Cold Open

It’s the evening of September 5th, 1940, inside the Royal Palace of Romania, one year into World War II.

King Carol II paces anxiously in the halls of the building in which he once held absolute power. But with each step today, he can feel his rule slipping away.

Just outside the palace wall, angry mobs are screaming for his head. The Palace Square is full to the brim with violent members of the Iron Guard – a Romanian political party and fascist revolutionary movement steeped in nationalism and antisemitism.

Their protest worries King Carol. Less than two years ago, viewing the Iron Guard as a serious threat to his rule, the King had the movement’s founder shot and killed. But this only inflamed tensions. And now, Carol’s fear of being overthrown is stronger than ever. Despite still having the Royal Guard on his side, he’s essentially under siege. But hopefully, not for much longer.

There’s a knock at the king’s door. And he looks up to see the man he hopes to strike a power-sharing deal with, Romanian general and Iron Guard sympathizer, Ion Antonescu.

But Antonescu is not here to negotiate. As rifle fire rings out from the mob, hitting the palace and shattering windows, the King’s political desperation is palpable. Already cozy with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, Antonescu presses his advantage, informing Carol that his time is up: he must abdicate the throne and leave the country.

Carol has little choice but to oblige. As the general walks out, the king rushes to find his mistress. Together, they cram all the gold and art they can into their suitcases, while the mob outside disperses, allowing them safe passage to the train station.

At dawn, the king walks outside and packs his bags into a car, before sitting down in the backseat. Their driver starts the vehicle and gives them one last journey through the streets of Bucharest. The king takes a final longing look at the city he once called home, wondering what the future will hold for himself and his country.

After Carol’s departure, a new king will be named: his eighteen-year-old son Mihai I. But, Mihai will be little more than a puppet, acting in a purely ceremonial role. The real leader will be the new Prime Minister, Ion Antonescu, the right-wing fanatic and anti-Semite who Carol hoped he could share power with. Unlike King Carol, Antonescu will be more than willing to help the Nazis in their pursuit of world domination. Two months into the general’s rule, Romania will formally join the Axis powers, allying itself with Germany, Italy, and Japan. But all will change four years later, when a coup led by King Mihai helps turn Romania to the side of the Allies on August 23rd, 1944.

Introduction

From Noiser and Airship, I’m Lindsay Graham and this is History Daily.

History is made every day. On this podcast—every day—we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world.

Today is August 23rd, 1944: Romania Joins The Allies.

Act One: Horror on the Streets of Iasi

It’s June 24th, 1941, in the Romanian city of Iasi.

Just as the sun is about to set, Italian Journalist Curzio Malaparte is startled by the scream of an air raid siren. The noise rattles the windows of his rented room.

Stepping out into the street, Curzio comes face-to-face with chaos. Soviet planes fly above as anti-aircraft guns rattle below. Bombs hit hospitals and railway stations. The scene is horrifying, but this is what Curzio signed up for when he agreed to report on the newly-opened Eastern Front.

When World War II broke out, King Carol II chose to keep Romania neutral in the conflict. But after the monarch's forced abdication almost 10 months ago, that quickly changed. With King Carol gone and his young son, Mihai, now regent, but with no power, Romania is effectively ruled by the dictator and military general Ion Antonescu. Upon his rise to power, Antonescu chose to join the Axis — a decision made as much out of pragmatism as ideology.

Last year, under threat of a military invasion, Romania was forced to surrender some of its territory to the Soviet Union. Antonescu wants this land back, and he sees joining the Axis as a way to recover it. German dictator Adolf Hitler is eager to have access to Romania's rich oil fields which could help fuel his assault on the Soviet Union to the east. He’s happy to help rid Romania of the Soviets if it means getting this resource and the backing of the Romanian army in return.

But there's no denying that Antonescu's alliance with Germany stems from more than just geopolitics. Antonescu is openly hostile to the Jewish people. He is and has always been, an antisemite. His allegiance to the Nazis is born from a mutual and hateful ideology. Antonescu doesn’t just turn a blind eye to Hitler’s hatred of the Jewish people, he supports it. And he’s happy to have entered into a cooperative relationship with the dictator, even if it brings more violence to his people.

Two days ago, German soldiers arrived in Romania to invade the Soviet Union. Teaming up with the Romanian army, they formed a front line that stretched a thousand miles, from the Black Sea in the South to the Finnish border in the North. With three million troops, more than 2,500 aircraft, and over three thousand tanks, it’s the largest invasion force in history. And as the fighting rages on the Eastern Front, Iasi’s railway station and proximity to the border has turned the city into a new target for the Soviets.

As the bombs fall, Romanian and German soldiers strike back, but not just against the Soviets. Propaganda campaign has started in the streets of Iasi, posters put up that accuse the town’s Jews of being in league with the Soviets, it is the town's Jews the poster say, that are the ones destroying the city.

The false claims are effective. Calls for revenge against the Jews echo through the streets. And a few days later, Antonescu orders soldiers to start cleansing the city of its Jewish population. In preparation, local policemen invite the town’s Christians to place crosses on their windows and doors, indicating to the coming soldiers that no one Jewish lives inside.

And as Romanian and German soldiers do descend on the streets and begin carrying out Antonescu’s order, any home without a cross is seen as a target. Curzio hears the banging on doors, followed by the shattering of glass and the screams of civilians. When he walks out into the street, he’s met with a ghastly sight. All around him are the dead and dying. As Iasi’s Jews are rounded up, many are beaten, mutilated, stabbed, or shot, even children, their bodies tossed into the street where they’re left to rot.

For days, this violence continues. And its perpetrators are not just soldiers. Curzio is struck by the neighbor-on-neighbor cruelty he sees. As terrified Jewish Romanians, young and old, are marched through the streets, those that they once lived alongside shout insults, lob bottles, and rocks, spit at them and even attack them with crowbars and knives. Those who aren’t killed are taken to the train station where they’re loaded onto sealed carriages. Overcrowded and without food, water, or fresh air, most on board will die before they reach the concentration camps they’re bound for.

The Iasi pogrom will be one of the worst of the war. By its end, over 13,000 Jews — a tenth of the city’s population — will be massacred and thousands more will be deported. Those left behind will be sequestered into a ghetto, where they will be put under curfew and live in constant fear.

Over the coming years, similar horrors will occur all over Romania as Antonescu’s foot soldiers continue to carry out Hitler’s final solution. But as the tide of war turns against the Axis powers, the time will finally come for Romania and its people to question their loyalties.

Act Two: The Coup

It’s August 23rd, 1944 in Bucharest, Romania, three years after the Iasi pogrom.

22-year-old King Mihai walks through the halls of his palace, his face set with determination. As he heads to a meeting with General Ion Antonescu, the young king has only one mission: reclaiming power.

The war is not going well for Romania and its allies. In the last two years, the Germans have suffered serious setbacks. First, at Stalingrad, where the Soviets inflicted a catastrophic defeat on the Germans, ending the Nazis’ streak of victories and beginning their long retreat westward. Then, earlier this year, on the beaches of Normandy, Allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion in military history and dealt another devastating defeat to the Germans, and beginning the liberation of France.

Now, Romania’s fate hangs in the balance. As Hitler struggles to recover from these losses, the country’s pro-Allied politicians have been trying to persuade King Mihai that turning their backs on the Axis is the only way for Romania to survive. With Soviet troops currently amassing on their border, it’s only a matter of time before Romania will be conquered by the Allies.

So, Mihai has agreed to help stage a coup against Ion Antonescu. As commander-in-chief, the King has the ability to order the army to turn on Germany. And as for Antonescu, Mihai has plans to present the general with an armistice offered by the Allies. If Antonescu refuses to agree to it, he will be arrested.

Preparations have already been made. With Germany losing the war and public discontent at a high, finding support is easier than ever. Mihai has the backing of numerous Romanian politicians and military officials who've all helped secure the support of the army and police. The Soviet Union has also agreed to support the coup. All that’s left now is to carry it out.

It is a risky undertaking. If it fails, Mihai could be deposed or even executed. But it’s apparent to the king that there’s no time to lose. After years of acting as nothing more than a figurehead for Romania, while Antonescu pulled the strings, Mihai finally has the chance and support needed to seize back power and change the course of the war.

Today, he’s taken action. He’s called Antonescu to the palace under the illusion that they’ll discuss the next steps of their defense against the Soviets. But in actuality, this meeting is the first step in overthrowing the dictator.

As the King greets Antonescu, the general is already irate, angry at being summoned by a man he considers to be a boy. Conversation is short and tinged with animosity as Mihai asks for an update from the frontline. Antonescu gives an honest account of how badly things are going, opening an opportunity for the King to segue into the real reason for the meeting.

Mihai opens a document and presents it to Antonescu. It calls for the General to step down as Prime Minister and for Romania to sign an armistice with the Allies. Enraged, Antonescu refuses. He tells the King he would never sign his country over to the Soviets.

Seeing no way to find common ground, Mihai announces in a loud voice, “If things are so, then there’s nothing we can do.” These words are code to the four armed men waiting outside. The doors swing open and within moments Antonescu is under arrest. 

In the evening, Mihai takes to the airwaves to announce that the Romanian army is now on the side of the Allies and war has been declared on Germany. Then, knowing retribution will be swift from the Nazis, like his father before him, Mihai boards a train to escape the city while the Germans begin to bomb the palace. But the Nazis are unable to reverse the situation in Romania. Almost immediately, becomes clear to all German commanders in Bucharest that retreat is the only option.

King Mihai’s coup is a success, and it will have far-reaching consequences. Within a month, Bulgaria and Finland will also sever their alliances with Germany, while France, after half a decade of occupation, will be liberated. Without the Romanian oil fields, and the Allies closing in on all quarters, Hitler will begin to concede that there’s no way for him to win the war.

In the aftermath of the coup, Antonescu will be tried for war crimes and executed. Meanwhile, King Mihai will receive both the Soviet Order of Victory and the American Legion of Merit for helping bring about a close to the war. But trouble will soon befall the king, making his return to power extremely brief.

Act Three: One More Forced Abdication

It’s December 30th, 1947 in Bucharest, three years after King Mihai ordered the arrest of the fascist dictator Ion Antonescu.

Inside his palace, Mihai takes a seat opposite Romania’s new Prime Minister Petru Groza.

After joining the Allies, the Soviet Union occupied Romania and a new conflict gripped the country. Facilitated by the Soviets, the Communist Party began to rise. Eager to maintain good post-war relations with the Soviet Union, the United States and Britain refused to intervene. And despite Mihai’s opposition, in March 1945, the Soviets forced him to appoint a pro-Communist government headed by the man he now sits with, Petru Groza, leaving the King, once again, nothing more than a figurehead. Afterward, Mihai tried to rebel, refusing to sign and endorse the government’s decrees, until pressure from the Soviet Union, Britain, and America led him to give up his resistance. But his submission may have come too late for the King. Even as a puppet, the Communists now see Mihai as a danger.

This morning, the King was preparing for a New Year’s party at his castle in the mountains when government leaders called him back to Bucharest. He arrived to find the palace completely surrounded by Communist soldiers. And once inside, Mihai was escorted to a meeting room where Groza was waiting for him.

Now as Mihai sits across from the Prime Minister, Groza doesn’t hesitate to get down to business. He immediately presents the King with a document for him to sign: a declaration of abdication.

Mihai looks up with a scowl. But before he can protest, Groza gives him an alarming ultimatum. He explains that they already have over a thousand pro-monarchy students under arrest. If the King abdicates, these prisoners will be freed. But if he refuses, they’ll be executed.

Confident that Groza is not bluffing and wanting to avoid further bloodshed, Mihai picks up his pen and signs the document. Hours later, and with his weeping mother by his side, he packs his bags again, before leaving the only country he has ever called home.

After King Mihai’s forced abdication, the Communists will solidify their control over the country, establishing it as the People's Republic of Romania. For over forty years, Mihai will live in exile. But history will be kind to the king. Many will credit Mihai’s removal of Antonescu with pre-emptively saving thousands of lives as it brought a speedier end to the horrors of the war in Europe. Though he will never be allowed to be King again, several years after the fall of Communism in 1989, Mihai will return to his home country and receive a hero’s welcome for his part in the Romanian coup that shifted the country’s allegiance to the Allies on August 23rd, 1944.

Outro

Next on History Daily. August 26th, 1907. Bound in chains and submerged in San Francisco Bay, Harry Houdini escapes in under 57 seconds. 

From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily, hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham.

Audio editing by Muhammad Shahzaib.

Sound design by Katrina Zemrak.

Music by Lindsay Graham.

This episode is written and researched by Owen Paul Nicholls.

Executive Producers are Alexandra Currie-Buckner for Airship, and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.