German postcard map of the Romanian theater of war, with map labels in Bulgarian added in red. From north to south the labels are Russia, the Austro-Hungarian regions of Galicia and Bukovina, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and, along the Black Sea, the Romania region of Dobruja. Romania's primary war aim was the annexation of the Austro-Hungarian region of Transylvania, with its large ethnic Romanian population.
Vogelschaukarte des rumänischen Kriegschauplatzes.German map labels:Vogelschaukarte des rumänischen Kriegschauplatzes.RuslandGalizienBukowinaUngarnRumaniaBulgariaDobrudschaBulgarian overprint in red:на румънския театър на войнатаБърд око на картата на румънския театър на войната.Лтичи погдедъъ Бърд око на картата на румънския войната театърРусияГалисияБуковинаУнгарияРумънияБългарияДобруджаA 498 E.P. & Co. A.-G. L.
"On August 27, 1916, on the basis of the agreement reached with the Entente Powers, Romania entered the war against Austria-Hungary. At the Crown Council held the same day, Prime-Minister Ion. I. C. Brătianu explained the reasons underlying that decision of historic importance: 'In a vortex like that of the present war, in which the world map is remade, a country like ours, a country with national aspirations, cannot remain neutral to the end without definitively compromising its future. Therefore, it is imperative to renounce neutrality. On the other hand, national unity being our ideal, we are obliged to pursue its achievement, because nobody knows whether there will be another favourable moment in the centuries to come [. . .]. Even if we were to be defeated, by the fact that four of the greatest powers of the world have recognized the justness of our national claims, and have sanctioned through a solemn act the ethnic borders of the Romanians beyond the Carpathians, the Romanian cause will make a greater and more important step forward than any time so far.'"
Prime Minister Gheorghe Brătianu had finally negotiated Romania's entry into the war, thinking the moment, one of Austro-Hungarian distress on its Russian and Italian fronts, opportune, in great part because of the success of Russia's Brusilov Offensive and Italy's Sixth Battle of the Isonzo, both of which had come to a standstill at the end of August. The 'national claims' the Prime Minister referenced were the large ethnic Romanian population in Austria-Hungary's Transylvania, across the southern Carpathian Mountains from Romania. The 'four great powers' were the Triple Entente of France, Russia, Great Britain, joined by Italy.
Romania in World War I, a Synopsis of Military History by Vasile Alexandrescu, pp. 16–17, copyright © 1985, publisher: Military Publishing House, publication date: 1985
1916-08-27, 1916, August, Romania, Romania declares war, Romania invades Transylvania
