Treaty of Bucharest (1918)

Treaty of Bucharest

Romanian Prime-Minister Alexandru Marghiloman signing the treaty
Signed	7 May 1918
Location	Buftea, Romania
Condition	Ratification by Romania and the Central Powers
Signatories	German Empire Austria-Hungary Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Romania
Languages	German

A French caricature on the treaty: William II points a dagger at a woman (Romania), while showing her the Peace Treaty and stepping on a man (Russia)

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

Main terms of the treaty

• Romania had to return Southern Dobruja (the Cadrilater) and to cede the southern part of Northern Dobruja (see the maps) 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 (see the maps).
• Romania had to lease its oil wells to Germany for 90 years.
• The Central Powers recognized the Union of Bessarabia with Romania

Aftermath

Alexandru Marghiloman signed the treaty at Buftea (near Bucharest) on 7 May 1918. However, King Ferdinand I of Romania refused to sign it (although it had been ratified by the Chamber of Deputies on 28 June and by the Senate on 4 July 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 25 September 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 29 September Bulgaria had to capitulate in the face of the advancing Allied forces (see also the Armistice with Bulgaria).

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

In 1919, Germany was forced in the Treaty of Versailles to renounce all the benefits provided by the Treaty of Bucharest in 1918. The territorial transfers to Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria were annulled by the treaties of Saint-Germain (1919), Trianon (1920) and Neuilly (1919), respectively.

Maps

• 

  Map of Dobruja

• 

  Romanian territories ceded to Austria-Hungary (red) and Bulgaria (green) through the Treaty of Bucharest

See also

• Romania during World War I
• Treaty of Bucharest, 1812
• Treaty of Bucharest, 1913
• Treaty of Bucharest, 1916

External links

• Full text of the Treaty of Bucharest
• The Treaty of Bucharest on FirstWorldWar.com
• Territory which was ceded to the Austro-Hungarian Empire by Romania following the Treaty of Bucharest, 1918