Relaţiile britanico-sovietice reflectate în presa românească, în a doua jumătate a anului 1941
The Relationship Between Great Britain and the Soviet Union as Reflected in Romanian Press in the Second Half of the Year 1941

Summary/Abstract: If previous to the German attack, the Soviet Union’s attitude towards Great Britain was openly hostile, after 22 June 1941 the Soviet leaders asked for offers of help from England. Thus was laid the basis for the future successful alliance during WW II, in which a major role was to be played, later on, by the United States of America. The Romanian press of the time closely watched the events and gave them significant coverage in both central and local newspapers. As Romania had become Germany’s official ally half a year before and was now taking part in military action on the anti-soviet front, it is easy to anticipate that the articles written by Romanian journalists were critical against the alliance between Great Britain and the Soviet Union. The British-Soviet agreement (signed in Moscow on 12 July, 1941), in which the two parties undertook to provide mutual support against Germany, was presented by the Romanian press both in articles written by Romanian journalists and in commentaries taken from the international press. Of course, the agreement was consistently criticized, since Romania was an ally of the Third Reich. The articles from international press came from countries such as Germany, Japan, Italy and Finland. Conspicuous by their harsh language, but also by the beauty of their style, were Pamfil Şeicaru’s articles. Pamfil Şeicaru was owner and manager of Curentul, one of the most popular and incisive newspapers in Romania at the time. Şeicaru believed that there could not have been a more “unnatural” alliance, given the essential differences between Great Britain and the Soviet Union. In his articles, London was described as the centre of capitalism and the capital city of luxury and refinement, whereas Moscow appeared as the epitomy of baseness and lack of finesse. An important aspect of the British-Soviet relationship during the second half of the year 1941 was the attitude which the British government had to take towards Germany’s satellites states (one of which was Romania) whose troops were fighting against the Soviet Union. For fear that Stalin might sign a treaty of peace unilaterally, Winston Churchill sent Romania an ultimatum, demanding an immediate ceasefire against the Soviet Union. If Romania did not comply, the British government threatened with a declaration of war. If in November 1941 the most important Romanian newspapers mentioned Great Britain only occasionally, at the beginning of December, London’s ultimatum and the subsequent declaration of war were given large coverage. Reference was made, once more, to the international press, but only from countries, which were Germany’s allies. In order to regain the territories lost during the summer of 1940 and to wipe away the humiliation of having lost them, Romania joined Germany in the anti-Soviet war. Thus, Romania found itself, unwillingly, at war with Great Britain.

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