Marian-Alin Dudoi

The Issue of Regency during King Mihai’s Royal Strike (1945)

1 Ianuarie 2016

Cuvinte cheie:
Soviet Union
communism
United States of America
coup
cold war
DOI:

10.55201/NFST4949

Abstract

Romania was considered a defeated country in the World War II and was ocuppied by the Red Army, under Armistice, supervised by the Soviet Union, the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. On the 6th of March 1945 the Soviets imposed to King Mihai the loyal Groza Government, found unacceptable by the USA and the UK. Encouraged by those two powers, Mihai dismissed the Government but Groza stayed in power as the King and the opposition could not match the Red Army. Mihai addressed the three powers in the matter and refused any collaboration with the Government, including the signing of Royal Decrees for approving laws made only by the Government, after the 21st of August 1945 marking the beginning of the so-called Royal Strike, The Government used all sorts of pressure in order that the King should resume his duties and warned him he would be deposed. In September the Government approached the Soviets in order to assume the Royal Prerogative but the Groza Cabinet continued to rule Romania as the only political power neglecting the King. In December, the Soviets and the Romanian Communists that dominated the Cabinet thought about a Regency Council under their control but the Allies’s Moscow Conference proposed Mihai to add two ministers of the opposition. Provided only with the opposition’s help, the King had to accept in January 1946 and ended unsuccessfully the Royal Strike.