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Romania's cunning is less so, but bloody minded self interest.

Romania started the war in 1916, and had a three direction fronts to defend. So ended up loosing the southern part until it stabilized the front, got more training from the French and back up from the Russians. The biggest battles in Europe in WWI in 1917 were in Romania, by which Romanian and Russian forces managed to hold back and push back German/Austrian Hungarian forces on the Carpahians and on Siret River.

But then with the Revolutions, Russians went home and Romania, utterly isolated, sourounded from three directions and with chaos on the forth, capitulated. Nevertheless, at the end of 1917, to stop the Bolshevics taking a hold in Moldova, Romanian Army got in for pacification purposes. ANd the Moldavian National Assembly voted for what was call Bessarabia, to be re-inited with Romania (comprised of historical provinces of Moldova and Wallachia, and the newly incorporated Dobruja, taken from Turks after the independence war of 1877/1878.

And at the end of WWI Romania did again declared war against the Central powers and attacked and occupied Transylvania. Which, after a National Assembly Meeting, voted to unite with Romania (it was a second such union, first accomplished in 1600, briefely). But the Paris Peace Treaty had to accept all theses decissions made by Romanians in Transylvania and Bessarabia, because at the time of peace, Romanian Army was already occupying Budapest, which was in the throws of a Communist Revolution, which scared the hell out of Western Popwers (contagion issues).

In WWII, Romania was forced to attack USSR: firstly, Germany allowed USSR to take Bessarabia in 1939 and thus Romania had ample reasons to join Germany in its attack against the Soviets. However, in 1944, with the collapse of the western front, and knowing that Germany had plans to overthrow Romanian Government the way they did in Hungary with Maritia I plans, Romanians, under the leadership of their King, arested the government and turned the war against Germany, and pushing back the Germans from Romania without Russian support. ANd then Romanian Army fought alongside Russian forces in the liberation of Hungary and Budapest (hell of an urban fight) up to Cechoslovakia in the Tatra Mountains to the end of the war. So nothing that Romanians got was for free, but payed with a lot of blood and sacrifice. And they were not cunning, but realistic and thinking of the self preservation. Which the Ukrainians seem not to be capable of, and never where, this is why their state is a one made by the Russians.

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Dec 11, 2023
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If Crimean Annexation is "illegal" (after Crimeans repeatedly stated their objective to be reunited with Russia, since 1991, then Kossovo independence is illegal.

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