The Romanian-Russian Alliance: From Diplomacy to Revolution. Kerensky’s Potential Visit to Iaşi
The Romanian-Russian Alliance: From Diplomacy to Revolution. Kerensky’s Potential Visit to Iaşi

Summary/Abstract: The change in Russia's political regime led to a deterioration in diplomacy with Romania. For the socialists in Petrograd, Romania was a country of boyars and of the bourgeoisie. The Provisional Government's new foreign policy perspective, that of peace without annexations and compensation, threatened the objectives and stakes of Romania's participation in the war. For Ionel Brătianu and the other leaders in Iaşi, developing a solid dialogue with their counterparts in the Russian capital became a priority in the first months after the February Revolution. The Romanian prime minister visited Petrograd in April 1917 in an attempt to make contact with the new representatives of Russian politics. In return, the Romanian government expected the Minister of War, Alexander Kerensky, the most important Russian political figure at the time, to include a visit to the Russian troops in Moldova in his extensive tour of the front. Several steps were taken in this direction, with Romanian leaders seeking to invite Kerensky to Iaşi. Despite initial hopes, the Minister of War of the Provisional Government did not include the Romanian front in his three-week tour. The article explores the context of this failed visit, the negotiations that took place, and, above all, the reasons behind Alexander Kerensky's final decision. This context is important for understanding the breakdown of the Russian-Romanian alliance.

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