Romania sad story and lessons to learn

Romania at Historic Crossroads

Romania geo-political settings.

Romania is an almost round shape spot with Carpathian Mountains fortress in the middle and the Danube River at South located between Western civilizations, Middle East, and Eastern civilizations.

Romanians a population of about 20 million people are aware of their Latin language roots coming from Roman Empire domination about 2000 years ago. They are more attuned to French, Italian or Spanish culture rather the Slav surrounding populations.

The continuity of Romanian’ pastoral and agricultural civilization is debated by Hungarians, because the dominance by Austro - Hungarian Empire for about 1000 years over parts of Transylvania region. Hungary had owned this part of Romania, lost it at the end of the World War I and thirsted for it ever since. Romania’s relations with Hungary could be better.

The fact is after World War I Romania was a bigger and prosperous state were foreign people wanted to immigrate; See the bottom map for the “Greater Romania Map” when ignore the arrows. This setting lasted until 1940 only.

The blackest days in Romania nation’s history

The Russian Bolshevik international revolution export doctrine collided with Hitler’ Nazi Germany state territorial interests over Poland and other smaller nations like Latvia and Romania. The balance of political forces in Europe changed since WWI and a readjustment was due.

The secret Molotov – Ribbentrop treaty was signed in August 23, 1939. It was followed by Nazi’ invasion of Poland and by “Vienna Dictate” the Hitler – Mussolini’ camouflaged “arbitration” between Romania and Hungary.

The blackest days in Romania nation’s history started in the summer of 1940. In less than eleven weeks Romania was forced to cede 40% of its territory with seven millions citizens, Romanians being the majority:

Bessarabia and North Bucovina on June 26th through the Soviet Union’ ultimatum;
North Transylvania on August 30th to Hungary; and
Southern Dobrogea rectangle on September 7th to Bulgaria.

As a result King Carol II was forced to abdicate in favor of his 19-years-old son Mihai and the general Ion Antonescu formed a new government on September 4th, 1940.

The Romanian’s frustration over Soviet Union’ territorial amputation justified the participation to the war against Soviet Union by Axis Powers side.

Word War II Soviet military occupation

In August 1944 Russians armies penetrated the Romanian territories from the North-East.

Despite the successful royal coup that shortened the World War II by six months, Romania was treated as enemy by the Soviet Union.

Our parents witnessed how barbarians allegedly robbed and rape at will. About 130,000 soldiers were transported to Soviet Union were many perished in prison camps. This was only the beginning of the Soviet military occupation that lasted twenty years.

During this dark period, up to two millions persons were arbitrarily imprisoned for political, economical or for no reasons. The estimated least figure of human life losses due to the communist terror in Romania between 1948 and 1964 is 200,000.

It is very frustrating to have your house and a life built at the history crossroads where military tracks are coming from all directions carrying different agendas but the Romanian one.

I dedicated my “The Escape” e-book to our parents. Are they lost generations? We wouldn’t be here without them. Would we? They run their “marathons” holding their life torches up as we do it now.

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