Kingdom of Romania (1881–1947) Regatul României National Legionary State (1940–1941) Statul Național Legionar | |
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1881–1947 | |
Motto: Nihil Sine Deo ("Nothing without God") | |
Anthem: Trăiască Regele ("Long live the King") | |
Greater coat of arms: | |
Capital | Bucharest (1881–1916, 1918–1947) Iași (Jassy) (1916–1918) |
Common languages | Romanian (official)[1] German, and Hungarian |
Religion | Romanian Orthodox |
Government | Constitutional monarchy (1881–1937; 1944–1947) Absolute monarchy (1938–1940) Fascist dictatorship (1937–1938; 1940–1941) Military dictatorship (1941–1944) |
King | |
• 1881–1914 | Carol I |
• 1914–1927 | Ferdinand I |
• 1927–1930 | Michael I (1st reign) |
• 1930–1940 | Carol II |
• 1940–1947 | Michael I (2nd reign) |
Prime Minister | |
• 1881 | Ion Brătianu (first) |
• 1940–1944 | Ion Antonescu[a] |
• 1945–1947 | Petru Groza (last) |
Legislature | Parliament |
Senate | |
Chamber of Deputies | |
Historical era | Belle Époque • World War I • Interwar period • World War II |
14 March 1881 | |
10 August 1913 | |
4 June 1920 | |
29 March 1923 | |
20 February 1938 | |
14 September 1940 | |
21 January 1941 | |
23 August 1944 | |
12 September 1944 | |
30 December 1947 | |
Area | |
1915[b] | 138,000 km2 (53,000 sq mi) |
1940[b][c] | 295,049 km2 (113,919 sq mi) |
Population | |
• 1915[b] | 7,900,000 |
20,058,378 | |
Currency | Romanian Leu |
a. ^ Was formally declared Conducător (literally, "Leader") of the state on 6 September 1940, by a royal decree which consecrated a ceremonial role for the monarch.[2] b. ^ Area and population according to Ioan Suciu, Istoria contemporana a României (1918–2005).[3] c. ^ The indicator for the localities of Romania (1941).[4] |
The Kingdom of Romania (or 'Romania' after 1969) was a constitutional monarchy which existed between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the First (in 1866), and respectively, the Second Constitution of Romania. Thus, the Kingdom of Romania began with the reign of King Carol I of Romania and later replaced by Michael I of Romania . It's Prime minister was Ion Antonescu who was prime minister from 1940-1944 . He was later executed in 1946, 2 years after the defeat of Nazi Germany, Italy, Hungary, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria and Japan, which were the countries in the Axis Powers who were defeated in 1945.
From 1859 to 1877, Romania evolved from a personal union of two vassal principalities (Moldavia and Wallachia) to a full-fledged independent kingdom. During 1918-20, at the end of World War I, Transylvania, Eastern Moldavia (Bessarabia), and Bukovina were united with the Kingdom of Romania. In 1940, Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina, Northern Transylvania and Southern Dobruja were ceded to the Soviet Union, Hungary and Bulgaria. In 1947 the last king was compelled to abdicate from throne. The socialist republic, ruled by the Romanian Communist Party replaced the monarchy after Joseph Stalin occupied Romania in 1945.