Romania’s Unification in an International Context (1919-1920)

The end of the First World War and the reconstruction of the international order are, a hundred year later, have not lost their relevance. Many of the dilemmas the peacemakers faced back in 1918-1919 are still with us and understanding the momentous transformations that the international system underwent in the aftermath of the Great War remain a subject for debate and reflection. What are the conditions for a stable international order? What is the relationship between the Great Powers and other international actors in such a fluid context? As one of the beneficiaries of the post-war territorial settlement Romania became embroiled in the spring of 1919 in a series of tense disputes which went to the very core of the new international order. The issue of the future relationship between the Great Powers and the smaller states of Central and Eastern Europe was hotly debated but in the backgrtound topics such as minority protection protection became intertwined with the larger issue of the territorial settlement, with questions of postwar economic influence and with the consequences of revolutionary upheaval in Eastern Europe. Considerations of domestic and party politics further complicated matters. Romania faced an uphill battle as it tried to achive its aims durting the Paris Peace Conference. It is our aim to explore anew the international context of 1918-1919 and Romanian diplomacy during this crucial years.

About the Speaker: Alin MateiAlin-Victor Matei completed a Ph.D. on the peacemaking process after the Second World War dealing more specifically with the activity of the Council of Foreign Ministers and the attempts to conclude peace treaties with the defeated nations. Currently he is working on interwar international history and the history of conflict in the XXth century. Ha has taught course on the history of international relations, history of modern warfare and related subjects. Recent publications and research activities deal with the history of Romania’s involvement in World War One, the end of the Great War and Romania’s participation at the Paris Peace Conference, the problem of reconstruction of the international order after a major conflict being one of his main areas of focus.