The relationship between Alexandru Marghiloman and Ottokar Czernin at the beginning of the First World War (July 1914-June 1915)

Abstract

Ottokar Czernin was, since 1913, the plenipotentiary minister of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in Bucharest, with the mission of easing tensions between the two states. The main problem was the attitude and actions of the Budapest government towards the Romanians in Transylvania (forced Hungarianization, the abolition of Romanian language schools, lack of rights etc.). After World War I (1914) outbreak, the Hungarian government mobilized and sent many minority members (Romanians, Slovaks, Serbs, Croats) to the front, which displeased neighbouring states. Against this background, Czernin was given the mission to do everything possible for Romania to remain neutral, as it was clear that it would not join the Central Powers. One of his intimates was Alexandru Marghiloman, the president of the Conservative Party, to whom he confessed and who showed him the reasons why Romania could not join Austria-Hungary.

Keywords

• alexandru marghiloman
• ottokar czernin
• first world war