CLASH OVER ROMANIA - British and American Policies toward Romania: 1938 - 1947, ARA (1977)

Abstract

-- Contents --

I. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

II. THE BRITISH COMMITMENT TO ROMANIA

III. EARLY WAR YEARS

IV. THE ALLIES AND ROMANIAN "PEACEFEELERS"

V. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE GROZA GOVERNMENT 105

VI. LAST ATTEMPT TO ESTABLISH DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IN ROMANIA

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

-- Introduction --

During the turbulent era of the late 1930's and 1940's the states of Eastern Europe and the Balkans were constantly involved in a struggle to maintain their territory and independence. Situated between Germany and Russia, these countries became the battleground of their larger neighbors. One of the most important of the Balkan nations was Romania.

Strategically located along the Black Sea and the south-western border of the Soviet Union, as well as controlling the mouth of the Danube River,

Romania had helped to block the Russians from extending their control to the Straits and the Mediterranean since the end of the eighteenth century. Moreover, Romania was rich in raw materials, being the number one oil producing nation in Europe outside of the Soviet Union.

This is a study of British and American policies towards Romania from 1938 through 1947. Overall, first Britain and later both Britain and the United States tried to maintain an independent and friendly Romanian state. At the same time, the Western Powers saw Romania's independence as affecting their own security.

British and American relations with this small oil-rich Balkan state provides an interesting and informative story in itself. More important, events in Romania had an impact on Western policies in general, and help to explain the origins of World War II and the Cold War. To date there has been no study of British and American relations with Romania for this period. The only study of a similar nature involves Germany's relations with Romania from 1938 through 1944 by Andreas Hillgruber, Hitler, Konig Carol und Marschall Antonescu. It has only been since the mid 1960's that the Western governments have begun to open their archives for the war period providing sufficient primary sources for such a study. Because of the lack of primary documents historians have been unaware of the importance and role of Romania.

This study is based mainly on recently published and unpublished documents of the British and American governments. Some of the documents just help to confirm what has already been known, but many contain information never before brought to light. For example, the part played by the United States in the attempt to overthrow the Groza government in August 1945 has remained almost totally unknown to historians. Western representatives in Romania have not published their memoirs, and high government officials like James Byrnes never mentioned the abortive coup in their works. Unfortunately the British

Foreign Office has somehow "misplaced" most of its documents on this embarrassing crisis, but thanks to the American State Department the story can be told.

Other primary material dealing with the topic was consulted, includingmy good fortune to have had access to General Cortlandt Van R. Schuyler's extensive unpublished diary, as well as interviews and correspondence with several of the chief participants in these events. Numerous secondary sources were also utilized, including studies by contemporary Romanian historians.

Those areas of Romanian history which are involved with British and American policies were given some necessary explanation. This was essential where little had been written about prior to this study. Aspects of Romanian history which are not concerned with British and American policies towards Romania were only alluded to or omitte entirely.