Kingdom of Romania

Quick Facts: Who was Kingdom of Romania?

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Kingdom of Romania

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A constitutional monarchy that existed in Europe from 1881 until its abolition in 1947.

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Origins & Early Life

The Kingdom of Romania (Romanian: Regatul României) was a constitutional monarchy that existed from 25 March [O.S. 13 March] 1881 with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian royal family), until 30 December 1947 with the abdication of King Michael I and the Romanian Parliament proclamation of the Romanian People's Republic. From 1859 to 1877, Romania evolved from a personal union of two principalities: (Moldavia and Wallachia) called the Unification of Moldavia and Wallachia also known as "The Little Union" under a single prince to an autonomous principality with a Hohenzollern monarchy. The country gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire during the 1877–1878 Russo-Turkish War (known locally as the Romanian War of Independence), after which it was forced to cede the southern part of Bessarabia in exchange for Northern Dobruja. The kingdom's territory during the reign of King Carol I, between 13 (O.S.) / 25 March 1881 and 27 September (O.S.) / 10 October 1914 is sometimes referred to as the Romanian Old Kingdom, to distinguish it from "Greater Romania", which included the provinces that became part of the state after World War I (Bessarabia, Banat, Bukovina, and Transylvania). With the exception of the southern halves of Bukovina and Transylvania, these territories were ceded to neighboring countries in 1940, under the pressure of Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union.

Career & Major Achievements

Following the abolishment of the 1923 constitution by King Carol II in 1938, the Kingdom of Romania became an absolute monarchy, only to become a military dictatorship under Ion Antonescu in 1940 after the forced abdication of King Carol II, with his successor, King Michael I being a figurehead with no effective political power. The country's name was changed to Legionary Romania. The disastrous World War II campaign on the side of the Axis powers led to King Michael's Coup against Ion Antonescu in 1944, as a result of which the Kingdom of Romania became a constitutional monarchy again and switched sides to the Allies, recovering Northern Transylvania. The influence of the neighbouring Soviet Union and the policies followed by Communist-dominated coalition governments ultimately led to the abolition of the monarchy, with Romania becoming a Soviet satellite state as the People's Republic of Romania on the last day of 1947. The 1859 ascendancy of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as prince of both Moldavia and Wallachia under the nominal suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire united an identifiably Romanian nation under a single ruler.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

On 24 January (O.S.) / 5 February 1862, the two principalities were formally united to form the Principality of Romania, with Bucharest as its capital. On 11 (O.S.) / 23 February 1866 a so-called "monstrous coalition", composed of Conservatives and radical Liberals, forced Cuza to abdicate. The German prince (and Prussian officer) Karl Eitel Friedrich Zephyrinus Ludwig von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was appointed as Prince of Romania, in a move to assure Prussian backing to unity and future independence. He immediately adopted the Romanian spelling of his name, Carol, and his cognatic descendants would rule Romania until the overthrow of the monarchy in 1947. For more than a decade after the formal union of the two principalities, Romania was still nominally a vassal of the Ottoman Empire.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1859: 1859 Milestone — From 1859 to 1877, Romania evolved from a personal union of two principalities: (Moldavia and Wallachia) called the Unification of Moldavia and Wallachia also known as "The Little Union" under a single prince to an autonomous principality with a Hohenzollern monarchy.
2. 1862: 1862 Milestone — ) / 5 February 1862, the two principalities were formally united to form the Principality of Romania, with Bucharest as its capital.
3. 1866: 1866 Milestone — ) / 23 February 1866 a so-called "monstrous coalition", composed of Conservatives and radical Liberals, forced Cuza to abdicate.
4. 1877: 1877 Milestone — The country gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire during the 1877–1878 Russo-Turkish War (known locally as the Romanian War of Independence), after which it was forced to cede the southern part of Bessarabia in exchange for Northern Dobruja.
5. 1881: 1881 Milestone — 13 March] 1881 with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian royal family), until 30 December 1947 with the abdication of King Michael I and the Romanian Parliament proclamation of the Romanian People's Republic.
6. 1914: 1914 Milestone — ) / 10 October 1914 is sometimes referred to as the Romanian Old Kingdom, to distinguish it from "Greater Romania", which included the provinces that became part of the state after World War I (Bessarabia, Banat, Bukovina, and Transylvania).
7. 1923: 1923 Milestone — Following the abolishment of the 1923 constitution by King Carol II in 1938, the Kingdom of Romania became an absolute monarchy, only to become a military dictatorship under Ion Antonescu in 1940 after the forced abdication of King Carol II, with his successor, King Michael I being a figurehead with no effective political power.
8. 1940: 1940 Milestone — With the exception of the southern halves of Bukovina and Transylvania, these territories were ceded to neighboring countries in 1940, under the pressure of Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union.
9. 1944: 1944 Milestone — The disastrous World War II campaign on the side of the Axis powers led to King Michael's Coup against Ion Antonescu in 1944, as a result of which the Kingdom of Romania became a constitutional monarchy again and switched sides to the Allies, recovering Northern Transylvania.
10. 1947: 1947 Milestone — The influence of the neighbouring Soviet Union and the policies followed by Communist-dominated coalition governments ultimately led to the abolition of the monarchy, with Romania becoming a Soviet satellite state as the People's Republic of Romania on the last day of 1947.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Kingdom of Romania

True or False: “The Kingdom of Romania was always considered a fully sovereign state immediately after the Unification of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): Initially, following the 1859 union, Romania remained nominally a vassal of the Ottoman Empire for several years.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alcide De Gasperi — Historical peer (Born in 1881) (1881): Key statesman who led Italy through its post-war reconstruction and founding of the EU.
• Aleksey Pisemsky — Historical peer (Died in 1881) (1881): A prominent Russian novelist and dramatist, contemporary to Turgenev and Dostoyevsky.
• Al Capone — Historical peer (Died in 1947) (1947): Notorious American gangster and businessman during the Prohibition era.
• Alan Guth — Historical peer (Born in 1947) (1947): Pioneering cosmologist known for developing the theory of cosmic inflation.
• A. E. Housman — Historical peer (Born in 1859) (1859): English classicist and poet, renowned for his scholarship and melancholic verse.
• Aleksandr Popov (physicist) — Historical peer (Born in 1859) (1859): Pioneering Russian physicist credited with early radio receiving technology.
• Adolphe Thiers — Historical peer (Died in 1877) (1877): Influential French statesman, historian, and President of the Third Republic.
• Aga Khan III — Historical peer (Born in 1877) (1877): 48th Imam of the Nizari Isma'ili community and founder of the All-India Muslim League.
• Ahn Chang Ho — Historical peer (Born in 1878) (1878): Pioneering Korean independence activist and leader of the Korean-American community.
• Alfred Döblin — Historical peer (Born in 1878) (1878): Pioneering German modernist novelist, essayist, and doctor, famed for Berlin Alexanderplatz.

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