Terms of Anglo-French guarantee to Romania, 1939?

When Britain and France gave Poland a guarantee in 1939, it was only against Germany.

What were the terms of their 1939 guarantee to Romania? Was it directed at a specific country, as in the Polish case, or was the guarantee general?

Many thanks,

Sid.

Hi Sid,
Well,I don't know.At West Germany,at East Russia.There was no way in providing help to Poland.I guess that was the reasoning back then.Remember the so called "appeasement".Nobody wanted another war except those two lunatics (Hitler and Stalin) and the general idea was that appeasement would reunite peacefully Germany.Also Britain wanted to turn Germany eastward (I would do the same) against the communist Russia.Chamberlain failed eventually because he thought appeasement would eventually control Hitler and more important he did not realize that Britain is losing power and prestige.Nazism (and the Fascism brother) were basically unappeaseable.In fact Chamberlain actually recognize his mistakes.Britain could not effectively defend the new countries in the Eastern Europe (Poland,Czechoslovakia etc). Is for that they encouraged these countries to make concessions to Germany in a peaceful manner. But we all know the outcome.
As fro France,they were following very closely British foreign policy.It was a very weak state (40 governments under 20 different PMs) between 1917-1940.This decline deprived Britain from its most valuable ally against Germany.How else one would explain the fact that these two did nothing to stop rearmament race Hitler started?
So,I think the guarantee you speak about is regarding Poland itself.Romania was neutral,sort to speak. What guarantee could Britain offer Romania when they could not intervene for Poland.But I think it was not even the case.Romania was not priority at all for Britain then.Britain was concerned about Germany.And Germany had eyes on Poland...And,if I remember correctly ,Poland also got some Czech territory when Sudetenland was taken by Germany.

Later edit : BTW , was not Soviet Union the one who issued guarantees that Poland,Romania etc independence will be respected in the eve of Molotov-Ribentropp pact?

This post has been edited by Zayets on August 31, 2005 10:56 am

I haven't read the text of the Anglo-French guarantees, but from the attitude displayed by the Western Allied representatives the conclusion was drawn that the guarantees were only valid in case of German attack. This obviously was seen as the smaller danger in Romania, when compared with the possibility of a Soviet attack. Thus, King Carol II tried to obtain German guarantees as well, but had to give it up, because of British pressure.

The guarantees were not covering an aggression from the East.

Garuantees to Romania and Greece are an extension of the garuantee to Poland according to Robert Coulondre, french ambassador in Berlin.

"Le 13 avril, Chamberlain annonce au Parlement que la garantie accordée à la Pologne est étendue à la Roumanie et à la Grèce."

COULONDRE, Robert, De Staline à Hitler, souvenirs de deux ambassades (1936-1939), Hachette, Paris, 1950, p.263.

Romanian side tried to persuade Britain and France to extend the guarantees in case of an aggression from the East, but to no avail.

Before Germano-Soviet Pact, France and Great Britain tried to obtain alliance from USSR. That's what they didn't gave garuantee to Romania against USSR.

Staline took advantage of the war (and the fall of France) to rapt Bessarabia, 26th june 1940.

Hi Guys,

Thank you very much.

Without actually reading the text, it seems almost certain from your posts that the Anglo-French guarantee to Romania, like that to Poland, specified Germany and was not applicable to other countries such as the USSR.

Many thanks for your prompt and informative replies.

Cheers,

Sid.

I have found the following article (in Romanian):
Garanţiile Marii Britanii şi Franţei acordate Greciei şi României

From http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/events/events.html

It seems that the guarantee did not specify the potential aggressors.

The following book may contain additional information on this subject:
http://www.dol.ro/produse/CAR3E23FD163F7AC...prins_complet=1

From the table of contents:
CHAPTER III
1. Romanian and British governments on the road to guarantees (March 16 - April 13, 1939)
2. Attempts of British government to associate Poland, Turkey and USSR to its guarantee to Romania
3. The attitude of the British government towards the territorial claims of Bulgaria and Hungary on Romania, after the guarantee
4. The refusal of British government to strengthen and complete the guarantee through a substantial economic, financial and military aid to Romania.

Hi Dragos,

Many thanks.

I shall look for that book next time I am in the British Library.

Cheers,

Sid.