Romania During the First World War

Romania joined the war in 1916 on the side of the allied powers. Romania planned to take over Transylvania, which was originally Romanian land but later had been taken by the Austro-Hungarians. The Romanians did not like the Austro-Hungarians because that alliance refused to give Transylvania back to Romania. The Romanians wanted back Transylvania because it was a large piece of land, and because if they got it back they could make their country ethnically whole again. Therefore Romanian power would be concentrated against them. Fighting with the Romanians were the Russians, who with the Romanians, invaded Austro-Hungary. The campaign was going well until the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917. When the Russian Empire collapsed the Russian troops helping the Romanians abandoned their positions. This left the Romanians at a disadvantage. Unable to defend its gains, the Romanian army was pushed back by the Austro-Hungarians. The Romanians continued to be pushed back into their own country. After the fall of the their capital (Bucharest) the Romanians surrendered to the central powers. Even so, during the signing of the treaty in Versailles, the Romanians were given back their land and the much wanted Transylvania.