Bogdan Catana, Relaţii diplomatice româno-sârbe: 1880-1913
(Romanian-Serbian diplomatic relations 1880-1913),
Craiova: Editura Universitaria, 2009.
363 pp., ISBN: 978-606-510-358-0
Reviewed by László Kocsis (South East European University, Macedonia)
The book constitutes the first part of the Ph.D. thesis of the author,
dealing with the Romanian--Serbian diplomatic relations between 1880 and
1918. The author, professor of history in Craiova in the Oltenia region
of Romania, which borders Serbia, and also a speaker of Serbian has made
an extensive research in the archives of the Romanian ministry of
foreign affairs and also in Serbia, relying on similar sources and the
work done by a Serbian minority professor from Timisoara, Miodrag Milin,
member of the Serbian Academy of Education.
The author first makes a survey of the Romanian, Serbian/Yugoslav and
international literature of the period, which is relatively scarce. Then
a large chapter is devoted to the introduction of the topic entitled the
“Evolution of the Romanian-Serbian relations between 1875 and 1880”,
which is largely based on the reports of a Serbian envoy, former Serbian
minister of foreign affairs, M A Petronijević. Both countries had a
similar international standing in 1875, being oscillating between the
two stronger great powers of the region: Austria- Hungary and Russia.
The Serbian internal political life was filled with political struggles
between the ruling Obrenović dynasty on one hand and the Karađorđevič
dynasty and its supporting radials, led by later Prime Minister Nikola
Pašić. A subchapter is devoted to Romanian-Serbian relations during the
Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878 and the Berlin Congress which followed it.
The book devotes a whole chapter to reveal the dynastic links between
the two countries, which was formed starting from the first half of the
XIX century through the Serbian prince Miloš Obrenović who had acquired
real estates in south Romanian counties and obtained the monopoly of the
salt trade towards the Balkans from the Walachian ruler A. Ghica.
After this long introduction the author examines the situation of these
two countries at the beginning of the 1880s. Russia’s deemed preference
for Bulgaria made these two states to orientate themselves rather
towards Austria -Hungary and Germany, which was facilitated by their
dynastical ties as well. The next chapter deals with the
Serbian–Bulgarian war of 1885-1886.The chapter is not a very systematic
representation of the intents and causes leading to war but the author
tries to present new insights. The next subchapter is devoted to the
Treaty of Bucharest of 1886, whose text is to be found in the annexes of
the book.
The fourth chapter deals with Romania and Serbia by the turn of the XIX.
century, which was marked by endeavours like building a bridge over the
Danube, peasant uprisings of 1888 and 1907 in Romania having a purely
social cause while the Serbian one of 1883 was rather political, causing
a difference of perception Romania was oligarchic, while Serbia and also
Bulgaria as a democratic, peasant societies. In the first subchapter the
geopolitical situation of the end of XIX century is revealed, finding
both states in the posture of allies of Austria--Hungary. A next
subchapter is devoted to the bilateral relations by the end of the XIX.
and beginning of the XX. century.
A short subchapter presents remarks on the topic of the Bosnian crises
of 1908-1909 between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, trying to present the
Serbian and Romanian stances towards the crisis. It presents the
ambiguity of the Russian stance that at first directed Serbia towards a
conciliatory stance perhaps also due to its recent defeat in the
Japanese war of 1905, later to encourage Serbia to pretend territorial
compensations for the annexation. An interesting chapter is devoted to
the negotiations for building a bridge over the Danube, between Romania
and Serbia.
The fifth chapter deals with Serbian-Romanian relations during the
Balkan wars of 1912-1913. Its first subchapter deals with the Romanian
and Serbian diplomacy in the context of the Balkan wars. A next
subchapter is devoted to the peace treaties of Bucharest ending the
second Balkan war.
The author made a well documented, interesting book, in which he
presents a balanced view of the subject. Perhaps unconsciously he is
absolving totally the Romanian political elite of every responsibility
in any tension arising between the two states, considered traditional
allies by the public opinion of the countries. The author shows with a
remarkable ability that in spite of an overall rather grey-white
picture, this friendship originated from the lack of a long common
border and the prevalence of common enemies, the existence of great
powers in the region both countries wanted to become independent from,
and towards which they had very significant territorial ambitions. He
considers that the really fruitful cooperation in this epoch resumes to
the period between 1859 and 1868. Before the Balkan wars the relations
were solely diplomatic and the economic cooperation was very poor.
The author also shows that the links between the two countries are due
to their similar historical fates being under Ottoman rule for
centuries, very significant Russian influence up to nowadays, both
becoming independent from the Ottoman Empire almost by the same time
and started to assert their national demands and territorial claims in order
to find their places in that times’ new Europe.
But in spite of these the cooperation and reciprocal support was quite
vague on the European scene. These fluctuations are also the consequence
of their changing relations with Austria-Hungary, and when one of them
had good relations with the Habsburg monarchy, these bilateral relations
have stagnated. Besides the lack of serious antagonisms, this friendship
was evolving rather conjecturally and due to the constraints of the
geopolitical situation rather than from deep inner motivation. Putting
in other words it was a relation born out of need rather than from
inherent sympathy, but nevertheless remained a good relation which still
works nowadays, in spite of different historical experiences. As proofs
for this stands Romanian apparent disregard to the UN trade embargo on
the common border with Yugoslavia during the 1990s, all the Romanian
declarations condemning the NATO bombings of Serbia in 1999 and the
Romanian refusal of the recognition of Kosovo’s independence since its
declaration in 2008.
The book also contains a rich bibliography and 40 pages of annexes,
among them the most interesting are the texts of the peace treaties
concluded at Bucharest in 1886, and in 1913.
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