Moldova: A Romanian Province Under Russian Rule : Diplomatic History from the Archives of the Great Powers

448 Pages·2002·2.95 MB·English

by  Marcel Mitrasca

MOLDOVA: A ROMANIAN PROVINCE
UNDER RUSSIAN RULE

DIPLOMATIC HISTORY FROM THE ARCHIVES OF
THE GREAT POWERS

MARCEL MITRASCA

Algora Publishing
New York
© 2002 by Algora Publishing.
All Rights Reserved.
www.algora.com

No portion of this book (beyond what is permitted by
Sections 107 or 108 of the United States Copyright Act of 1976)
may be reproduced by any process, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form, or by any means, without the
express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 1-892941-86-4 (softcover)
ISBN: 1-892941-87-2 (hardcover)

Library of Congress Card Number: 2002-005746

Mitrasca, Marcel.
Moldova : a Romanian province under Russian rule : diplomatic history
from the archives of the great powers / by Marcel Mitrasca.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-892941-86-4 (alk. paper)
1. World War, 1914-1918—Territorial questions—Bessarabia (Moldova
and Ukraine) 2. Romania—Foreign relations—1914-1944. 3. Allied and
Associated Powers (1914-1920) Treaties, etc. 4. Bessarabia (Moldova and
Ukraine)—History—20th century. I. Title.
D651.B4 M55 2002
940.3'22—dc21
2002005746

Front Cover: Romania (1918—1940)

Printed in the United States
CONTENTS

CHRONOLOGIES:
1. Bessarabia until 1919 1
2. The Paris Peace Conference and the Bessarabian Question 3
3. The Bessarabian Question since 1920 6

INTRODUCTION 9
Opportunity from Crisis 9
Strategies 10
Terminology 10
Author’s Purpose 12
Resources 14

PART ONE - BESSARABIA AND THE UNION WITH ROMANIA 17

CHAPTER 1. A BRIEF HISTORY OF BESSARABIA 17

CHAPTER 2. THE MAKING OF THE UNION 27
Background 27
Making the Union 31
Delays in Romania’s Ratification of the Bessarabian Treaty 39
The Aftermath of the Union 40
Comments 43
Annex:
Decree of the People’s Commissars, Breaking Relations 46

CHAPTER 3. THE MAKING OF THE BESSARABIAN TREATY 53
Shifting Positions in the First World War 54
Success at the Paris Peace Conference 60
The Paris Peace Conference and the Bessarabian Question 66
A Chronology 68
Annexes:
Bratianu and the Council of Ten, February 10, 1919 85
Bratianu and the Council of Five, July 2, 1919 86
The Council of Ten and the Bessarabian Question, August 1, 1919 89
The Romanian Action in Bessarabia at the Council of Heads of Delegations,
October 11, 1919 92
Al. Vaida-Voevod and the International Council of Premiers 93
The declaration adopted by the Representatives of The Principal Allied
Powers on March 3, 1920 96

PART TWO - THE GREAT POWERS AND THE BESSARABIAN TREATY 105

CHAPTER 4. THE SOVIET UNION 105
The Bessarabian Question and Soviet-Romanian Relations 105
Bilateral Relations Before and During the Paris Peace Conference 107
The Warsaw and Vienna Conferences 114
From 1924 to the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations 123
From the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations to the 1940 Crisis 132
The White Russians and the Bessarabian Question 142
Annex: Memorandum of the Bessarabian Delegates, August 1919 153

CHAPTER 5. THE UNITED KINGDOM 167
During the Paris Peace Conference 167
The UK’s Role in the Signing of the Bessarabian Treaty 170
Motivation 170
Reasons 172
Negotiations 174
The Ratification of the Bessarabian Treaty 186
The UK Position after the Ratification of the Bessarabian Treaty 190
Annex: Report, Frank Rattigan (Bucharest) to Lord Curzon 197

CHAPTER 6. FRANCE 203
Romanian-French Relations during the Peace Conference 205
The French Ratification 214
Conclusion — The French Position after Ratification 226

CHAPTER 7. ITALY 237
Romanian-Italian Relations Before and During the Peace Conference 237
The Ratification Question. First Phase, 1920-1926 240
The Ratification Question. Second Phase, 1926-1927 251
The Aftermath of the Ratification 260

CHAPTER 8. JAPAN 269
First Period: 1920 to 1927 270
Signing the Bessarabian Treaty 270
The “Passive” Period 272
The Ishii Note 276
The Establishment of Diplomatic Relations Between Japan and the Soviet
Union 280
From the Exchange of Letters to the Italian Ratification 287
Second Period: 1927 to 1932 289
The Ratification Question and the Fishery Negotiations 292
The Romanian Campaign for Ratification during the Ministry of Ion Aurel
Vassiliu 300
The Romanian Campaign for the Ratification during the Ministry of G.G.
Stoicescu 309
The Nakamura Interpellations 310
Charles Davila and the Japanese Ratification Question 312
The End of the Romanian Campaign for the Japanese Ratification 314
The Third Period: 1933 to 1940 316
The Mass Media and the Japanese Ratification Question 321
The Romanian Press 321
The Japanese Press 326
Conclusions 331
Romania’s Diplomatic Actions 331
Japan’s Relations with the Soviet Union 334

CHAPTER 9. THE UNITED STATES 345
Romanian-US relations during the War 346
Romanian-US relations during the Peace Conference 352
The Russian Question and the US Position on Bessarabia 361
Romanian-US Relations during the 1920s 366
Davila’s Campaign for US Recognition of the Bessarabian Union 372
Conclusions 389

PART THREE - TO CONCLUDE. . . 401

CHAPTER 10. SUMMARY 401
The Great Powers and the Bessarabian Treaty 401
Consequences of the Failure to Bring the Treaty to Force 411

APPENDICES
The Bessarabian Treaty of October 28, 1920 417
Bibliography 421
Index 437

IX
Acknowledgements

Many persons and institutions kindly supported me in my work, and I would like to
express my gratitude.
First among them is the Japanese Ministry of Education, who provided me the
necessary scholarship funding to conduct my research.
Dumitru Preda, the director of the Romanian Foreign Ministry Archives, was
unfailingly helpful both in granting me access to the files and in giving me advice in my
work, and his distinguished colleagues in the Archives were gracious in their support for
my research.
Mrs. Georgeta Anghel and her colleagues at the Romanian National Archives gave
me access to the microfilm collections of documents dealing with Romania that had been
identified in the French and British Archives.
I also enjoyed the privilege and pleasure of conducting research in the Archives of
the Japanese Foreign Minister in Tokyo, where I was accorded access to all the files that
were of interest to me and received guidance whenever needed.
I have received invaluable advice from my professors in Aoyama Gakuin University
of Tokyo, whom it is a great pleasure to thank here: Shigeki Hakamada, and Akio
Watanabe. The first is among the best-known Japanese scholars in Russian affairs and
was of great help to me especially for the chapters regarding the Soviet-Romanian and
Japanese-Romanian relations. Professor Akio Watanabe, a scholar in international
relations, pinpointed the correlations between the Bessarabian Treaty and the
international context. Taizo Watanabe, a former high-ranked Japanese diplomat, was
kind enough to give me insights into the workings of Japanese diplomacy.
Also, my deepest gratitude goes to my professors at Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj
Napoca for their professional guidance and advice regarding not only the present work
but also, generally speaking, my preparation as a historian. Among them Nicolae Bocsan,
Vasile Vesa, Marcel Stirban, George Cipaianu, Liviu Tarau, Nicolae Edroiu and Alexandru
Diaconescu, to mention only a few. Professor Gheorghe Iancu of the same university
played an important role in the making of the present book.
I would like to thank Miss Keiko Ito for her help in translating the Japanese
documents, and Algora Publishing for skilful editorial aid.
Last, but not least, great thanks to my wife, Delia, for her invaluable assistance in
every phase of the work.

Marcel Mitrasca
Japan, April 22, 2002
CHRONOLOGIES

Bessarabia until 1919
DATE (parens. = Old Calendar) EVENT
AD 101-102, 105-106 Roman Empire wars against Dacia
271-274 Evacuation of Dacia by the Roman Empire
14th century The making of the Romanian Principalities
1511 Moldavian first ahidnames
1775, May 7 (18) Annexation of Bukovina by the Habsburg Empire
1812, May 16 (28) Annexation of Bessarabia by Russia
1818, April 29 (May 11) Bessarabian autonomy proclaimed
1828, Feb. 29 (March 12) Revocation of Bessarabia autonomy
Paris Peace Treaty gives southern Bessarabia back
1856, March 18 (30)
to Moldavia
1859, Jan. 24 (Feb. 5) Unification of Moldavia and Wallachia
Transformation of the Bessarabian oblast into a
1871
Gubernija within Russia
1877, April 4 (16) Russo-Romanian Convention signed in Bucharest
1877, May 9 (21) Romanian declaration of independence
Berlin Peace Treaty gives southern Bessarabia
1878, July 1 (13)
back to Russia
1883, October 18 (30) Romania joins the Triple Alliance
Bucharest Peace Treaty – Romania acquires the
1913, July 28 (Aug 10)
Cadrilater from Bulgaria
The Revolution in Russia – first nationalistic
1905-1906
manifestations in Bessarabia
Festivities all over Bessarabia celebrating 100
1912
years since her annexation
1914, July 22 (Aug. 3) Romania proclaims her neutrality
1914, Sept. 18 (Oct. 1) Convention between Romania and Russia
Convention between Romania and Entente re-
1916, Aug. 4 (17) garding Romania’s entry into war in exchange for
territorial compensations
1916, Aug. 14 (27) Romania declares war on Austria-Hungary
1917, March 12 (25) Formation of a workers’ soviet in Chisinau
1917, March 20 (April 2) The making of the Moldavian National Party
Gathering in Odessa of Moldavian officers and
1917, May 1 (14)
soldiers
1917, May 21-24 (June 3-6) First Congress of Bessarabian peasants
1917, Aug. 27-31 (Sept. 9-11) Second Congress of Bessarabian peasants
1917, Sept. 8-14 (21-27) Kiev, Congress of the peoples living in Russia
Bessarabian Congress of workers’ and soldiers’
1917, Sept. 20-25 (Oct. 3-8)
soviets
1917, Oct. 20-27 (Nov. 2-9) Congress of the Moldavian soldiers
1917, Oct. 25 (Nov. 7) October Revolution in Russia
(Continued)
Bessarabia until 1919 (continuation)
Declaration regarding the rights of the peoples living
1917, Nov. 2 (15)
in Russia
1917, Nov. 21 (Dec. 4) First session of the Sfatul Tserii
1917, Nov. 22 (Dec. 5) Brest Armistice between Russia and Germany
Focsani Armistice between Romania and the Central
1917, Nov. 26 (Dec. 9)
Powers
1917 Nov. 28-30 (Dec. 11-13) Conference of Bolsheviks on the Romanian front
1917, Dec. 2 (15h) Proclamation of the Autonomous Moldavian Republic
1917, Dec. 10-23 (Dec. 23-Jan. 5) Second Congress of the Rumcerod
1917, Dec. 28 (1918, Jan. 10) Arrival in Chisinau of Rumcerod’s Frontotdel
The Bolsheviks arrest the Romanian Minister to
1917, Dec. 31 (1918, Jan. 13)
Russia, Constantin Diamandi
1918, Jan. 1 (14) Attempted Soviet coup in Bessarabia
Written guarantee by the Allied representatives in
1918, Jan. 2 (15) Jassy for the Bessarabian authorities regarding Ro-
manian military intervention
Romanian government decides to send Transylva-
1918, Jan. 6 (19)
nian troops to Bessarabia
1918, Jan. 7 (20) The Bolshevik “insurrection” starts in Chisinau
1918, Jan. 10 (23) Romanian army advances into Bessarabia
1918, Jan. 13 (26) The Bolsheviks break off relations with Romania
Declaration of independence of the Moldavian
1918, Jan. 24 (Feb. 5)
Republic
1918, Jan. 27 (Feb. 9) Ukrainian Rada signs peace with the Central Powers
Brest Litovsk Peace Treaty between Russia and the
1918, Feb. 18 (March 3)
Central Powers
1918, Feb. 20-24 (March 5-9) Averescu-Rakovsky Treaty
Buftea, preliminary Peace Treaty between Romania
1918, Feb. 20 (March 5)
and the Central Powers
Sfatul Tserii proclaims the conditioned Union of Bes-
1918, March 27 (April 9)
sarabia with Romania
King Ferdinand ratifies the Union of Bessarabia with
1918, April 4 (17)
Romania
Bolshevik Note of Protest against the incorporation
1918, April 5 (18)
of Bessarabia into Romania
Bucharest Peace Treaty between Romania and the
1918, April 24 (May 7)
Central Powers
President Woodrow Wilson analyzes the Bessara-
1918, April 18 (May 1)
bian issue for the first time
Romania decides to re-enter the war on the Entente’s
1918, Oct. 28 (Nov. 10)
side
1918, Nov. 15 (28) The Union of Bukovina with Romania
The Union of Transylvania, Banat, and Crisana with
1918, Nov. 18 (Dec. 1)
Romania
Sfatul Tserii proclaims the unconditional union of
1918, Nov. 27 (Dec. 10)
Bessarabia with Romania
The Romanian Parliament ratifies the Union of
1919, Dec. 20
Bessarabia with Romania