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Romanian War of Independence
The Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878). Romania fought on the Russian side.
As a result of the war, formal independence of Romania from the Ottoman Empire was achieved.
Painting: Nicolae Grigorescu, "Atacul de la Smardan." -
Carol I
Carol I becomes King, after already having ruled Romania as a Ruling Prince (Romanian: Domnitor) since 1866.
His main objective in foreign policy was to make Romania a regional power and an indispensable ally of the Great Powers. He made Romania a part of the Triple Alliance in 1883.
Agriculture was the foundation of the national economy. Industry also supplied an increasing quantity of consumer goods. -
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Constitutional Monarchy
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Period: to
Traditional Economic System
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Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I becomes King.
The state expanded its role as a coordinator of the economy, thanks mainly to the Liberals, who were committed to a directed economy based on systematic organization and well-defined goals.
In 1924, the Communist Party was outlawed. -
Romania Enters WWI
Romania enters World War I on the Allied side, in return for Russian and British promises of territory and a supply of war materials.
As a result of the war, Greater Romania was formed. -
Mihai I (under Regency)
Mihai I becomes king at the age of 6.
In the 1928 elections, the National Peasant Party won; this was a high point in Romanian democracy. -
Carol II
Carol II becomes King.
In 1938, Carol II established Royal Dictatorship.
He had a disdain for democracy, and intended to make himself the "decisive force" in national affairs.
In 1940, the Societ Union took Basarabia and northern Bucovina, while Hungary took northern Transylvania, and Bulgaria took southern Dobrogea. -
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Royal Dictatorship
King Carol II establishes the Royal Dictatorship. -
Period: to
Mixed Economic System
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Mihai I
Mihai I becomes King again, at the age of 19.
See Ion Antonescu -
Ion Antonescu
King Mihai I was more of a symbol, while General Ion Antonescu established an authoritanian National Legionary State.
He worked together with the Iron Guard at the beginning, but despite their shared contempt for democratic institutions, Antonescu stood for order, while the Guard rejected economic and social planning. -
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Military Dictatorship
In 1941, Romania starts fighting on the German side against the Soviet Union.
In 1944, Antonescu ousted. Romania swtiches sides against Germany, as Soviet forces move into the country. -
Period: to
Command Economic System
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Romania Enters WWII
Romania enters World War II, as an ally of Germany against the Soviet Union, with the purpose with gaining back its territory.
In 1944, as the Red Army occupied Bucharest, Romania switched sides against Germany. -
Antonescu Deposed
King Mihai, along with the pro-Allied opposition politicians, who included the communists, led a successful coup d'etat with support from the army. -
Period: to
Communist Regime
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The Grand National Assembly
King Mihai abdicates. Romanian People's Republic is proclaimed.
Presidents of the Grand National Assembly:
Constantin Ion Parhon (1947-1952)
Petru Groza (1952-1958) -- he was the one who threated King Mihai I to abdicate in 1947, after the Royal Palace was surrounded by Soviet troops and communist units.
Ion Gheorghe Maurer (1958-1961). -
Comecon
Romania joins the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, which coordinated economic activity within the Soviet bloc. -
Warsaw Pact
Romania signed the Warsaw Pact (Warsaw Treaty Organization), which counteracted the Western Allies' NATO. It was the military complement to Comecon. -
UN
Romania joins the United Nations. -
The State Council
Presidents:
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (1961-1965)
Chivu Stoica (1965-1967)
Nicolae Ceausescu (1967-1974).
In the 1960s, the availability of consumer goods and housing improved, social services became more generous, there were fluorishing cultural exchanged with the United States and Europe, and there was less intrusion into the daily life on citizens.
This changed when Nicolae Ceausescu came to power. -
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceausescu became the President of the Socialist Republic of Romania.
Before he became president, in his July Theses of 1971, he demanded a return to rigid ideological othodoxy. In the nearly two decades of "neo-Stalinism" that followed, the Communist Party intensified its control of mass organization and intruded more deeply than before into the daily lives of citizens.
To pay a $10 billion debt, he ransacked the economy of its exports. -
Revolution Starts
The Revolution starts in Timisoara, which becomes the first city free of communism on 20 December.
On 24 December, victory of the Revolution is proclaimed. -
Ceausescu Executed
The picture is of his last public speech. -
Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu was provisional authority since 22 December 1989, but was voted President in 1990.
He pursued closer relatiokns with wester Europe, and introduced the economic reforms, including price liberalization, recommended by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. This led to inflatiokn and rising unemployment, deteriorating living conditions, corruption. -
Period: to
Liberal Democracy
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Period: to
Mixed Economic System
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New Constitution
The new Constitution set up a democratic republic. -
Emil Constantinescu
Emil Constantinescu becomes President of Romania.
He continued the economic recession, and formed laws to invite foreign trade and stimulate economic growth in 1997. -
Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu is re-elected as President of Romania.
In the first years of the 21st century, economy flourished. The GDP was steadily growing, inflation fell, and there was increased privatization of businesses.
In 2001, the Romanian Agency for Foreign Investment was established. -
NATO
Romania joins NATO in 2004, after being formally invited to do so in 2002. -
Traian Basescu
Traian Basescu becomes President of Romania.
In the 2010s, the government borrowed heavy loans from the EU, IMF and World Bank, resulting in Emil Boc (PM) imprementing austerity measures such as sales tax rising to 24% and salaries of public workers being cut by a quarter.
The government collapses in 2012. Mihai Ungureanu replaces Boc, but he is then replace by Victor Ponta after more budget-cutting policies. -
EU
Romania joins the European Union, along with Bulgaria. -
Klaus Iohannis
Klaus Iohannis is the future President of Romania. The next elections will be held in 2019.
