Relații româno-britanice după 26 iunie 1940: noi surse
Romanian-British relations after June 26, 1940: new sources

Summary/Abstract: This article reassesses the abrupt downturn in Anglo-Romanian relations between June 1940 and February 1941, tracing the path from the denunciation of Britain’s security guarantees to the final diplomatic break. Newly consulted files from the UK National Archives reveal that, while London quickly classified Romania as enemy-controlled territory, it kept its legation open to retain a strategic listening post in the Balkans. The Romanian government’s expulsion of long-standing British oil engineers, sustained anti-British propaganda, and the staged deployment of German troops turned the country into a regional liability and prompted British debates over economic retaliation and the feasibility of bombing the Ploiești oil fields. The narrative also exposes General Antonescu’s balancing act between fear of the USSR and reliance on Berlin, alongside British attempts to rally Balkan neighbours against the Axis. The study concludes that British officials largely blamed Bucharest for the collapse, clearing the way for Romania’s eventual adherence to the Tripartite Pact.

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