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

[Futurist]

Very interesting information! Thank you for sharing it!

[CNE503]

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

CNE503

[Futurist]

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

[CNE503]

I typed nearly 2/3 of the book on my computer for this very reason
CNE503

[Sid Guttridge]

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]

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

[Mita2002]

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

[Kelvin]

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.

[Victor]

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.