Romanian Policy Towards Germany, 1936-40

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-viii

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Rebecca Haynes

   Pages 1-18

3. Victor Antonescu and Romania’s Foreign Policy Readjustment, September 1936 to December 1937

   • Rebecca Haynes

   Pages 19-42

4. ‘Friendly with the Whole World’: The Goga-Cuza Government and the Comnen Foreign Ministry, December 1937 to December 1938

   • Rebecca Haynes

   Pages 43-66

5. Grigore Gafencu: The Persistence of ‘Equilibrium’ between the Great Powers, December 1938 to March 1939

   • Rebecca Haynes

   Pages 67-98

6. From ‘Equilibrium’ to ‘Hand in Hand with Germany’, April to October 1939

   • Rebecca Haynes

   Pages 99-118

7. Germany’s Transformation to a ‘Fairy Godmother’, Autumn 1939 to June 1940

   • Rebecca Haynes

   Pages 119-144

8. Carol and the Axis, June to September 1940

   • Rebecca Haynes

   Pages 145-166

9. Conclusion

   • Rebecca Haynes

   Pages 167-180

10. Back Matter

    Pages 181-205

    PDF

This new book, based on archival research, contests the assumptions that Romania remained pro-Western in the late 1930s and only joined the Axis as a result of Western negligence and German pressure. Instead, Germany was drawn by Romanian politicians into political and economic cooperation with Bucharest. In the event, this proved Romania's undoing. Let down by her German protector, she was forced to cede territory to the Soviet Union, Hungary and Bulgaria. Subsequently, Romania was allowed into the alliance she sought with Germany.

• Germany
• Hungary
• Soviet Union
• Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
• european union politics

'This new account of Romanian policy towards Germany in the 1930s is a major contribution to our understanding of interwar diplomacy in Eastern Europe. By demonstrating, moreover, that Romanian politicians actively promoted rapprochement with Nazi Germany, Rebecca Haynes challenges the assumption that Romania was only a pawn in Great Power diplomacy. Her argument is convincing and is supported by a wealth of unpublished documents, drawn from both Romanian and German archives.' - Martyn Rady, General Editor, Slavonic and East European Review

'Dr Haynes's study represents the first analysis in English of Romanian policy towards Germany during the period September 1935-September 1940 and makes an invaluable contribution to the study of European diplomatic history during this period. It is based on a close study of both Romanian and German foreign ministry archives. Dr Haynes argues convincingly that Romania's drift towards the Axis was based on an assessment by King Carol and his ministers of the shifting balance of power in Europe during the late 1930's and was not due, as some Romanian scholars have argued, to the weakness of the west.' - Professor Dennis Deletant, School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University of London

'[Haynes] deserves our applause for her discoveries and her insights.' - Frederick Kellogg, American Historical Review

• School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London, UK

  Rebecca Haynes

Rebecca Haynes is Lecturer in Romanian Studies at the University of London.

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