The campaign of the Romanian Army in Bulgaria, from 1913, was not only marked by the fight against cholera, but also by many political disputes. One of those dissatisfied with the fact that King Carol I did not form a government of national union in the context of the intervention in Bulgaria was the liberal leader Ionel Brătianu. He was mobilized and participated as a captain in the campaign south of the Danube. Even so, Brătianu was dissatisfied that he was not seconded to the Great General Staff. He did not agree that all the “glory” of the war should go to the conservative government led by Titu Maiorescu.
At the beginning of July 1913, Romania intervened militarily in the Second Balkan War.
The entire campaign of the Romanian Army across the Danube was poorly planned and unfolded chaotically. Although there were no military confrontations, cholera wreaked havoc among the Romanian soldiers. Added to all these problems and shortcomings were political rivalries.
“General Crăiniceanu’s main concern was to make a place for himself in the heart of captain Ionel Brătianu”
Ionel Brătianu, the leader of the liberals, was mobilized and seconded with the rank of captain to the II Army Corps led by General Grigore Crăiniceanu. The general was close to the liberal leader, being even Minister of War between 1909-1910, in the government led by Ionel Brătianu. Anyway, the Crăiniceanu Headquarters was turning into a “nest of political intrigues”.
“General Crăiniceanu was only concerned with his personal protection from the plague (cholera, no) and with Captain Ionel Brătianu, who was attached to his General Staff. (…)
Apart from his health, his main concern was to make a place in the heart of captain Ionel Brătianu, whom he placed at the table in the place of honor, in front of the colonels and generals who looked askance at the civilian with the air of a strategist and and silently chewed the humiliation.
Crăiniceanu, who had been Minister of War in Brătianu’s government since 1909, sought to secure his portfolio in the future liberal government as well. He had also hired IG Duca as his secretary and turned the II Corps Quarter into a real political and party club and above all into a nest of intrigues”, wrote Constantin Argetoianu in his memoirs.
The annoyances of Ionel Brătianu
Ionel Brătianu had several reasons to be angry. The Conservative government had no interest in giving the Liberal leader any visibility. So I sent him to a place with less “action”. Another reserve captain, but leader of the conservatives, Nicolae Filipescu had a different treatment.
“Reserve captain Ionel Brătianu had come to Crăiniceanu’s Quarter in no mood. He was angry first because the government had put a damper on his mobilization and had assigned him to a simple Army Corps, while Filipescu, also a reserve captain, but from the cavalry, was attached to the Great Staff, in a situation more `en vue’ (in sight, no) and had allowed him to enter Silistra on horseback, alongside General Culcer.
He was angry, however, especially because a national government had not been formed, thus excluding the Liberal Party “which had created modern Romania” from the glory of the Bucharest Peace Treaty. He had even left Bucharest, telling his friends that he was resigning from the leadership of the party, blackmail directed against the King and his friends”. Argetoianu wrote.
“King Carol showed a deep political sense”
Also participating in the campaign in Bulgaria, Constantin Argetoianu instead appreciated the political flair shown by King Carol I. The first time because he acted without the support of the Central Powers, and the second time when he decided to bring Bulgaria to the table of negotiations, stopping the military campaign.
“After so many decades of politics subject to the Great Powers, we had set out across the Danube without the consent of the Central Powers with whom we had an alliance treaty, and Russia had reluctantly encouraged us, more driven by a sense of “manvaise humeur” against the resistance of the Bulgarians, towards the policy of Petersburg, and their refusal to accept the Czar’s arbitration, which had been judged by the great Orthodox Power as impertinence.
It was obvious, however, that Russia would not let Bulgaria be crushed to the end, on the other hand, we had achieved everything we wanted to achieve by our action. It was imprudent to stretch the rope too far, and it was good judgment not to wait for others to give us what in due time we could attribute to sentimental generosity, keeping the springs of our will intact.
In proceeding as he did, King Charles showed profound political sense. Besides, he only missed it once, on the eve of his death, in 1914,” noted Argetoianu.
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Source: www.descopera.ro
