The kingdom of Romania reportedly followed independence from Turkey in the 19th Century. Romania, originally Ruman or bondsman was first documented in a letter written in the 16th Century. According to reports the monarchy was abolished in 1947 when King Michael, a cousin of both Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was forced to abdicate. He was succeeded by the pro-Soviet Petru Groza.
Romania declared neutrality during the first world war, but eventually fought with the allies. During the early days of the second world war, two agreements, the Molotov pact and the second Vienna award, resulted firstly in Romania having to cede territory to the soviet union, secondly northern Transylvania was given to Hungary.
In November 1940 Romania signed the tripartite pact and fought with Germany, Italy, Japan and others, but reportedly joined the allies in 1944. They were a member of the Warsar pact which is said to have been designed as a balance of power against nato, yet members eventually joined nato. The invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 made the Warsar pact unpopular. Not everyone participated.
According to reports a new constitution was adopted in 1965. Nicolae Ceauşescu was elected as president in 1974. There followed many popular years. He was known not to sever diplomatic relations when others did. The Romanian government approved July thesis criticised western models as bourgeois, though according to reports there was a lack of understanding with Gorbachev. Soviet Moldova, originally Romanian is thought to be a reason for estrangement. Nicolae Ceauşescu asked for an annulment of the Molotov pact of 1939 which would have lead to a return of Moldova. The second Vienna award of northern Transylvania to Hungary reportedly resulted in anger and criticism against Hungarians, who contacted the osce, the organisation for security and cooperation in Europe, said to be a soviet innitiative about the treatment of Magyar or Hungarian descent in Romania. The ultimate result was sanctions and a said to be global isolation of Romania.
During his reign he was believed to have been a friend of Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia. There was a publication of writings of Karl Marx with previously censored views of Russia. Romania is thought to have been more relaxed, yet maybe not. Communism, though a dictatorship is not always socialism as often assumed. May have been to begin with. He is said to have taken a stand against the soviet crushing of the Prague spring, a reformist movement. Praising crimes of the state and denigrating their victims was reportedly illegal in Romania.
Criticisms may have stemmed from a wish for independence from east and west. According to a report he may have found western influences difficult. He was stripped of an honorary as called knight grand cross of the order of the bath by Elizabeth II of the uk, the day before his execution. She also returned the insignia of the order of the star of Romania, said to have been sent in 1978. He received France’s legion of honour the same year. In 1988 he received an honour from the socialist union party of Germany, which reportedly made him unpopular with Russia.
There were upheavels in eastern europe and beyond in 1989; a rise in nationalism, and the dissolution of parts of the soviet union. Western media reported the end of the cold war. The reported revolutions of 1989 were believed to be of western influence. According to reports they resulted in the proliferation of western culture and capitalism, and may have been incited.
The execution of Nicolae and his wife Elena was said to have been due to Soviet infiltration. Not believed now. According to various reports, on 22 December 1989 there was a coup d’etat which resulted in Nicolae and Elena being arrested by the military. A tribunal of ten military judges was reportedly held on Christmas day. Charges seemingly related to the military who were said to have killed thousands of protestors. The coup leaders said the execution was necessary in order to prevent foreign attacks. They were executed together by firing squad at 4 pm local time. Nicolae reportedly sang The Internationale, a French socialist song.