Treaty of Craiova
The Second Vienna Award, signed on the 30th of August 1940, assigned Northern Transylvania from Romania to Hungary. This decision came under diplomatic pressure from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Adolf Hitler expressed his wish for Southern Dobruja to be returned to Bulgaria on the 31st of July 1940. He aimed to restore the 1912 border between Bulgaria and Romania. The Romanian government received this message with surprise. They wished to preserve at least the port of Balchik and the city of Silistra. The German ambassador declared that sacrifices to Bulgaria would make Hitler more sympathetic during negotiations about Transylvania. Romanians attempted to keep both cities but the Bulgarian government refused. Bulgaria was aware of the strong German support behind their claims.
Formal negotiations began on the 19th of August 1940 in the city of Craiova. Previous contacts had been made where positions became clear. The talks were not easy for either side. It was only after the threat of Italian-German arbitration on the 29th of August that Romania announced readiness to cede all of Southern Dobruja. Romania tried to delay the talks while attempting to persuade Germans to maintain territorial integrity. The Romanian delegation faced intense pressure from Axis powers. They sought benevolence from Germany regarding the Hungarian-Romanian dispute. The situation forced Romania to accept terms it initially resisted. Bulgaria knew they held leverage through German backing. This diplomatic environment left little room for compromise beyond what the victors demanded.
The treaty finally crystallized a return to the 1912 borders. Southern Dobruja, conquered by Romania during the Second Balkan War, returned to Bulgaria. The area lost had an unspecified population size according to available records. Ethnic Romanians made up 25% or 28.4% depending on the source used. Alexandru Cretzianu and Henri-Georges Meitani signed for King Michael I of Romania. Svetoslav Pomenov and Teokhar Papazoff represented Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria. Prime Minister Ion Antonescu ratified the treaty on the 13th of September 1940. King Michael I did not ratify it personally. Bulgaria paid Romania one million lei as compensation for investments in the region. The loss caused no uproar unlike the transfer of Northern Transylvania to Hungary. Authorities viewed the surrender as either mutilation or correction of injustice.
One hundred three thousand seven hundred eleven Romanians lived in Southern Dobruja before the exchange. These people included Aromanians and Megleno-Romanians who were forced to move north. Sixty-two thousand two hundred seventy-eight Bulgarians resided in the northern part and moved south. Most Romanian settlers emigrated after the Treaty of Bucharest assigned the region to Romania. Aromanian settlers native to Greece left the zone along with others. Megleno-Romanian settlers were deported from Southern Dobruja and settled in Cerna village within Romanian borders. The bilateral treaty involved displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. It was carried out peacefully according to international laws at that time. This contrasted sharply with violence seen during Soviet and Hungarian concessions. Romania proposed exchanging all ethnic minorities but Bulgaria rejected this idea.
Dobrujan Germans lived primarily in Northern Dobruja under Romanian rule. Some also resided in the Bulgarian southern part affected by relocations. They were ultimately transferred to Nazi Germany through Heim ins Reich policy. This policy meant back home to the Reich for these ethnic groups. Their fate differed from other displaced populations mentioned earlier. The relocation process integrated them into the broader German state structure. No specific numbers exist for how many Germans moved compared to Romanians or Bulgarians. Their transfer occurred alongside the main population exchange operations. The event marked a significant demographic shift across the new border line.
Unlike all other territorial treaties mediated by Nazi Germany, Craiova remained unchanged after World War II. Allied powers did not reverse the agreement regarding Southern Dobruja. The region stayed Bulgarian following the war's end. This outcome distinguished it from other settlements made under Axis pressure. The treaty's survival reflected unique geopolitical circumstances of the era. Southern Dobruja became permanently part of Bulgarian territory. The decision stood despite previous claims and historical disputes between nations. Romania accepted the loss as final after years of negotiation. The legacy persists today with borders largely unchanged since 1940.
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Common questions
What was the Treaty of Craiova and when did it take place?
The Treaty of Craiova was a 1940 territorial settlement between Romania and Bulgaria that returned Southern Dobruja to Bulgaria. Formal negotiations began on the 19th of August 1940 in the city of Craiova, and Prime Minister Ion Antonescu ratified the treaty on the 13th of September 1940.
Why did Romania agree to return Southern Dobruja to Bulgaria under the Treaty of Craiova?
Romania agreed to cede all of Southern Dobruja after facing threats of Italian-German arbitration on the 29th of August 1940. The Romanian delegation faced intense pressure from Axis powers while seeking benevolence from Germany regarding the Hungarian-Romanian dispute.
Who signed the Treaty of Craiova for King Michael I of Romania and Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria?
Alexandru Cretzianu and Henri-Georges Meitani signed for King Michael I of Romania, while Svetoslav Pomenov and Teokhar Papazoff represented Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria. These officials formalized the agreement that restored the 1912 border between the two nations.
How many people were displaced by the population exchange following the Treaty of Craiova?
One hundred three thousand seven hundred eleven Romanians lived in Southern Dobruja before the exchange and moved north, while sixty-two thousand two hundred seventy-eight Bulgarians resided in the northern part and moved south. This bilateral treaty involved the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people including Aromanians and Megleno-Romanians.
What happened to the Dobrujan Germans during the implementation of the Treaty of Craiova?
Dobrujan Germans living primarily in Northern Dobruja under Romanian rule were transferred to Nazi Germany through the Heim ins Reich policy. Their relocation occurred alongside the main population exchange operations and integrated them into the broader German state structure.