Treaty of Bucharest (1918)

Infobox Treaty
name = Treaty of Bucharest
long_name =

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image_width = 200px
caption = Delegates at the Peace of Bucharest
type =
date_drafted =
date_signed = May 7, 1918
location_signed = Buftea, Romania
date_sealed =
date_effective =
condition_effective = Ratification by Romania and the Central Powers
date_expiration =
signatories = flagicon|German Empire German Empire
flagicon|Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary
flagicon|Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire
flagicon|Bulgaria Bulgariaflagicon|Romania Romania
parties =
depositor =
languages = German
website =
wikisource =

The Treaty of Bucharest was a peace treaty which the German Empire forced Romania to sign on May 7, 1918, following the Romanian campaign of 1916-1917.

Among its terms:
* Romania had to return Southern Dobruja (the Cadrilater) and to cede the southern part of Northern Dobruja (see the map) to Bulgaria, while the rest of the province remained under the joint control of the Central Powers.
* Romania had to give Austria-Hungary control of the passes of the Carpathian Mountains.
* Romania had to lease its oil wells to Germany for 90 years.
* The Central Powers recognized the Union of Bessarabia with Romania [R. J. Crampton, "Eastern Europe in the twentieth century", Routledge, 1994, ISBN 041505346, p.24-25]

However, King Ferdinand I of Romania refused to sign the treaty (already ratified by the Chamber of Deputies on June 28 and by the Senate on July 4, 1918).

Although Bulgaria received a part of Northern Dobruja, it continued to lobby Germany and Austria-Hungary for the annexation of the whole province, including the condominium established by the Treaty of Bucharest. After negotiations, a protocol regarding the transfer of the jointly administered zone in Northern Dobruja to Bulgaria was signed on September 25, 1918, in Berlin by Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. As compensation Bulgaria agreed to cede the left bank of the Maritsa river to Turkey. However, this agreement was short-lived because after 4 days, on September 29, Bulgaria had to capitulate in the face of the advancing Allied forces ("see the Armistice with Bulgaria").

The treaty was denounced in October 1918 by the Marghiloman government and subsequently nullified by the terms of the Armistice of 11 November.

In 1919, Germany was forced in the Treaty of Versailles to renounce all the benefits provided by the Treaty of Bucharest in 1918. [ [http://wwi.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Articles_248_-_263 Articles 248 - 263 - World War I Document Archive ] ] The territorial transfers to Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria were annulled by the treaties of Saint-Germain (1919), Trianon (1920) and Neuilly (1919), respectively.

ee also

*Romanian Campaign (World War I)
*Treaty of Bucharest, 1812
*Treaty of Bucharest, 1913
*Treaty of Bucharest, 1916

References

External links

* [http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/routreat.html Full text of the Treaty of Bucharest]
* [http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/bucharest1918.htm The Treaty of Bucharest on FirstWorldWar.com]
* [http://terkepek.adatbank.transindex.ro/kepek/netre/120.gifTerritory which was ceded to the Austro-Hungarian Empire by Romania following the Treaty of Bucharest, 1918]