Tuesday, 2 August 2016

Poem ~ Roumania: A New Alliance - Wednesday, 2 August 1916


Source: File: WWI propaganda poster, welcoming Romania's decision to join the Entente. See an original image at: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WWI_Poster_Rumania.jpg> [Accessed 2 August 2016]


With the last day of July,
Came a new possibility
From the Swiss federal
City of Berne - a neutral
Country carried news
Of another neutral state.

The European country,
Roumania was a place
Of medieval towns, being
Ringed by Carpathian
Mountains and regional
Forested Transylvania.

Bordering Hungary, Serbia, 
Bulgaria and Ukraine - the
State, some 33 years earlier,
Had made a treaty to bring
countries together - signed 
By Roumanian King Carol.

A treaty that formed Triple
Alliance made obligations
That Roumania would only
Enter into conflict, should
Their neighbour Austro-
Hungary come under attack.

Yet from August 1914
A difference of opinion
Arose - while King Carol
Wished to enter war, his
Country’s party's or people 
Did not share such views.

The majority favoured
Not the Triple Alliance
But the triple Entente -
Finally Roumania made
Decision of neutrality
From either side.

The reason argued
Was Austria-Hungary
Had in fact created
State of war - Roumania
Therefore, had no
Obligations to join them.

German newspapers
Were noting awareness
Of Roumanian position,
Suggesting apprehension
Of the then, so far, neutral
Country to join the war.

A social democratic paper
Of Leipzig city, ‘Leipziger
Neueste Nachrichten,’ told
How Roumania had not
Stayed neutral from any
Love of central powers.

By Jamie Mann.

Anon.,1916. Roumania And The War. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 1 August1916. P.8. Col.7. Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12212356/Daily-Telegraph-August-1-1916.html> [Accessed: 2 August 2016].

Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 2 August 2016). 



#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Roumania

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