Romania's decision to enter the First World War alongside the Triple Entente was logical. When World War One first erupted, Romania struggled to maintain its neutral state. However, in 1916 it was persuaded by the Allies to join the war and turn its back on its neighbours--namely Italy, Germany and Austria-Hungary. "Was Romania justified in siding with the Triple Entente, or should the country have favoured King Carol's ancestry?" is a question that is debated by many, yet only has one reasonable answer. Romania's choice was one of the most rational decisions its leaders had ever made, and led the country to gain essential allies, valuable land, and national prosperity.
To begin with, after clinging to its neutrality for approximately two years, Romania eventually came to the inspired decision to join the Triple Entente because it was in great need of powerful allies. The Central Powers were allegedly plotting to invade, and the country was vulnerable.
Romania, Germany, Canada, Hungary
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English: Russian 1914 poster. The upper inscriptio...The controversy began when a Bosnian Serb assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28th 1914. This event led Austria to present Serbia with an ultimatum that made war inevitable. At first, King Carol believed that his clandestine treaty with the Central Powers did not obligate Romania to declare war on Serbia, because Austria-Hungary's ultimatum was a provocation. Nevertheless, when Romania's government met to decide on a course of action, King Carol promoted Romania's unity with the Central Powers to honour his German heritage. The king's proposal was rejected when the leaders became aware of his unconstitutional treaty, and the council voted for a wait-and-see policy to be enforced. The king felt threatened and stated, "You cannot imagine how bitter it is to find oneself isolated in a country of which one is not a native." Numerous attempts to disperse Romania's animosity towards...