Why didn't Romania participate in the 1941 Axis invasion of Yugoslavia?

Discussions on all aspects of the smaller Axis nations in Europe and Asia. Hosted by G. Trifkovic.
Futurist
Member
Posts: 3642
Joined: 24 Dec 2015, 01:02
Location: SoCal

Re: Why didn't Romania participate in the 1941 Axis invasion of Yugoslavia?

#16

Post by Futurist » 18 Jul 2020, 21:50

Very interesting information! Thank you for sharing it! :)

CNE503
Member
Posts: 2395
Joined: 23 Aug 2010, 13:01
Location: Dijon, Bourgogne, France

Re: Why didn't Romania participate in the 1941 Axis invasion of Yugoslavia?

#17

Post by CNE503 » 20 Jul 2020, 16:19

You are more than welcome. An information that is not shared is lost.
Regards,

CNE503
"Sicut Aquila" / "Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre" / "par l'exemple, le coeur et la raison" / "Labor Omnia Vincit"


Futurist
Member
Posts: 3642
Joined: 24 Dec 2015, 01:02
Location: SoCal

Re: Why didn't Romania participate in the 1941 Axis invasion of Yugoslavia?

#18

Post by Futurist » 21 Jul 2020, 06:04

Oh, certainly--hence the importance of writing books, digitizing books, and archiving books and other written materials. :)

CNE503
Member
Posts: 2395
Joined: 23 Aug 2010, 13:01
Location: Dijon, Bourgogne, France

Re: Why didn't Romania participate in the 1941 Axis invasion of Yugoslavia?

#19

Post by CNE503 » 21 Jul 2020, 19:15

I typed nearly 2/3 of the book on my computer for this very reason ;)
CNE503
"Sicut Aquila" / "Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre" / "par l'exemple, le coeur et la raison" / "Labor Omnia Vincit"

Sid Guttridge
Member
Posts: 10158
Joined: 12 Jun 2008, 12:19

Re: Why didn't Romania participate in the 1941 Axis invasion of Yugoslavia?

#20

Post by Sid Guttridge » 25 Jul 2020, 11:44

Hi Guys,

Unlike Hungary, Romania had never made any claim to Yugoslav territory.

Romania also still had a Serb minority of its own. If I remember rightly, Romania surnames ending in "-ici" are indicative of Serb origin.

Sid.

CNE503
Member
Posts: 2395
Joined: 23 Aug 2010, 13:01
Location: Dijon, Bourgogne, France

Re: Why didn't Romania participate in the 1941 Axis invasion of Yugoslavia?

#21

Post by CNE503 » 25 Jul 2020, 20:38

Sid,

You're quite right. Romania and Yugoslavia were allied of the Balkan Entente, and the two southeastern cornerstones of the order of Versailles established in 1919. So it was not natural for Romania to attack Yugoslavia (and actually it was not natural to attack any neighboring country because Romanian territorial gains in 1918-1920 were far above its natural claims according to the right of peoples).
Antonescu changed his mood only when it appeared that Yugoslavia totally crumbled down. He wanted to have some slices of the cake, but it was too late for that.

CNE503
"Sicut Aquila" / "Ils s'instruisent pour vaincre" / "par l'exemple, le coeur et la raison" / "Labor Omnia Vincit"

Mita2002
Member
Posts: 12
Joined: 30 Aug 2018, 14:31
Location: Romania

Re: Why didn't Romania participate in the 1941 Axis invasion of Yugoslavia?

#22

Post by Mita2002 » 29 Jul 2020, 13:43

Also, Romania and Yugoslavia, along Czechoslovakia were members of the little Entante.

Kelvin
Member
Posts: 3117
Joined: 06 Apr 2007, 15:49

Re: Why didn't Romania participate in the 1941 Axis invasion of Yugoslavia?

#23

Post by Kelvin » 08 Sep 2020, 14:21

steppewolf wrote:
05 Jul 2020, 14:35
Romania had no interest in invading an ex Ally. As far as I know, Hitler asked if we want some territory but he was refused.

Romania and Yugoslavia were also members of the Balkan Pact that was formed in 1934. The signatories of this treaty Yugoslavia, Romania, Greece and Turkey guaranteed the borders and sovereignty of other nations and suspend all territorial claims to each other. Romania and Yugoslavia didn't have any, but all countries hoped that Bulgaria will sign too, which they refused. Although a large population of Romanian speakers was in Yugoslavian Banat area, there was never an issue of border once this was established in 1919.

Also the royal families of Yugoslavia and Romania were related. Yugoslav king Alexander Karadjordjevic married princess Maria, daughter of king Ferdinand of Romania.

It's described in Axworthy's work the context very well.

I think is good reason because Romania was ex-ally of Yugoslavia in Little Entente.

User avatar
Victor
Member
Posts: 3904
Joined: 10 Mar 2002, 15:25
Location: Bucharest, Romania
Contact:

Re: Why didn't Romania participate in the 1941 Axis invasion of Yugoslavia?

#24

Post by Victor » 23 Feb 2021, 21:52

Romania did not attack Yugoslavia for several reasons:

1. it was not invited to do so :)
Most likely Germany and Italy wanted to avoid having yet another neighbor grabbing parts of Yugoslavia (besides Hungary and Bulgaria) without any real military benefit. Antonescu mentioned in a government meeting on 11 April 1941 that when he was announced of the Axis intention to attack, his request was that no Hungarian troops enter the Serbian part of the Banat. Should such an event occur, he claimed that Romanian troops will also intervene.
Antonescu certainly did not have a special love for Yugoslavia as he did hold against it the massing of troops on the Romanian border during the summer of 1940 when Romania was under major threat from the Soviet Union & Germany, probably looking for an easy picking in the Banat, and the bad treatment of the Romanian minority. However, he kept true to the agreement.

2. Antonescu did not intend to deviate from the ultimate goal of regaining territories lost in 1940 by claiming then territories which later could be advertised as compensation for Transylvania.
He kept this course despite numerous calls for intervention from Romanian ethnic organizations in Yugoslavia and from Romania proper, as well as Yugoslavian bombings of localities on the border (at least 3 civilians killed and 3 wounded). He limited his reaction to diplomatic protests to the Yugoslavian embassy. He also had on his side the support of the two main [former] political parties and probably a large part of the public opinion, who still regarded Yugoslavia as an ally.

3. Antonescu did not renounce any claim on the territories inhabited by Romanian ethnics should a major shift in balance of forces occur in the Balkans (i. e. if Bulgaria & Hungary were to annex large chunks of Yugoslavia). Strangely though, Romanian volunteers from the Timoc Valley were turned back at the border during the summer of 1941 as they were coming to Romania to join the army and fight in Bessarabia.

Post Reply

Return to “Minor Axis Nations”