The Third Reich: The Return of the King
"Do you want to withdraw?"
In late October, a heated debate erupted in Romania. King Ferdinand I, a member of the Hohenzollern dynasty like his uncle Carol I, faced a difficult situation. Unlike his uncle, who had sympathized with Germany (Hans), Ferdinand I was hostile toward them.
In 1914, when the Sarajevo Incident triggered the First World War, Carol I had wanted to join the Central Powers alongside Germany. However, the domestic aristocracy strongly opposed him. Carol I eventually abandoned the plan, fell ill, and died. The throne passed to his nephew, Ferdinand I.
Ferdinand understood the anti-German sentiment in Romania. He avoided supporting Germany and instead sided with the Entente, fighting against his "homeland" Germany. This angered Emperor Wilhelm II, who expelled Ferdinand from the Hohenzollern family. Wilhelm's impulsive actions only strengthened Ferdinand's resolve: Germany could not win, so he would stand with the victors.
During the four-year war, German and Austro-Hungarian forces repeatedly defeated Romania, even capturing its capital at the worst moments. Yet Ferdinand persisted, leading his army until Germany surrendered. As a reward for supporting the Entente, Romania gained significant territories—Bessarabia, Bukovina, and Transylvania—doubling its size.
Yet Ferdinand was not satisfied. With the Austro-Hungarian Empire dissolved, he aimed to seize more land from Austria (Odili) or Germany (Deyizhi) to expand Romania further.
By the time Romania raised an army and prepared supplies, the situation had shifted drastically. The German army in Austria, originally only 2,000 strong, had grown to 100,000, including 50,000 regular troops and 50,000 militias trained in combat. Meanwhile, only 50,000 Romanian soldiers had reached the Austrian border.
The 150,000-strong rebel forces in Austria had already been wiped out. If the Romanians advanced now, they would face the full 100,000-strong German army alone. The rapid elimination of rebels proved Germany's continued military strength, making the Romanian forces hesitant.
Frontline generals, arriving at the border, refrained from advancing. They sent telegrams to Bucharest asking whether to push forward or retreat. If they advanced, they requested reinforcements and equipment; otherwise, the mission was seen as a suicidal gamble.
This request ignited debate in the Romanian Parliament. Like other constitutional monarchies, the king held supreme authority but was checked by Parliament. Ferdinand I's prestige from World War I victories and territorial gains gave him considerable influence. Excited by Austria's situation, he pushed for further military action to expand territory and strengthen his power.
Parliament, however, strongly opposed.
"Your Majesty, our nation is primarily agricultural. Our success in World War I relied entirely on Entente support. Our lands have been invaded multiple times, and even the capital was occupied. How can we risk another war?"
"Yes, we gained much land after the war, but we haven't even stabilized it yet. Sending troops to attack Austria is far too risky."
"Furthermore, Austria is the core of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Its industrial and military strength, especially artillery and the Skoda arsenal, is among Europe's finest. We simply cannot compete."
Although some details were slightly inaccurate (Skoda was in Jieke, not Austria), their argument was essentially correct: Austria's military-industrial strength far exceeded Romania's.
Ferdinand I faced a dilemma: insist on attacking or withdraw his troops?