On the outbreak of World War II, Romania proclaimed its neutrality (September 6, 1939). But the situation imposed on it shortly afterwards left it with no choice. By ultimatum notes, on June 26 and 28, 1940, the Soviet Union forced it to give it Bessarbia, which had shaken off the Russian yoke in 1918, as well as Northern Bucovina (which had never belonged to Russia). By the Vienna Diktat of August 30, the same year, after a German-Italia ultimatum, Romania was forced to give Hungary the north-western part of Transylvania, and under the Treaty of Craiova of September 7, 1940, it had to surrender the southern part of Dobrudja (the Quadrilateral, a region which was incorporated into Romania in 1913, following the second Balkan War) to Bulgaria. The loss of about one-third of the country's area and population caused a serious crisis which resulted in the abdication of King Carol II in favour of his son Mihai (September 6, 1940) and the coming to power of General Ion Antonescu (Marshall Antonescu since October 1941). After a shortlived cohabitation with the Iron Guard, Antonescu eliminated it (the Iron Guard rebellion of January 21-23, 1941) and introduced military dictatorship. His option, between the two belligerent camps, for Germany, alongside which Romania entered the war against the USSR (1941-1944), was caused by the hope to recover Bessarabia and Northern Bucovina and by his distrust in the communist regime. The defeat suffered by the Axis Powers brought about an intensification of the secret negotiations with the Allied Powers that were being carried out by both Antonescu and the Opposition. On August 23, 1944, by order of King Mihai I, Ion Antonescu was arrested and on the following day war was declared on Germany. Romania fought along the Allies until the end of the war (May 9, 1945). But the co-belligerent status was refused to Romania under the Peace Treaty of Paris (February 10, 1947), which, moreover, stipulated the reannexation of Bessarabia and Northern Bucovina by the USSR, while recognizing Romania's right to Northern Transylvania. Crippled as it came out of the War, Romania, along with the other countries in Central and Eastern Europe which had come under the merciless Soviet domination, stepped into another, more devastating war, which was to last for nearly half a century: the "cold war".

Last update: 1999, August 18
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