Russian-Romanian Humanitarian Cooperation During the Great War, 1914–1917

The article addresses an understudied aspect of the history of the Great War, namely the humanitarian cooperation between Russia and Romania. The study draws upon a corpus of Russian archival documents, the majority of which are introduced into the academic circuit for the first time. The Russian-Romanian humanitarian cooperation during the Great War was predicated on a complex array of factors, including military, political, and geographical considerations. It is important to acknowledge that prior to Romania’s military involvement, this interaction was constrained to the neutrality policy declared by the official government in Bucharest. In this context, the Russian diplomatic efforts played a pivotal role in advancing Russian interests by utilizing Romanian territory for the transportation of cargo and provision of medical assistance to Serbia. Subsequent to Romania’s involvement in military operations, communication between the Russian Red Cross Society (RRCS) and the Romanian Red Cross (RRC), which had been tasked with the provision of logistical support to Russian troops stationed in Romania, underwent a notable increase. Nevertheless, despite the benevolence of the Romanian government and the royal family, the resolution of these issues remained challenging due to structural deficiencies in Romania’s material and technical capabilities. In consideration of the interests of its Balkan ally, the Romanian Red Cross Society (RRCS) opened the Kaufmann surgical and orthodontic infirmaries in Bucharest, a facility which was required for the treatment of Romanian military personnel. In consequence of the military setbacks suffered by the Romanian forces in the autumn of 1916 and the occupation of a significant portion of Romanian territory, the Russian government extended humanitarian assistance to the refugees, facilitating their relocation to the southern provinces of the Russian Empire. The cessation of humanitarian cooperation was a direct consequence of the revolutionary upheavals that took place in Russia in 1917 and the signing of the armistice with the Central Powers by Romania.