22 years. So much has held the miracle called Romania. In June 1940, King Carol II ceded without fight Bessarabia and Bucovina, the territories of the old Moldova of Stephen the Great. The revisionist policy of the Soviets imposed on the international map, and the Romanians also lost their country. We can return history on all sides, we can judge and accuse, but in the end, the reason for the dismantling of our country is perfectly summarized by the historian Florin Constantiniu: “We lost Great Romania because we were not worthy to keep it“.
People gathered in front of the Royal Palace and prayed that Bessarabia will remain part of Romania
The events at the end of June 1940 were as simple, as disturbing. In a Europe that hardly maintained the safety of a fragile peace, World War II had already started for almost a year, supported by the heated flame of revisionism. As it seems to be the custom, the world map has been lying on the table, and the leaders involved in conflagration have put their finger on the desired territories. On August 23, 1939, the famous non -aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, through their representatives, German Foreign Minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop, and his Soviet counterpart, Viaceslav Molotov, was signed in Moscow. The agreement between Hitler and Stalin was a surprise for the whole world, but Romania had collapsed. Article 3 of the Treaty was a dedication that he did not want: “As for Southeast Europe, the interest in Bessarabia is underlined from the Soviet part. The German side declares the total political disinterest in these regions” 1937, Soviet Foreign Minister Maksim Litvinov emphasized Maiorescu that “We will try to resume Bessarabia through all the legal and military means that will be possible. “
How to lose a country in 24 hours
The year 1940 began with the chest forward. Carol II said that “no Romanian furrow will be transferred without a fight”, but six months later, Patient Stalin laughed at him with his mouth. On June 22, 1940, France Capitula in front of Germany, and the United Kingdom was under siege, so Romania was losing its two important allies. A day later, the Russians had already set the application of the article, moreover, Molotov communicated to the German ambassador to Moscow that the Soviet Union also wants Bucovina as “the price of employment and exploitation of Bessarabia”. Hitler did not like the greed of the Russians, by the simple fact that the law of the former territories of the Habsburg Empire, including Bucovina, was considered. The Führer did not even tell the Russians that he did not agree, that they had already taken the reins in their hands and had contacted the Romanian ambassador to Moscow, Gheorghe Davidescu. It was June 26, at 10 o’clock in the evening, when the ultimate note was handed. Apart from the absurdity of the request, the Russians plus: the Romanians were obliged to give an answer within 24 hours. After several interruptions in communication, the whole message arrived in Romania only at 6 in the morning.
In June 1940, Bucovina and Bessarabia (red) were transferred to the USSR. Photo: Truth
In the morning of June 27, apparently, King Carol II had made no decision, as he was in his prerogatives. Instead, he started asking left and right: do we give up without a fight? For far from him were the words of his uncle, our first king, Carol I: “Everything for the country, nothing for me.” The peak, the first to whom the advice asked were the ambassadors of Germany and Italy. Then, for 12.00, he would convene the Crown Council, which had only an advisory role anyway. Each has exposed their point of view to the point of view and two camps were clearly outlined. Military, political, logistic, patriotic-subjective and objective arguments were given. The tone was raised and beaten with a fist in the mass. Nothing clear: 10 participants are pronounced to accept the ultimatum, 11 against, 4 are for negotiations with the Russians, and Prime Minister Tătărescu refrains.
Greater Romania had no support from anyone – neither from the neighbors, nor from the Allies, it seems that even from their own political class. At 9 in the evening, a new crown council. People were already irritable, irrational. Historical wineries are thrown, the budget and condition of the army are debated. In the end, only six remained on the barricades of the country’s defense at any price. Otherwise, as Constantin Argetoianu concluded: “Tranquility in the east. Momentary sacrifices“We’re fighting! We curse ourselves if we don’t fight ”. We did not fight and the curse is here that the present is now.
Ultimatum. “To return at any cost to the Soviet Union Bessarabia”
“In 1918, Romania, using the military weakness of Russia, opened from the Soviet Union (Russia) a part of its territory, Bessarabia, stepping on this the secular unity of Bessarabia, mainly populated with Ukrainians, with the Ukrainian Soviet Republic.
The Soviet Union has never been reconciled with the fact of taking over the Bessarabia, which the Soviet government declared not once and open in front of the whole world.
Now that the USSR’s military weakness has passed in the field of the past, and the international situation that has been created demands the rapid resolution of the issues inherited from the past to finally lay the foundations of a solid peace between the countries, the USSR considers it necessary and appropriate that in the interests of the restoration of the truth to step together with Romania to the Soviet resolution.
The Soviet government believes that the question of the return of Bessarabia is organically linked to the question of transmission to the USSR of that part of Bukovina, whose population is linked mostly with Soviet Ukraine through the community of historical fate, as well as through the community of national language and composition. Such an act would be even more just as the transmission of the northern part of Bukovina to the USSR could represent, it is true that only to a insignificant extent, a means of compensating that great loss that was caused to the USSR and the population of Bessarabia through the 22-year domination of Romania in Bessarabia.
The USSR government proposes to the Royal Government of Romania:
1/ to return at any cost to the Soviet Union Bessarabia;
2;
The Soviet government expresses its hope that the Romanian government will receive the proposals of the USSR and that it will allow the prolonged conflict between the USSR and Romania.
The Soviet government is waiting for the Royal Government of Romania during the day of June 27. “
“All those who made the heroes at noon deflated”
In his notebooks with daily notes, King Carol II left two tables, put next to each other, with the votes of the Crown Council, believing that, thus, history will divide the blame-one of his many cowardice evidence, a gesture similar to that of Pilate in Pont. However, full of pride and arrogance, he would note after the second meeting: “The council takes place and I came out of it bitterly and disgusted, all those who made the heroes at noon. Only six votes, out of the 26 present, were for resistance. Their name deserves to be in Romanian, Nicola Silviu Dragomir, Traian Pop, Ștefan Ciobanu, Ernest Urdăreanu ”. At each of the councils there were 26 participants/voters, with the mention that Tătărescu votes only at the first crown council, and Vaida, only in the second.
Who voted in the two crown councils of June 1940. Photo: Adevărul
