Bucharest in 1918

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PART VIII-th

The great turn of the war

Chapter I

THE BLACK DAYS OF ROMANIA

After the peace

Romania has been kneel down.The enslaving peace which she has been forced to sign,with the knife at the throat,was taking her out from the ranks of beligerant countries.She rebecame neutral country,but which had to feed and give strength to the enemy against which she was figthing without luck.Martirized ,chained,drained out of strength and robbed every day ,Romania had from now on to cry the ruins of smashed ideals and to be thankful with the role of spectator,just when the drama was entering in the fibrilation of the supreme effort of the end.And to this end ,with our hand tight to the back ,we could not contribute with enything.

The Romanian public conscience could not though accept ,at this role.The tragedy of neutrality ,from before our entering in to the War ,was restarting again.Only the situations were changed now.

The helm of the country was in the hands of a germanophil government.Brougth to the power by the wind of catastrophe of the country and by the will of the enemy ,for its interest ,Marghiloman was forced to consider the situation created as definitive and to organize to obtain all concessions which could be hoped to obtain from the trust and good will of the conqueror of the country and protector of his government.

On the contrary "the ententists" which have followed Bratianu politics and of Take Ionescu ,were looking at the prezent situation only as to a eclipse of the moment.The trust in the final triumph of the cause remained unshaked.An exam of conscience and one of the circumstances brougth it to the belief that nothing had to be regreted ,nor changed.The War has been imposed to us by a historical necessity ,which was dominating our entire life as a state.The unification of Romanians was needed for the political evolution of the nation and,in the day when the figth between the central power tendencies and the efforts to make a new order,based on the formation of national states ,as afatality Romania had to find herself in the camp of those figthing for realizing this latter conception.The sparate peaces ,imposed by victorious germania ,were making now the decissive trial.To Romania were thus kidnapped the essential conditions of her existence .The german imperialism wanted to build a state of facts in contradiction with the essential principles of evolution of states .Its successes could only be of short duration/efemere .For any man of state ,familiarized with history,could not put to any doubt the short duration character of this unnatural setting ,unsuited with the progressive going of human societies.It is not possible the political domination and economic one of the World by just one state ,especially when it is supported by the deceiving power of anacronic states as austria -hungary and turkey.

That is the reason that our connections of interests with the Entente must remain unbroken.Only from there could come our saving ,which we were waiting .It is true that the colaboration of arms had to cease.But in the book of calculus ,the services brougth by us to the commune cause were written with letters of blood and they were not easy to be erased.Bowing in th face of the inexorable necessity ,ready though that when the time comes to retake our place of duty next to the Allies ,we had the rigth to hope that they will preserve their trust and love and to hold in the program of their revendications ,ours too.

We were not wrong .The Allies have admitted the major force which separated usfrom them against our will,and had compassion for the new crown of thorns which was placed now on our heads.

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The ministers of the Entente have remained at Iasi ,not so much as officially assigned next to Marghiloman government ,with which they understood to keep concrete rapports ,but cold,but as trialed friends of the nation in mourning ,which had to be carresed ,encouraged and adviced.In the head of the diplomatic representatives of the Entente in Romania ,was the Count Saint-Aulaire,the minister of France .Beautiful figure of French gentleman ,the strong individuality ,and career and of tradition diplomat ,man of great distinction ,authority and culture ,he understood to be not only the exact informer of his government ,but has become the pretious advicer of the government next to which he has been credentialed,the most loyal friend ,sincere and warm which the country could have through difficult times.He has intervined in numerous ocassions next to his government to provoke there exact understanding of the situation of our country and has supported with warmth the justness of our revendications.What has completele conquered the Romanian hearts is the fact that ,in the midst of political collapssings,military and moral around us ,Saint-Aulaire has not been a simple representative of foreign diplomacy ,has not been a spectator of our drama,but has been the strongest moral support of the wounded country,has felt with us our pains ,has identified himself with our feelings and aspirations ,has become the warm friend and good advicer of the leaders of the country .The French legation from Iasi has become the ligth center from were it radiated the trust and hope ,towards which were aiming all Romanian spirits ,the warm fire around which ,in terrifying moments ,were gathering the leaders of the country ,to share their fears and hopes ,to take trust and strength for life.

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Next to Saint-Aulaire ,a team of colaborators ,as:the great writer Robert de Flers,Duke de Luynes,the Marchiz de Belloy ,the ilustruous newspaper man Tavernier and other personalities ,represented the icon of French spirituality ,in everything that was more shining,generous and ideal.Together with General Berthelot and his military colaorators they made us know the real image of France and completely unfold the spiritual union of the two sister countries.

The Romania people will carry to Count Saint-Aulaire and his colaborators ,deep gratitude which is just to those who have been the best friends in the most difficult times ,and hard workers which have set fundation rocks of the edifices of whole Romania.

The action of the friends inside has not remained without echo outside .The chiefs of the great European cancellaries have made to their countries solemn declarations that they see unjust the conditions imposed to Romania by the Peace of Bucharest ,because the treaty violates both the Allied interests ,and the principles for which these had begun the figth.Expressing their sympathy for the martirized country they were taking engagements that the enslaving peace will be unbirthed.Romania will be reintegrated in her rigths ,and her national aspiration will be fulfilled.

Full of trust into the future ,the national political leaders hve decided to not bend their neck in front of the conqueror .They have preserved intact the connectins with the old friends .Next to the official politics of the vasal government ,they have continued to strengthen the spiritual resistance of Romanian state.Take Ionescu,accompanied by a significant number of leaders of Romanian politc and culture ,have left the country* and went in to the West to make contact with the leders of the friendly nations and to support in the Mondial public opinion ,unshaken the interest for Romania and her revendications.Bratianu and his old colaborators have remained at their figthing posts and of danger in the country ,to held chest to Marghiloman government ,to keep awake the national conscience of the nation ,to not let him lose the trust into the future and to not give to the friends in the West the impression that,together with the imposing of a peace of slavery and of a government of vasality ,Romania would have crossed into the enemy camp.

The time following the closing of the forced peace is a time of concealed pains and acceptance filled with hopes.

*During the tratatives at Buftea Take Ionescu and a number of Romanian personalities ,asking through the Romanian delegation ,the permission to leave the country ,crossing austro-hungaria towards switzerland ,the occupation government hasted to give the authorization ,adding that ,out of its initative ,a sum of other indezirable persons:politicians ,newspaper men and publicists etc,over 200 persons of which presnce in the country was counted by the enemy as dangerous to them.The so called "Take Ionescu" train has left the country just by the end of June .The intentions of the central powers have been acomplished upside down.Because ,thanks to this strong help ,the propagand for the Romanian cause abroad intenified in a felt measure.

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The leaving of the French Mission

The preliminary peace has been signed and its harsh conditions must be brought to fulfillment.The first one was the separation by the French Mission.At 12th of March ,General Berthelot and his colaborators were taking good day from the country to which they have been for two years and a half of hard times the most pretious advicers ,the most devoted colaborators,the best of friends.

The forced leaving of these good brothers was filling the Romanian souls with pain.they were leaving,leaving behind not only the debt of forever gratitude for the priceless services brought to organizing our national defence in the remaking epoch ,not only the memory of feelings of brotherhood love and encouragement and faith in the final triumph ,which they had sneak in to our hearts ,but they were also leaving in the land of the country ,as a forever union ,the bodies of many of the sons of glorious France.Heroic soldiers ,men of science and heart,noble women by birth and sentiments ,were resting in the holly land of Moldavia ,next to their Romanian camarads with which they fougth elbow to elbow ,or those of which last moments they watched with love.

And it was great the number of those which the hatered of the enemy could not detache from the land of Moldavia .It was ,firstly Colonel Dubois .Elite officer of the French Army ,he has fougth at Marna ,at Esparges ,at Verdun on Somme.Wounded three times ,cited four times ,advanced on the Front to Officer of the Legion of Honour ,he has come in the country amongst the first members of the French Military Mission and has been wounded by the bits of a shrapnel at Gaiesti ,during the Battle of Arges .After a few months he died at Iasi and had been buried in the same day with Doctor Clunet.

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