Romanian Campaign of 1916.The Invasion

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Still,the panic cannot be overcome.The ones propagating it are even the ones which would have to give the proof of cold blood.Because the automobiles running towards the train station ,and the trucks which pass by loaded on the driveway are not taking to Moldavia,towards Russia ,until Caucaz ,the men with official situations and social, of the highest ,families ,the luggage and their ownings?Constanta was not fallen yet,the barrier of Carpathian Mountains was resisting vigorous ,and still there was some kind of "escapes who can" ,general.The first friend or aquaintance with which you were making a conversation ,had on his lips the question:"When do you leave?".

The Russian rubla went up in one week from 2,48 as has been officialy ,to 2,80 and still there were no rubles (Russian currency) to be found ,being taken over by those ensuring funds for the crossing in Russia.A sudden change has produced in the public opinion.The factory of false news has transformed its fabrications.The imagined victories were articles with no room on the market anymore.The gentleman "well informed" was taking you now misteriously to a sheltered spot and whispered you only bad news ,and interpreations very pesimistic.The official encouragements sounded false;they were contradicted by the attitude and measures taken by civil officialities and military ones were taking,in the eyes of everyone ,to put to safe place their families and wealth.Also the press had very small echo which,under a rigurous censure ,must give up to usual polemics and forced herself to follow in a good way ,the line of conduct imposed by government and by the circumstances :rising up the moral of a sad and depressed population.As our soldiers were held in the trenches ,the guard of the borders ,it was a duty of the foreheads of our civilian life and intelectual one to be,in their turn ,the guardians of consciences.In this patriotic masterpiece has taken place in the first row the personal paper of Nicolae Iorga ,in which the enlighted blankets of people were finding the rising advices of manhood,streamed from the most solid ideeas and expressed in accents of warm and communication.At 15th of October has been brought to the eternity place Nicolae Filipescu .He has fallen as a soldeir in the turmoil of the battle taken down,if not -physicaly -by bullet ,but by bleeding wound ,made to its proud soul and flamed,by the catastrophe of his country.In these sad circumstances the death of the vigorous fighter ,the most passionate of our War carrier,had something of a symbol...

The quiet city ,sad,seemed dived in the spasms of a painful agony :Bucharests were prepared for the most sad perspectives.

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2.Occupying Bucharests

Running towards Moldavia

The unfinishing defeats on the fighting Fronts made,step by step,their effect over the state of mind of the inhabitants of Bucharest:people started to get used with the ideea of an enemy occupation.Rejected in the beginning as absurde ,crazy,the seed caught in to the soul ,started to grow ,like a bad weed,fed by the news of missfortunes and catastrophes which were following one after the other .Soon,she could not be taken out of the ground.In vain were the encouragments of the official communicates ,in vain the calculus made by the optimists ,or the appeals or argumentations in the news papers ,or even the trials of autosugestion ;the sinister ideea caught roots and all new deeds came to strengthen it.The retreat of our Armies on the Carpathian line announced it as possible ;the breakthrough of the Front and the invasion in Oltenia made it probable ;crossing of Danube River at Zimnicea made it almost inevitable ,From now on,for people of Bucharest ,the fate was known ;the newspaper of 27th of August a,fell bad.The inhabitants had to prepare themselves for the supreme humiliation.Even from old times,when the waves of the invasioneers struck with fury the wall of Carpathian Mountains ,the authorities started to take,in silence,measures of precaution.It was the sign that a foreign occupation entered in the calculus of probabilities .First,it has been send to Moldavia the sedentary parts of the Regiments and contingents untrained.It had to be put to safety the military reserves .Then,as the danger increased,started the evacuation of the Thesaurus of the Romanian State,of the House of Deposits ,of banks[3].Soon after,the archives of the authorities ,the most pretious objects and art collections from state museums and of the particulars have taken the road of the old Capital ,in Moldvia(Iasi).The sense of these precautonary measures could not escape to the individual (public).The panic descended in to the soul.Running to Moldavia became the preocupation of the crowds;differend considerations determined the runners to do it.There were firstly the consecvents:political people which wanted ,asked for ,and prepared the War;they had a duty to follow the King and the Flag of the nation ,to ensure the existence of the state and of its efforts to continue the War till the end of our powers.It was ,at others the fear of exceses.There were known the attrocities commited at the occupation of Belgium and of North-Eastern France ,the deportations ,plunderings ,vexations of all kind commited in the occupied territory of the West.The horrors of the aeroplanes attacks,the sinister discoveries made in the yard of the German Legation of Bucharest,undoubtfuly they could not change for the better the ideea which dominated the public opinion about the barbarian face with which the Germans understand to treat the enemy populations.

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The possibility which became more and more probability ,that the ocupants will have at their side their allies ,the Bulgarians and the Turks ,filled everybody with terror.The popular immagination was rambling frightened ,without any stop ,through the row of all possible cruelties :masacres ,violations ,mutilations.A popular belief was that the enemy cuts the hands of the boys ,to stop them from becoming soldiers!The whole bloody tradition of past generations appeared now,unconsciously in the souls of the followers.The most optimist and with cold judgement rejected the ideea of atrocities or of organized crimes .They could not side ,however,the one of individual excesses,the one of retaliations ,political-arrestations,deportations -and especially the one of general suffering ,provoked by the rationalization of the daily means of living.The spectre of hunger accompanied the enemy armies in their advancement towards the Capital .Under these impressions ,the people of Bucharest started to leave the city,to find refuge in Moldavia.Happy those who could find relatives or friends who could receive them with open arms .The others had to look and find hard with money the small rooms which started to become more rare.The houses and the untransportable wealth was left in the guard of some relative ,or trustworthy servant :when this one was German women ,there was an inssurance that the house will be ok;many of them have stolen the house in complicity with the German occupationeers ,their conationals.The biggest difficulty was reaching to Moldavia.The trains were more and more not big enaugh for the mass of refugees.The train places were obtained in Gara de Nord(Northern Train Station,main train station of Bucharest) with unsaid difficulty.The privilegiats had them from time,by the protection of military authorities ;the curageous ones conquered them getting out few miles in front of the train and jumping in the carriage in the triaj station or on the road between this one and the train station.When the train was brought in to the train station ,it was already filled up ,and the ones waiting for it had to start the whole thing the next day.And there were women ,children ,old men ,sick people.The most lucky were those who could snik in convoys of the authorities which were evacuating ,or those who had a carriage or an automobile .Many times trains destined to evacuate an institution were taken by personalities ,for self interest.

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The ones that stayed

In awaiting the difficult hours ,the Capital was emptying herself slowly.The great mass has remained however,the ones without means and without possibilities ,the ones without recomendations and without automobiles.It have remained the ones who accepted the situation,the courageous ones ,those connected too strong to their homes ,by their families ,those who prefered the dangers of enemy occupation than wandering in foreign lands,those who wanted to die on their place than on the ditches of roads.

Also it have remained the clerks ,those left by special orders,as those which not being under the flag or with special tasks ,thought it is their duty to stay ,to try to ensure -with all the risks -the continuation of functioning of Romanian institutions.

But, has also remained a handful of people which had nothing to be afraid of the enemy ,because this catastrophe ,national,gave them staisfaction of fulfilling at least of one well thought foresight ,if not of some hidden wishes.It have remained the foreigners ;all the Jewish people of the Capital.A calculus made in the first days of the occupation showed that the ones that left the Capital -without the militars -were not over 10 % of the population of the Capital;the rest ,the great mass ,has remained ,waiting with aking heart the fatal watch.And this one was closing in fast.

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Leaving of the authorities

In the morning of 25th of November a precipitated agitation dominated all the cancelaries of the great authorities of the Capital.The ministries have been announced that the government moves to Iasi.Together with it had to leave ,in the evening of the same day ,or the next day-with special trains -a part of the high clerks ,together with some inferior clerks ,for services.It was the inevitable following of the events on the Front :the retreat of the I-st Army on the Eastern shore of Olt River and crossing of Mackensen at Zimnicea ,behind the defence line of Olt .All the clerks ,those that were leaving,and those who had to stay ,to ensure the continuation of public services ,under enemy occupation ,have received the wages for three months in advance ;the beautiful aspect of the new money packages received by everyone could not away the general sadness.All day the ministries have been the theatres of ferocious fights .It is given the fight for getting on the list of those happy chosen .The ministers were assaulted ,implored.How is it possible to be left him behind ,just him?All the motives which could move the hearts of the ministers were invoked.Somone,was known to the Germans as pro Entente-ist;somone wrote once an article or kept a lecture against the Germans ;another one was originary from Ardeal and looked up by the Hungarians;the other one was known as anty semit and wrote down by the Jews on a black list.There were then "the indispensable" without whom it was not conceived that the services might work.There were ,then,those which have sacrificed their peace of nerves and health bringing,from the beginning of the War ,very pretious services to national defence on the Front ,full of dangers ,of the censure services ,of statistic ,at provissionings!

Through cancelaries and holl ways of ministries there were crossing paths the radiant and important figures of the chosen ones ,which were whispering to the ear the final dispozitions ,with those desperate , the abandoned ones ,arounded by the first category.At some authorities,the leaders ,in haste and enervation of the preparatives ,have neglected or forgot to news the clerks by the painful necessity of separation and to encourage the ones left behind.That is why,the leaving of the authorities gave sometimes the impression of unjust by the running away of some privilegiat minority with the abandoning of the sacrificed majority .The ministries have remained under the leadership of some general secretaries ,assigned from the "uncompromised" persons face to the enemy,or even from the ones simpathetic to this one.The government have stayed during the following week ,26th of November -2nd of December ,waiting the unfolding of the military events .A great hope was filling the hearts of those initiated :it was prepared the Battle on Arges.

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The week of convoys

The last week of the free Capital was among the hardest.It has been the week of convoys.Long rows ,unfinishing,of vehicles ,rove through the streets of Bucharest .They were very different as form,load,and with special destinations.There were first the carriages of those last run aways of the Capital.The trains were not available for the public anymore;they were serving only the authorities now ,evacuating,to the Army and few privileged ones .Everyone was running whith whatever available .On the streets going to the North and North-East were passing trucks ,luxury automobiles ,carriages ,waggons ,carrying the late ones ,in a haste to escape as soon as possible from the ship starting to take water .Groups of walking men ,with the bag in the back ,were mixing amongst the waggons stepping determined towards the barriers of the city.The spirits of their ancestors were reincarnating in their souls.Here and there the roads were interrupted by long convoys.Hundreds of easy waggons ,covered with sheet,and pulled by two horses ,forming up the trains and the military columns of the fighting formations ,were going in unfinishing rows ,making noise against the pavement of the streets.The people of Bucharest will never forget these convoys ,of which appearance on the streets of the city was always connected by the moving of the troops for a the trial of a blow,or was caused by a defeat.They saw them in haste walking after the desastre of Turtucaia ;they saw them around the failed trial of Flaminda and now they were crossing in different dirctions ,going through the streets of the Capital ,with unknown destinations to the public.For the first time,however ,there were now other convoys as well .There were the long convoys of waggons which were bringing ,this time ,from West ,the inhabitants of our villages in Teleorman County and Vlasca County ,because of the invasion.It is painful the story of the poor inhabitants of the lands haunted by War.The men and young men are gone to the Army.In the poor farms,old men women and children gather with concern and look ,not understanding, at the run away soldiers which come through their village ,to the wounded with waxed faces ,as the ear cathches more clear the sound of the closing in cannon.And one day,the geandarms arrive like a storm and order the whole village to load up their waggons ,to leave their houses and take the road in to unknown,the road of missfortune ,on which entire generations of ancestors have left trails of blood.And now,as behind them,away ,houses and farms collapse under the weight of the cannon shot ,friendly or unfriendly ,and red toungues reden the sky ,here they are,roving through the streets of Bucharest.Passes ,waggon after waggon .Next to the oxes an old man or a young lad.In the waggon ,on the pile of corn leaves -the "zestrea"(box with the wedding gift) of the girls .Over it ,small children next to their mother.Towed behind the waggons are the animals from the farm..etc.At the edge of the city the convoys stop,they build a fire ,gather around the fires with sad faces which have accepted the fate ,waiting in silence.What?They don't know.Maybe God?

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The remaining days

The news coming from the field of battle were few ;the official communicates ,laconic .There was no doubt the situation was getting worse with every passing day.Cimpulung,Curtea de Arges ,Pitesti ,Slatina ,Alexandria in the hands of the enemy .Violent fights at Golesti ,towards Gaiesti ,on Vedea ,on Glavacioc ,on Neajlov .The fire and metal circle of the enemy was getting tighter around Bucharest.Friday ,1st of December ,for the first time ,the cannon could be heard very clearly ,in deaf booms ,sometimes many ,repeated ,othertimes at bigger intervals.The cannonade held till afternoon .No doubt there could be.There are the cannons from the fighting Front .The battle was then at the gates of the Capital .And ,for real ,it was the first day of Arges Battle;it was the hour of our first success.The second day,Saturday ,the noise could be heard much weaker.Our imagination established imediately optimist corelations:the enemy has been defeated and repelled,the fight was going further than yesterday.The apparition of small groups of prisoners seemed to bring a confirmation :there were groups of some 30-40 individuals,very mixed ,German Cavalry men with proud uniform ,Turkish in rags ,Bulgarians with eyes of vengence.Towards evening ,the news of a great victory ,carried by few initiated,did not manage to rise up to much the moral to the ones which became now sceptics in the wake of the abuse of news of imagined victories.

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The enervation of the population was increasing more and more.The authorities are not working any more.The clerks are running towards Moldavia,as soon as they have what with.Aliments almost are not to be found anymore.Of the fraid of tommorow day ,or for speculation,the merchandisers are hiding the stuff.The military Governor of Bucharest posters the proclamation by which threatenes the traders which sell with bigger price than the maximal one ,or the ones who hide the goods ,with "an exemplary public correction".

The day of 3rd of December ,the fatal day of the end of Arges Battle ,will remain forever in the memory of people of Bucharest.Early in the morning ,the cannonade started again and increased more and more with strength.At about 11 ,before noon,the cannon was thundering with fury.There was not the one from Friday.Many times there could be not made a distinction between cannon 's salves;there was a continuous deafening noise ,which was increasing with so much violence ,that the windows's glass was vibrating.On the sidewalks of the streets ,people stopped ,changed impressions and getting further away one from another ,nodding with their heads.By intuition ,the minds of some was catching the cruel truth :it is the heavy German artillery.Our poor soldiers!And the cannonade was following unceasingly ,unmerciful,until towards the evening...Far,towards West ,from the marshes of Neajlov until the fords of Arges ,the heavy cannons of Falkenhayn Divisions ,fell unexpectedly behind our Army of Attack ,caught in the fight with the Army of Mackensen ,were turning in the favour of the enemy the fate of the battle,which smiled to us till then and was seeding death in the ranks of our troops,tired and halfed.In the city no one knows the adventures of the drama unfolding at 12 Miles away ;inconsciously though ,people realized that there is decided the fate of the Capital.

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In the afternoon of the missfortuned day ,a ray of light seemed to clear the souls .A long convoy of prisoners ,Germans-almost 2000 men ,were defilating on Calea Victoriei(main street of Bucharest),in rows of four ,between the bayonets of our militia (police) .They were the prisoners from Balaria ,Stilpu and Iepuresti ,the trophees of the brave General Scarisoreanu Division .Unforgetable spectacle!The proud and undefeated enemy has been,as such,beaten ,by ours;the long convoy of apprehendeds was the material proof of victory of ours.Soon then,the papers did not brought the official communicate with the confirmation of the victory reputed against a "Turkish Division" and over the bulk of the "Army of the enemy".The hope was reborn in the souls ,but for a short duration.The convoys of the prisoners did not yet reach the barrier of the city ,when a manifest of the government started to be glued on tha walls of the city .It was announcing the citizen,that in the interest of defending the country and of organizing of the resistance forces ,the government is forced to leave the Capital and to move to Iasi.It was not difficult to understand .The government,which stayed in Bucharest with the engines of the automobiles under pressure ,in awaiting of the supreme trial,was knowledged by the fatal turning of the battle and was leaving the Capital,which nothing could defend it ,from now on against the conquerer enemy .

At around four in the afternoon ,a long convoy was climbing the big boulevard .At Cotroceni towards Obor ;theree thousand lads,"Young contingents",gathered by geandarms from the villages of the county,send to Moldavia to form up the new army,the revenge one for the defeats and humiliations endured.They were passing slow ,row after row,in their thick peasant clothes ,with the bag of food hanged over their necks and with the cap stuck over their ears.Between them ,here and there a city lad,some in highschool uniform.From time to time ,at the advice of the accompanying geandarm a shout of urra! without enthusiasm ant too much of an echo.From far away,from Arges ,the cannon was moaning continuously ,cutting down young Romanian lives .And the column was passing all the time ,one by one in aclamation of orders ,towards unsure roads ,beaten by the enemy's projectiles.In the mind,awakens without will,the ancient icon of the procession of Romans gladiators ,stepping quiet to death:Ave Caesar,morituri te salutant!

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(Decorating the flag of 39th Romanian Infantry Regiment,which has distinguished during the Battle of Marasesti-1917)

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Awaiting the enemy

The most sad night lived by the people of Bucharest have stretched her black veil over the deserted city.A little after midnight ,the ring bells of the houses ,or strong knockings in the doors or gates and windows,woke up the population.There were the police agents and street agents which were executing the orders of the new Prefect of the Police.At the frightened questions of the people ,asleep by the brutal awakening from their sleep ,the policemen give a curious order ,followed by the short and terrifying explanation ,whatever waited it has been:"Turn up the lights and leave the doors and gates unlocked.The city have surrendered .The Germans are entering!"Just like by a spell the whole city lightens up .The streets the houses ,public edifices ,kept in darkness for three months by the fraid of the aerian attacks ,are shining now by light.No one has slept until the day.The enslaved city was waiting for its master dressed in light.It is not the lighting of a celebration ,but of a mortuary room .Through the poor houses ,from the same order,was prepared the table with which had to be fed the hungry invasioneers.

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The alarm has been alltogether premature.the enemy did not show up that night and will not show up but only after three days*.The day of Monday has brought the surprise ,unpleasant of a "proclamation" terorist of the new Prefect of Police .It was ordered to the inhabitants of Bucharest what conduct they may have towards the soldiers "of the Imperial Armies".A long list of commands ,beginning almost all of them with "it is forbidden" and ending with ,invariable , the threat of the culprit with shooting.A second proclamation was more ctegoric even and more terorist.It was asking the inhabitants to keep the doors and gates open and continued with the characteristic passage that the one who will threat the "members of the Imperial Armies" with word or gesture ,or who will not put to their dispozition whatever they will be asking ,will be punished with shooting.Two days before ,another manifest was threatening also with shooting those inhabitants which will give asylum "to some soldier belonging to the enemy Armies(Romanians,Russians)".This manifest ,which named the Romanian soldiers enemyes ,was signed by this new Prefect ,Romanian General Mustata(Mustache) .He was the garant of order in the city deserted;he was the defender of life ,ownings and honesty of the inhabitants of the Capital of Romania!

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The enervation of the days in the eve has past now ;people knew their fate .It is like you are ashamed to speak ,man to man ,and still ,you chat with anyone you meet on the street,for then to leave quick ,leaving the conversation unfinished.Towards the great square there is a lively activity;everybody is looking to complete the replenishments for the black days which will follow .Big crowding at the City Hall .Following the order of the police,the inhabitants are in a hurry to surrender their weapons .It is a painful spectacle .The ordonance of the prefect threatens that-as usual with death,those who will be found with a weapon.And folks come in waves ,some by foot,others in carriages ,some pushing the wheel ,bringing weapons of all systems ,from the heavy rifle of the civic gvardia?,forgotten through a corner of the shed by who knows how many generations,to the elegand hunting rifle ,modern,Turkish pistols, rusted ,weapons for diorama ,pieces of collection and saloon toys.It is the new manifestation of a new spirit:the fulfilling with holliness of the authorities orders.It is announced a severe regime:from now on the unforgiving sanction will follow.

A new spectacle ,more painfuly,is brought to the sights.Groups of soldiers start to appear on the streets from West.They are the remains of the Army defeated on Arges.They came walking all through the night .Some two,three ,sometimes in bigger groups ,tired ,pale ,some of them barely dragging themselves ,mixed up ,soldiers of different Regiments going together ,Infantery men ,Cavalry men on foot ,Artillery men without cannons.Plantoons placed at streets junction ,give them directions for the places of concentration ,some of them to Mogosoaia ,others towards Pantelimon .They cannot give clear explanations .Some of them look dizzied ,mumble something and start again further.Others are more communicative:"The Germans have pushed us in marshes and melted us with their heavy artillery".A general thing is that everybody complains about the lack of armament -"our rifles of cannons"-faced with the crushing superiority of the enemy artillery as number ,and also as calibers.They were also scared by the numerous machineguns spread in every bush ,in every corner.

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All day went by on the streets groups ,and they continued the next day also ,and the next one.On the belt driveways of Bucharest were pouring ,in the same time ,the convoys of the Army,heading towards Nort-East :unfinishing rows of waggons ,furgons,carriages of ambulance or some filled with wounded .In the city sadness ,increased by the painful sight of our proud Army ,used to be ,an intermezzo of opera.A joyful music ,strong chorus of men's voices ,calls the people along the big boulevard.A Russian troop was coming from Pantelimon neghbourhood ,heading towards Cotroceni.How many were they:a Regiment ,a Brigade?the popular imagination took elan :the Russian do not want to leave the Capital conquered and are restarting the battle.The perspective of fights around the Capital ,was freezing to some the enthusiasm for the Russian troop ,which was presenting beautiful ,as men,and as material.The Russians,a unit from Aliev Corps ,which instead of going to Arges ,prefered to come to Bucharest ,edged themselves to enter the city through one of the barriers ,to get out on another.The hopes caught roots again for one moment ,when they saw the police men breaking the ordonances of General Mustata.After few hours ,however,they have reappeared.Orders and counterorders...The fate could not stop from its way now.

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The entering of the enemy in the Capital

The morning of Wednesday ,6th of December .A led like sky ,a humid air and cold.In the eve and over the night ,some strong explosions were announcing the destroing of military works which would use to the enemy .In the morning ,a sea of flames from Spirii Hill:the Army Arsenal was burning.

Great commotion on Calea Victoriei .It is put sand on to the pavement .Police in great uniforms:the city seargents with the Prusian cap for parade.Moving attention for the dear guest which is awaited.General Mustata was making exces of zel for the "imperial troops*".After all preparation and calculations ,was awaited that the entering of the enemy to be made by Rahova Barrier.To general surprise ,around 12 ,the first patrols of German Infantry entered the city through Calea Grivitei .They were troops from Avanguard Army of Falkenhayn ,which advanced through continuous fights with our arierguards ,from Chitila to Bucharest .Mackensen was in this way ahead-ed by Falkenhayn.As he was waiting on the opposite shore of Sabaru ,beyond Bragadiru ,the results of the tratatives of the parliament send to Bucharest ,his camarad and rival,Falkenhayn was pinching ,for himself and for his Army ,IX-th German ,the glory to be the first to arrive in to the "fortress" of Bucharest .Some on foot,some climbing in to the tramway met in their way on Calea Grivitei,the German patrols have reached Calea Victoriei(main street of Bucharest) ,where they have disarmed with brutality tha santinels in front of the Royal Pallace and occupied the pallace.Soon after,arrived also Mackensen in automobile ,roving daring through the city unoccupied yet by his troops.He has inspected the posts set to the Pallace and gave orders to occupy the War Ministry,Foreign Ministry and other public edifices.

The last scattered groups of Romanian troops were leaving the Capital by the barriers at North-East,as ,in the same time ,from opposite directions ,from Calea Grivitei and from Calea Rahovei ,were arriving the enemy patrols more and more numerous**.As by a miracle ,Calea Victoriei has been crowded,all of a sudden,by a joyful group of people ,and noisy.The former hostages ,German servants and Austro-Hungarian ones ,liberated in the eve ,especially women ,singers of theatres of cabaret,held till then locked at Vacaresti Prisson and for a few days now transported at Hotel de France ,were making to the liberators a triumphal reception .Flowers,waving of handkerchiefs,kissings were surprising and making dizzy the newly arrived ,which could not believe their eyes***.

By evening,the bulk of the German troops enterd Bucharest and went on Calea Rahovei,Carol Street,Calea Victoriei and Elisabeta Boulevard,towards Army barracks ,with heavy steps ,singing patriotic songs.The military automobiles sounding their strident sirens ,unknown till now,enormous trucks ,heavily trialed ,were going in a deafening noise through the streets.

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Thurstday the invasion increases .From all directions arrive troops of Cavalry,Cyclists .The supreme humiliation and injury did not spear us:a Company of Infantry,Bulgarian, goes proud on Calea Victoriei ,in the sounds of a bad music which shouts and booms like at village Sunday party ,and enters in the yard of the Royal Pallace .The street fills up ,in front and behind the Royal Pallace,by ugly waggons ,filled with stolen things from villages.The Bulgarians go around the improvised speakers ,which celebrate the great event ;it is sang "Sumi Marita"[4].A German Company throws out the Bulgarians and closes the gates of the Royal Pallace.Missfortuned ,the Bulgarians gather their stuff ,their tents ,waggons and start to the valley ,on Stirbei Voda Street ,towards the cantoonament places.For the coloration to be full ,in the yard of the Garden of Romanian Atheneum ,bivuacs a Turkish Detachment ,of Cavalry.Calea Victoriei moans with crowds..You can only hear German.Next to the Austro-German population of the former interned ,now liberated ,of the "dames" from Vacaresti Prisson and of all those hiding in unknown corners of their soul ,simpathies for the father land ,to them also adds the mass of the Jewish of Bucharest ,which has forgotten imediately to speak Romanian.You sneak through these colorful and vengeful people, humiliated and when you meet a friend ,a hand shake and a quick separation of the shame you feel coming in the corner of your eye.

On the walls of the city is spoiled the proclamation of the new master.Mackensen is celebrating his victory announcing:"Bucharest,the Capital of Romania ,has been conquered by my Army.He (the city) enters today under the laws of War....".Yes ,he will feel them,for two years ,taugh laws of your War!He will carry the cross to the end,but arrived there ,he will have the chance to dress the celebration cloth ,to live also the big day of the triumph ,payed through pain and faith.

*The explanation of the unfaithful attitude of this former Romanian General was known latter.In the files of corruption of the Germans ,during the neutrality time ,the name of the General figures with a big sum of money as price of signing at the bottom of an article of newspaper -written by someoneelse- by which it was tried the intimidation of Romania,with the threat that,in case of War against the Central Powers "the Carpathian Mountains will be the grave of the Romanian Army ".The social moral has changed a lot during the centuries:during the time of Judas the Iscariot,the traitors hang themselves!

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** A collision ,with unimaginable follow ups ,was almost to happen in the middle of the Capital ,between the German patrols accompanying the officers tasked with taking over of the city and a late group of Romanian soldiers .With great difficulty ,the intervention of the Romanian authorities convinced the Romanians to surrender and the fatal conflict has been sided.

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*** In this way has been established the calomnious legend of the cordial receiving of the enemy by a Romanian population of the Capital.German newspaper men ,serious ,of the value and reputation of a Bernhard Kellermann and Ad.Koester ,have kept for the duty of geniune to come back,a little latter,to reestablish the truth:"It has been much discussed these days about the conduct of the city.It would be wrong to condemn a city after the gestures of the principal street(Calea Victoriei).There is a big street in Bucharest .And in this street ,only on a Kilometer ,are massed all the cofee shops ,theatres ,cinematographs.The sidewalk of this Kilometer gives ,even today(?) the tone.It is natural that the German ,the Austrians and the Hungarians in the city to mass up here.That many which have been quiet till now rediscovered their German heart .That the Jewish people ,which almost all are sympathise us ,risk today a strong word.But this is not enaugh .In few cities ,the feminin element plays a role like here.From the vestibul of the smallest hotel ,to the cabinets of ministers .This International ,unique in its kind,which has resisted during the War ,is strongly represented by women artists ,Germans.Undoubtfuly ,they have false names ,French or American .In the past they played Tipperary and celebrated , in private cabinets , the Russian victories .But,when the Romanian War started ,they had to show up their passports and has been seen that most of them where from Hungary and Berlin ,from Boemia and Wien.They have been interned at Vacaresti .Today ,however ,they have give the tone in the whole hotels ,cofee-bars from the streets,everywhere where there are German soldiers.The Germans are astound by this "enemy" city or they are mocking.But it is sure that not entire Romania is what he sees on this Kilometer of sidewalk of Bucharest,not even the whole Bucharest".

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notes

[1] Aeronave -aerostate dirigible -build by German inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin(1838-1917).The types of dirigibles used during the Great War have been created in years 1905 -1906.

[2]Louis Bleriot(1872-1936) ,French constructor of airplanes;Wilbur Wright (1867-1912) and Oliver Wright (1871-1948) ,North American constructors of airplanes .All three of them are pioneers of aviation.

[3] About economical evolving of Romania.

{4] National Bulgarian anthem.

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(Meeting of the Romanian-Russian delegation and Central Powers delegation ,for signing the Truce ,November 1917)

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Chapter VI

Causes Of Romanian Defeat

Precautions and results

The Romanian Campaign in 1916 lasted for one hundred and forty days.In the night of 27-28th of August ,our troops were hasting over Carpathian Mountains ;at 6th of December ,after one hundred days ,the enemy was entering the Capital of the Kingdom.The power of the Romanian Army has been deeply shaken ;still one part of the Army keep up until the middle of January 1917,from time to time another forty days still of continuous fights for keeping of a line of Front and for setting to shelter of the other part of the Army.The Romanian Army-after the expression of Ludendorff -has been beaten ,it hasn't been destroyed,however[1].

Our entering in to the War provoked a strong explossion of sentiments ,different at the two parties of fight ,such that until then no other country entering in to the Great War has done it.The general opinion was that the entering in to the War of Romania ,with the throwing in to the fight of half a million of fresh fighters ,will be dicissive.As great as the enthusiasm was in the press,parliaments and trenches of the friendly Fronts,just as deep was the consternation of the enemy.Our entering in the War was giving decissive blow ,in a moment in which the enemy was tighten by almost all Fronts ;at Verdun and on Somme ,on Styr and in Carpatii Padurosi,on Struma and on Vardar [2], the enemy held chest with difficulty to the blows.That is why he was looking terrified at the agravation caused by the entering of Romania."Never-writes Hindenburg-a decissive role ,historic ,has been given to a state such small as Romania.Never has been,the fate of powers ,as big as Germany and Austro-Hungary ,in full development of their entire military forces ,was not been given to the hand of a country so small as Romania ,which numbered the 20th part of the population of both states ,as in this case.Based on the situation of the War ,it could be foreseen that Romania may go in any direction she chooses ,for to decide the fate of the War in the favour of those states ,which for two years were assaulting us in vain".

The result of the Romanian Campaign of four months and a half did not correspond to the Allies expectation ,nor to the fears of the adversary.This result may be expressed in the following way:

a)To face the new situation ,the enemies had to lift from the other Fronts of Europe a considerable military force -over 40 Divisions -to throw against the new adversary.The follow up was that the Entente Powers have took advantage of this relief of their Front ,either to rest their troops and regroup its forces ,or to save themselves from threatening situations ,either to apply to the enemy felt blows.

b)Fighting continuously against the Romanian Army for four and a half months ,the enemy reputed great victories ,but also suffered felt defeats.His losses has been very great.One part of the enemy Army has been destroyed;the other part was exhausted.For the rest and its remaking ,this Army needed a long repaus ,about which will profit our troops ,to remake themselves ,and also the Allies ,to give blows to the commune enemy.

c)Romania being defeated ,not,though ,taken out of the fight ,the enemy had to keep on the Romanian Front an impozant number of forces for the future operations ;all these forces were as such,from the use they would have had on the other European Fronts.

This was the real result of entering of Romania in to the War after four and a half months of campaign in the year of 1916.That it is an important role and that it hangs heavily in the ballance of the War ,on the Allies side,it is undoubtful.Also ,very true is ,that it has been very different than expected[3]The lack of coordonation of the Entente.

Which are the causes?

Ofcourse,the judgement of the circumstances of the intervention of Romania was made wrong by both sides.The unfolding of the War ha sbrought to the light things that were unknown ,or were not known till then.Not from our side ,nor from,especially ,of the Allies ,was not ballanced with precaution all the circumstances in which we would have to fight ,were not foreseen all the eventualities which might come up,and have not been taken all the measures to side the possible complications.At the mistakes made with good faith ,out of ignorrance or because of wrong calculus ,must also be added the ones made with guilty intend.

A critical example of our entering in the War ,of preparing it on all terrains , and of its unfolding ,will explain to us ,fully,why our campaign of 1916 ,started under such beautiful circumstances ,has finished in such a painful way.

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Choosing "ofthe moment" for entering in to action

Tha lack of coordination in the political-diplomatic action ,as in the conduct of the operations .The Central Powers had the advantage of their position ,of their vecinity and of the preponderent role played by Germany on the political terrain ,as on the military one.The veleities of independence of Conrad von Hotzendorf did not influence ,nor intimidated the central Command ,which firstly by moral ascendent ,then by written conventions ,were of Germany.At the Entente ,this thing did not exist.Each Army operated on its own without ensemble coordination.It is true that the french Commandment exercitated a certain ascendent over the others ,thanks to the known value of the French Army and of the fact that France was the most important partner as military power .But effectively,Jofre did not had the right to give orders ,because Haig[4] and Cadorna[5] were his equals ,and Zar Albert [6] and Princip Alexandru [7] could give only suggestions and advices ;but ,in war,what matters ,is the execution.The lack of coordination in the Powers of Entente made that she lost the advantage of the numerical superiority of her forces and permitted to the Central Powers to keep the initiative ,giving blows when on a front ,when on another.

The timid trials of coordination by instituting of a unique Commandment were made through conferences at Calais (July 1915) ,Chantilly(7 July 1913,December 1915,November 1916),but only in the spring of 1918 ,under the empire of terror and catastrophe it could be acomplished.

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The entering of Romania into action and leading of the operations on our Front are a classic example of this fatal lack of coordination.Joffre gives it as an example of effect of the slowlyness ,hesitations,lack of precise directives and of the result of colaboration.For the great events, marks the summer of 1916:the French-British offensive on Somme ,Brusilov offensive ,the advanced offensive [8] and the entering of Romania .Well and coordinated conducted ,they could have had a decissive effect .Instead of this,the result has been lamentable:"The Entente payed it with the extension of the conflict for two more years ,Russia with a revolution ,the Zar with the Throne and His life ,Romania with an invasion which brought her two inches from extinction"(Joffre).

For that the entering of half a million of fresh soldiers to have the decissive effect ,which was expected,would have had that the Romanian forces to make felt their action in the Points and Moments asked by the startegical unfolding of the operations on European pattern.But for ths,it would have been needed a commune plan of campaign and a superior unitary direction which to know to distribute the roles and to impose their execuion .And the moment of our entering was not happily choosen.Bratianu(primeminister) had constantly the preocupation to not engage his country in a moment considered ,by him ,as not good.The events,that followed have demonstrated how motivated was this preocupation.With all the prudence and ability of the Chief of the Romanian Government the circumstances have been stronger:"he had to enter in the War not at the moment wanted by him,but at a moment imposed by outside".The hostility of the Zarist Government(Russian),its oposition to recognize our national integral territorial revendicaions ,the bad will at surrendering to us the war material send to us from the West ,by our Allies,all the difficulties set for obtaining the borders which Bratianu ,trained by the painful experience of the past,calculated as indispensable,have delayed the date of our entering in to action."The Moment" did not correspond anymore with the most favorable epoch.

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At the interally conference at Chantilly from 15th of November 1916 Joffre,expressing that the entering of Romania did not produced the awaited effect ,because of the tardive moment at which it has produced itself,the Romanian delegate,Colonel Rudeanu ,replayed that Romania has delayed because it was not set quicker by the Allies in the state of being able to enter in campaign.With all the insistence set in this aim ,showing clearly the insifficiency of the Romanian Amy armament ,especially with artillery munitions ,these needs have not been stisfied in due time and even so,at the date of the entering,Romanian did not receive what she needed.

What couold have been ,and what has been in reality ,is easy to understand:one to two months earlier ,the Romanian intervention would have been a catastrophe for Austro-Hungary.Her delay,saved Austro-Hungary.The Austrians,in the wake of their desastre at Luck[9] ,could bring their heavy artillery and numerous units from the Italian Front ,and the leadership of their Army has ben taken by the Germans.The crisis has past.The offensive of Brusilov was exhausted ,and the Central Powers were recollecting .Their military forces ,badly apreciated by our Allies ,were now enaugh,not only to oppose resistance but also to plan offensive actions on the other fronts.An action like this was started on the Salonic Front ;another one was prepared on the Russian one.

In this moment ,when the situation started to draw disadvantageous on the Oriental Fronts ,the General Staffs Russian and French did not set the ultimatum:now or never.We entered,as such,not at the favorable moment ,freely choosen by us ,but imposed by the Allies ,to ease the general situation on the European Fronts.The easyness whith which Romania has been pushed in to the War ,with all the unfavorable conditions of the moment ,has been wonderfuly sintetized in Joffre's words-a precautious man at appreciations:"The esential is that Romania enters ,what will be after ,we will see".

Why the Entente Powers have forced Romania to enter the War unprepared and without her action to be coordinated with the one of her Allies?We may understand ,borrowing a metafor from the technic of the game of Chess:a pion destined to be scrificed.It is more interesting to reveal the comments made latter,after the desastre,by the same Ally circles which have forced Romania to enter the War ,in any way she can.A Russian General (Win) writes:"It is the general impression that Romanian has draw the sword out ,much to easy ,counting her much stronger than she is in reality and with the hope that she will make 'her War" with Austro-Hungary ,following limited objectives ".Latter on ,Sazunov condemned as well the ease with which Romania ,by the somations of Alekseev and Joffre has "been pushed by our Allies ,influenced ofcourse by the public opinion ,which was nervous.The Chief of Russian general Staff ,has seen himself forced to ask the advance of Romanians into Austria with the threat ,that in case of refuse,to be deprived by the promised advantages.It was a mistake very well foreseen by the Russian General Staff.We were not capable to help the Romanian troops and to make them to get out unharmed from the spin.Two years of terrible fights weakend a lot our Army ,and our ammunitions ,after the insufficeiencies from the beginning ,were almost completely exhausted".

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The Allies did not know to prepare the Romanian intervention

The Romanian intervention was not studied sufficiently by the Allies ,such that ,to be be made in conditions to produce maximum of effect.The Allies ,although trained enaugh by the experience of two years of War ,have passed with shallowness over the grave strategical situation of Romania.The Romanian frontier ,which became its defence Front ,was two times longer than the French Front and only with a little shorter than the Russian one.The Romanian forces will be obliged to place themselves in a cordon along this frontier.Other than this,the pronounced outing of Muntenia ,adavancing towards West between Carpathian Mountains and Danube River,could easely been caught in a cracker.And this strategig dispozitive ,so unfavorable was do be defended by a small Army and not enaugh equiped with the technical aparatus of the modern War.Far from being what was announced in such an easy manner "a great offensive",to increase the force on the friendly existing Fronts, a serious judgement had to understand that Romania was forced to fight for defending of the new Front which was made by its frontiers ,in such a disadvantageous geographical situation.

Also ,missjudged was the opinion that the enemy do not have enaugh forces anymore ,to face the new Front.On the contrary:the enemy was able to face it ,and even with superior means ;the insufficiency of the means of informations of the Allies,did not know to anticipate this thing.Ignorring the resources and means of the enemy ,he was considered unable to make an effort which he was preparing even in the moment when he was declared unable to prepare it"*.That is why "Romania has been dragged in the War without studying ,and know the means which the enemy will have against her and,as a result,without grouping,on the Romanian territory or on the Macedonian Front ,the material means and of men,which maybe would have allowed us tu smash the enemy plans"**.

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