THE ARMISTICE OF FOCȘANI
THE ARMISTICE OF FOCȘANI

Author(s): Horia DUMITRESCU
Subject(s): History, Military history, Political history
Published by: Carol I National Defence University Publishing House
Keywords: Eastern Front 1917; Romanian Army; Russian Revolution; military indiscipline; Focșani Armistice
Summary/Abstract: The Romanian victories of the summer of 1917 at Mărăști, Mărășești, and Oituz represented the only Allied successes on the Eastern Front, yet they failed to produce decisive strategic outcomes. This article analyzes the rapid deterioration of the Russian military presence on the Romanian front following these battles, under the impact of revolutionary agitation, Bolshevik propaganda, and systemic indiscipline. The collapse of command authority within Russian units, manifested through insubordination, desertions, and the politicization of the troops, fundamentally altered the operational environment and placed Romania in an acute strategic dilemma. Faced with the imminent withdrawal of Russia from the war and the impossibility of maintaining the front independently, Romanian political and military leadership was compelled to reassess its options. The study examines the decision-making process that led to Romania’s participation in the negotiations for a purely military armistice, culminating in the Focșani Armistice of November/December 1917. Particular attention is devoted to the negotiations themselves, the positions of the belligerents, the contentious clauses of the agreement, and the broader implications for Romania’s security and international status. The article argues that the Focșani Armistice was not the result of political alignment with the Central Powers, but rather a coerced strategic choice dictated by the collapse of the Eastern Front and the disintegration of the Russian ally.

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