Exchange of Notes between Romania and Russia Respecting the Increase of Romanian TerritoryThis treaty is valid until December 31st, 1920. If the treaty is
not canceled 6 months before termination, it will be extended
by a year and for every year thereafter. The treaty is to be kept
secret. This treaty will be ratified in 8 days in Sofia.
4.1223 Exchange of Notes between Romania
and Russia Respecting the Increase of Roman-
ian Territory
Alliance Members:Romania and Russia
Signed On:October 1, 1914, in the city of Petrograd (St. Petersburg,
Russia). In force until August 17, 1916, when the alliance was replaced
by a new agreement that also included Great Britain, France, and Italy.
Alliance Type:Defense Pact (Type I)
Source:Consolidated Treaty Series,vol. 220, p. 333.
SUMMARY
Negotiations between Romania and Russia ended with Russia’s agree-
ment to defend Romanian interests and recognize Romanian claims to
Austro-Hungarian territories with a Romanian population and with
Russia’s assurances of support for these conditions during postwar
negotiations with Britain and France. In return, Romania agreed to
remain neutral in the war, including the blocking of all supplies sent
from Germany to Turkey.
The alliance terms are important because they signal the cleaving of
Romania from the Triple Alliance powers. Before the treaty, Romania
was believed to be an unmovable ally of both Austria-Hungary and
Germany. However, when the alliance among Bulgaria, Serbia, and
Greece broke down over the distribution of Macedonia, Romanian
leaders saw an opportunity to side with the Russian-backed forces of
Serbia and Greece against the Austro-Hungarian–backed Bulgaria.
Romania used this rift to secure additional territories in the Bulgar-
ian-held Dobrudja. The Bucharest Treaty, which ended the Balkan
War, gave Romania the territory it wanted, laid the foundation for the
Russo-Romanian defense alliance, and fueled Romanian interests in
additional territorial aggrandizement.
Description of Terms
The treaty commits Russia to resist any attack against the terri-
torial status quo of Romania. The treaty also gives Romania the
right to annex Austro-Hungarian territories that are currently
inhabited by Romanians.
Romania will maintain benevolent neutrality towards Russia
until it gains the Austro-Hungarian territories inhabited by
Romanians.
4.1224 Agreement among France, Great
Britain, Russia, and Italy providing for Italian
naval and military co-operation with the
Allied Powers and making certain territorial
and other arrangements
Alliance Members:France, Great Britain, Russia, and Italy
Signed On:April 26, 1915, in the city of London. In force until
November 11, 1918, upon the end of World War I. Note: Russia termi-
nated its commitments on November 8, 1917, following the Bolshevik
Revolution.
Alliance Type:Defense Pact (Type I)
Source:British and Foreign State Papers,vol. 112, p. 973.
Additional Citations:Consolidated Treaty Series,vol. 221, p. 57.SUMMARY
The Treaty of London was negotiated secretly by the three major
Allied Powers (France, Russia, Great Britain) and Italy. In exchange for
postwar territorial promises to Italy and specific guarantees of Russian
assistance against Austria on land and British and French naval assis-
tance throughout the war, Italy committed its entire military to the
Allied Powers. The negotiations were conducted in secret, and the Ital-
ians insisted that Serbia not be informed of the terms of the treaty.
However, soon after the signing of the alliance (on August 4, 1915),
the Allies sent Serbia an official note confirming the postwar territorial
claims of Serbia and Montenegro.
Following the Bolshevik Revolution, Russia terminated all involvement
with the treaty, and one of the Russian journals published the secret
terms in their entirety. The territorial terms of the treaty proved costly
for conciliation during the postwar peace process as much of the ante-
bellum territorial divisions near Italy were significantly altered.
At the Paris Peace Conference, the Italians insisted that they would
negotiate only with their wartime allies Serbia and Montenegro and not
with defeated enemies included in the delegation of the new state of
Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. The Italians were particularly incensed
when three members of the delegation were former Austro-Hungarian
deputies, with one even a member of the wartime Austrian cabinet.
Nevertheless, the Italians finally relented on some of their demands,
primarily under the pressure of the then U.S. president, Woodrow Wil-
son; but the terms of the treaty, the negotiation process, and the secret
territorial agreements caused much acrimony among the participants.Description of Terms
The General Staffs of France, Great Britain, Italy, and Russia
proclaim a military convention, effective immediately. This
convention settles the minimum number of military forces to
be employed by Russia against Austria-Hungary in order to pre-
vent the latter from concentrating all its strength against Italy.
This guarantees that Russia does not focus its entire efforts
against Germany.
In exchange for this agreement, Italy will use its entire
resources for the purpose of waging war jointly with France,
Great Britain, and Russia against all their enemies.
The French and British Fleets shall assist Italy until the Aus-
tro-Hungarian fleet shall have been destroyed or until peace
shall have been concluded. A naval convention shall be immedi-
ately concluded to this effect between France, Great Britain, and
Italy.
Since the Italian territorial demands included the Yugo-
Slavic lands under Austria-Hungary, the negotiations had to
involve also the future borders of two co-belligerent Allied
states, the Kingdoms of Serbia and Montenegro. However, the
territorial promises to the latter were fairly precise only along