Romania

Romania was initially neutral in World War II. However, its internal policies led to an alignment with the Axis powers and a policy of friendship towards Germany. At the demand of Germany and Italy, Romania ceded 44,988 sq km (17,370 sq mi) of Northern Transylvania to Hungary on August 20, 1939. Then, in September, the German army occupied Romania under the pretext of protecting the oil fields from British attack. The king, Carol, named General Ion Antonescu as dictator and was forced to abdicate and leave the country on September 6, 1940. His successor, Michael, was king in name only. Romania entered WWII attacking the Soviet Union at the same time as Germany.

In December, war was declared on the United States. Though at one point, Romanian troops had penetrated well into the Ukraine, the Soviet troops retaliated in the spring of 1944 and brought their army deep into Romanian territory. On August 23, King Michael and several loyal generals led a coup, arrested Antonescu and his cabinet, and announced the surrender of Romania. An armistice was signed with the Soviet Union on September 12.

In March 1945, a coalition cabinet was formed under Petru Groza, leader of the Plowmen's party, with the key positions held by communist. On official pledges that free elections would be held, the US and Britain recognized the government of February 5. On December 30, 1947, King Michael abdicated under Communist pressure, the government was again declared a people's republic, and supreme power was vested in a five member state council. On February 10, 1947, a peace treaty was signed with the Allies. A new constitution was adopted on April 13, 1948 based on that of the USSR.

During 1948 and 1949, Romania's chief domestic development was the reorganization of Romanian cultural institutions to conform with the Soviet models. Twice in 1949, the US and Great Britain accused Romania of systematic violations of human rights guarantees because of the Soviet-patterned purges of dissidents. The Soviet model of government remained though new constitutions were adopted in 1952 and 1965.

After being party secretary and part of a tri-member collective leadership, Nicolae Ceausescu became president in 1967. Though Romania became members of many Communist organizations such as COMECON, Cominform, and the Warsaw Pact, beginning in the 1960's Romania began to assert an increasing degree of independence. Though Romania was granted some concessions by the USSR, the army turned against Ceausescu in 1989 as a result of his supression of antigovernment demonstrations in Timisoara. Ceausescu fled Bucharest but was eventually captured along with his wife, put to a secret trial, and executed.

The National Salvation Front, made up of mostly former communists, won multi-party elections in 1990 and Iliescu became president. He is still president today after a reelection in October 1992 and after surviving a motion to impeach him in July 1994.