Chapter 325: Romania Joins the Game
The alliance between Serbia and Greece to resist Bulgaria had actually been planned since the peace talks in London.
However, with just Serbia and Greece, even with the slight territorial expansion of Montenegro, they could only achieve a balance in terms of military numbers with Bulgaria. Given the combat strength of the Bulgarian army, holding onto the newly acquired land was not particularly difficult, which led both Serbia and Greece to think of enlisting more allies to join the cause.
Apart from the Balkan League, the only other strong power in the Balkan region was Romania, located in the northeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula.
Romania, located northeast of Serbia and north of Bulgaria, was the largest and most populous country in the Balkans before the Balkan War, aside from the Ottoman Turkish Empire.
Since Romania did not share a direct border with the Ottoman Empire, it had no reason to participate in the previous Balkan War and had to watch as the Balkan nations gained more territory and population.
Koritzis' proposal, from the perspective of Romania's Foreign Minister Tyrol, was indeed very appealing.
It would allow Romania to address a potential threat and gain some territory. More importantly, among the anti-Bulgaria alliance, Serbia and Greece were the countries that were directly adjacent to Bulgaria's new territories. Although these countries had gained more land after their victory, they would also attract more hatred from Bulgaria.
In this case, with the second and third strongest nations in the Balkans harboring irreconcilable animosities, Romania could simply sit back and watch the conflict, waiting for an opportunity to unify the Balkans completely.
However, while the idea was tempting, getting a seasoned politician like Tyrol to immediately agree to sending troops was nearly impossible.
Politicians, like clever foxes, would never make promises unless they were presented with a deal they could not refuse.
"I understand what you mean, and I actually find your proposal quite appealing. But I'm afraid Romania cannot afford to send troops at the moment," Romania's Foreign Minister Tyrol said, shrugging his hands. "We recently experienced a peasant revolt that caused significant political and economic damage. Until we've fully recovered, we are unable to send troops."
Romania's special geographical position made it the largest and most populous country in the Balkans, yet it rarely involved itself in the region's politics.
The reasons were simple: to the north, Romania bordered the Russian Empire, and to the west, the Austro-Hungarian Empire. These two great powers had significant ambitions in the Balkans and could not allow Romania, the region's largest power, to meddle.
More importantly, Romania's southwest bordered Serbia, and to the south, it shared a border with Bulgaria. Aside from the eastern coastal region, Romania was surrounded by powerful neighbors, making it impossible for Romania to engage in aggressive actions.
Additionally, Serbia and Bulgaria had both received support from the Russian Empire during the previous war, meaning that Romania, as a small kingdom, could not afford to challenge them.
Tyrol's approach was straightforward. Romania could send troops, but Greece and Serbia must provide adequate compensation, or Romania would not risk angering the great powers and Bulgaria to fight on behalf of Serbia and Greece.
"Of course, Minister Tyrol," Koritzis replied, "both Serbia and I understand Romania's difficulties and sympathize with your situation. We both agree that if Romania risks internal turmoil and agrees to send troops, it should be well compensated. Therefore, in addition to the 4,000 square kilometers of land in Southern Dobruja, Romania's people in Bulgaria and Macedonia could also return to their homeland. Furthermore, if the war is victorious, Serbia and I will compensate Romania after the war, with the total compensation not less than 3 million pounds."
When Greece and Serbia made their proposal to Romania, they had already prepared to make some concessions regarding the distribution of territory.
The good news was that Romania did not border Macedonia or Thrace, which meant that Romania could only acquire land from Bulgaria.
Both Greece and Serbia agreed that Romania's expansion should come from Bulgaria.
After gaining Bulgarian land, Romania and Bulgaria would naturally harbor deep animosity toward each other.
If all Romania required in return was land from Bulgaria and some compensation, it was an exceptionally good deal.
Seeing that Tyrol was seriously considering the offer, Koritzis continued, "Logically and reasonably, your country should join the anti-Bulgaria alliance. After Bulgaria rises, it is inevitable that they will try to expand again. But Constantinople is a red line for the great powers, and it is impossible to allow Bulgaria to continue its expansion. If Bulgaria wants to expand beyond Constantinople, we neighboring countries could suffer. Therefore, it would be best to address this threat before it escalates and ensure long-lasting peace in the Balkans."
For a skilled diplomat, using unevenly distributed benefits as a reason for conflict and presenting it as a contribution to human peace was a small matter.
In an age where might makes right, the truth that "those who are weak are destined to be beaten" never goes out of style.
If Bulgaria were a great power, the anti-Bulgaria alliance would never have occurred. But since the difference between Bulgaria and the Balkan nations was not too large, Bulgaria, having gained the most land, would inevitably face hatred from neighboring countries, even from Romania, which did not directly participate in the Balkan War.
As the saying goes, "A man with jade is guilty." Without sufficient power, large territory, a developed economy, and abundant mineral resources could become reasons for a country to suffer invasion.
"Minister Koritzis, I must admit, you've persuaded me. But I'm afraid such a significant matter must be reported to His Majesty the King. Also, we need a guarantee that during the war with Bulgaria, even if Russia does not express support, it will not intervene in the conflict," Tyrol said. Despite being swayed by Koritzis' arguments, he remained cautious, adhering to his duties as a diplomat.
For Romania, joining Greece and Serbia to resist Bulgaria was not particularly difficult.
However, the most important issue was ensuring that Russia would not interfere in the war. Without this guarantee, Romania would not only risk antagonizing Russia but also face the growing resentment and potential aggression of Bulgaria once it rose to power.
The Balkan nations had launched the war with the support of Russia, but Romania had not.
Simply put, Romania had no real allies to rely on, which is why Tyrol was being so cautious.
As a third-rate country sandwiched between two great powers, Romania had to be exceptionally careful with every move, always considering the choices of the two large neighboring powers.
"You can rest assured, Minister Tyrol. We can guarantee that Russia will not intervene in this war or provide any assistance to Bulgaria. Even Germany, Austria, and Italy will not intervene. This will merely be an internal conflict between the Balkan nations," Koritzis replied quickly, without hesitation.
Although the Balkan League nations were theoretically supported by Russia, the reality was different when it came to Bulgaria. Serbia, with its long-standing ties to Russia, had Russia's support. Bulgaria, on the other hand, was a temporary ally of Russia before the Balkan War.
After receiving Koritzis' firm guarantee, Romanian Foreign Minister Tyrol nodded in satisfaction and instructed Koritzis to wait a few days. He would seek an audience with the King the following day and wait for the King's decision.
At this point, Romania's entry into the anti-Bulgaria alliance seemed inevitable. Romania's King could not oppose it, nor would there be any reason to oppose Romania's expansion.
This was a common issue among European monarchs: few could completely suppress domestic forces and keep the public's war fever under control during times of national fervor.
Just as Tsar Nicholas II had written to his cousin, King George V of Britain, before declaring a general mobilization: "I do not know what will happen, but the reckless war initiated by Austria-Hungary may very well become a widespread conflict. It may just be a local war, or it may drag Europe into the abyss."
(End of Chapter)
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