Italian–Romanian agreement

The British chronology of the war records under 15 January 1915 that the existence of a secret agreement on mutual support between Italy and Romania had been announced. A secret agreement between the two states did indeed exist, and had done since September 1914, though at that time it concerned not mutual assistance but a common policy of neutrality. The undertaking to support each other was made only a few weeks later, in February 1915. It has not been possible to establish exactly which announcement the chronology has in mind. Both governments undertook to keep strictly secret both the content and the very existence of the agreements. The entry for 15 January therefore probably refers to press or diplomatic reports of the rapprochement between Rome and Bucharest, which were just then beginning talks on extending their cooperation.

Two neutral states

Italy and Romania were in a similar position. Before the war both countries had belonged to the alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, both had declared neutrality in August 1914 and both hoped for gains at the expense of the Habsburg monarchy. The Italians wanted Trentino and Trieste, the Romanians Transylvania and Bukovina. Each of them on its own was too weak to dictate terms to the great powers. Together they could hope for more.

At the beginning of September 1914 the Romanian envoys Constantin Istrati and George Diamandy came to Rome, where they met the Prime Minister, Antonio Salandra, and the Foreign Minister, Antonino di San Giuliano. The talks ended in an agreement which was signed in Bucharest on 23 September 1914 (10 September in the Julian calendar, then in use in Romania) by the Prime Minister, Ion I. C. Brătianu, and the Italian minister, Baron Carlo Fasciotti. The two states undertook to consult each other constantly on neutrality, and that neither would abandon it without giving the other at least eight days’ notice. At about the same time Romania also concluded a secret agreement with Russia.

The second agreement

In January 1915 Rome and Bucharest began to talk about going further. At the same time Baron István Burián, an advocate of a hard line towards the demands of both neighbours, took charge of Austro-Hungarian diplomacy. On 6 February 1915 (24 January in the Julian calendar) Brătianu and Fasciotti signed in Bucharest a second secret agreement, supplementing the September one. Italy and Romania undertook to defend each other if either of them were attacked by Austria-Hungary without provocation on its own part. The agreement was valid for four months.

Each on its own

The agreement did not survive the test. The four-month term gave Italy time and cover for secret negotiations with the Entente, which ended in April 1915 with the signing of the Treaty of London. On 23 May 1915 Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary. Romania did not follow. Brătianu was still bargaining with the Entente over the borders of future acquisitions and waiting for the right moment. Romania entered the war only in August 1916, more than a year after Italy.