THE GREAT UNION OF 1918

Aftermath of World War I

By the end of World War I, The Ottoman Empire, Russia and Austria-Hungary had foundered and the map of Europe was altered one again.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was totally fragmented. Austria became a small republic. Hungary was declared an independent state but lost 1/3 of its territory.

Russia was in the throes of revolution and civil war.

New Nations: 1923

Administrative map of Greater Romania in 1930

Bessarabia

One of the results of the 1917 Russian Revolution was the intensification on the Romanian national movement. While Romania itself was under partial German occupation, a National Assembly (Sfatul Tarii) was established in Chisinau.

In January 1918, in response to the Russian army’s intervention to restore order in Chisinau, the National Assembly declares the independence of the Democratic Moldovan Republic and calls on Romanian support

In March 1918, the National Assembly votes for unification with Romania.

Bukovina

In October 1918, just weeks after the end of the War, the Romanian National Council led by Iancu Flondor was set up in Cernauti. The immediate goal was to prevent the annexation of Bukovina to the Ukraine or to Austrian Galicia.

In November 1918, the National Council declared union with the Kingdom of Romania.

Transylvania

• In 1918, the Romanian national movement is led by two political organizations: The Romanian National Party, led by Iuliu Maniu, and the Romanian Social Democratic Party. They each issue similar declarations demanding the right of all Romanian to self-determination.

• A Romanian National Council, made up of representatives of both parties, is organized in October 1918. The Council calls for a Grand National Assembly to convene in Alba Iulia. The assembly took place on December 1 , 1918 and a decree was issued uniting all Romanians and all territories inhabited by Romanians with the Kingdom of Romania.

• The Great Union was internationally recognized after tough diplomatic struggles by treaties with Austria (Saint Germain 1918), Bulgaria (Neuilly 1919), and Hungary (Trianon 1920).