PAUL E. MICHELSON
Abstract
The paper analyses Romania’s stance on World War I. In order to understand the position of the political authorities in Bucharest, we start by examining the international context and the premises that led to the outbreak of the global conflict. The paper goes on to explore the internal situation of the Romanian Kingdom, highlighting Prime Minister Ion I. C. Brătianu’s shrewd political strategies during the two years of neutrality. Romania’s entry into the war on August 27, 1916, and the campaigns in which the Romanian Army participated are the subject of separate subchapters. Finally, the paper examines the three major episodes that enabled the creation of Greater Romania, namely the Union of Bessarabia, Bukovina and, eventually, Transylvania with the Old Kingdom.
Keywords: Romania, World War I, Romanian neutrality, the 1916 campaign, Unification, Romanian national project.