The Rise Of Australasia

When the war broke out in the Balkans, Romania, also a Balkan state, faced instability as well.

The Secretary of Army and Chief of General Staff Antonescu, after the outbreak of the Balkan war, requested an audience with the Romanian King Carol II, adamantly opposing Carol II's contact with Russia Nation and asking for Carol II's authorization to form a new Romanian Cabinet Government.

To King Carol II of Romania, such a demand seemed, of course, preposterous.

Naturally, Antonescu was detained by Carol II and stripped of all positions and powers.

However, Carol II clearly underestimated the importance Antonescu held in the hearts of Germany and Italy.

On the day after Antonescu's detainment, the German ambassador to Romania requested an audience with Carol II, demanding the immediate release of Antonescu and permission for him to establish a new Romanian Cabinet.

If it were only Antonescu's opinion, Carol II could naturally ignore it. But the issue was that the request shifted from being Antonescu's to that of the German government, which Carol II could not disregard lightly.

The Germans not only issued verbal threats but also offered Romania tangible benefits, such as the promise to cede Transylvania from Hungary to Romania after the war's end.

Transylvania, located in the eastern part of Hungary and adjacent to Romania, was almost equivalent to half the territory of modern Romania. If Romania could annex Transylvania, it would undoubtedly significantly enhance its comprehensive national strength.

With Transylvania as the pie, Carol II began to waver on his previous decision.

On November 3, 1936, King Carol II of Romania released Antonescu and granted him the power to form a new Cabinet Government.

Almost simultaneously, the Romanian government agreed to Germany's request, willing to cede Dobruja, which originally belonged to Bulgaria.

This move finally resolved the contradictions between Romania and Bulgaria and drew both Balkan countries onto Germany's battlefield.

On November 5, under the witness of both the Romanian and Bulgarian governments, the Romanian-Bulgarian alliance was officially established.

On January 7th, Romania declared war on South Slavia, Albania, and Greece, and joined the German-Italian Alliance.

With Romania's help, Bulgaria could finally catch a breath.

Romania's size was not much different from that of South Slavia, and it was close enough to attract a large number of South Slavian troops.

With Romania entering the war, Bulgaria was also finally able to deploy some of its military to focus on the Kingdom of Greece to the south.

More than 200,000 Bulgarian troops launched a frenzied attack on Alexandroupolis. On the Greek side, since the neighboring empire was only Bulgaria, all Greek military forces were stationed from Thessaloniki to Alexandroupolis, with nearly 300,000 Greek troops in Alexandroupolis alone.

The 200,000 Bulgarian troops confronted the 300,000 Greek troops, and the combat strength of both sides was roughly at the same level.

Although the Bulgarian military had a higher overall combat effectiveness, the Greek military, with its greater numbers, could also hold off the Bulgarian troops.

After Romania entered the war, the worst situation among the Balkan states probably belonged to South Slavia.

South Slavia, bordering Italy, Romania, and Bulgaria, had to face the pressure of fighting on three fronts.

Though South Slavia was supported by Albanian and Greek militaries, most of the forces had to be confronted by South Slavia alone.

In South Slavia, the current number of troops was around 700,000. Of these, more than 300,000 were deployed in the north at the border with Italy; their temporary goal was to defend and delay the southern South Slavian military's advance.

The remaining 400,000 troops were all deployed in the southern region, with many stationed in Leskovac, just tens of kilometers from the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.

It was the pressure from South Slavia that forced Bulgaria to retain over 200,000 troops in Sofia.

After all, the primary nation forming South Slavia was Serbia, and Serbia's combat effectiveness was unquestionably strong.

Before World War I, the two strongest Balkan states were Serbia and Bulgaria. These countries might not have large populations, not even as large as Romania, but their military strength was comparable to that of the Powers, even stronger than a power such as Italy.

The military achievements of the Balkan states in World War I were significant, as they held back a large number of Austro-Hungarian military forces. The combat strength of the Austro-Hungarian army was also upper-middle among the Powers, which proves the combat effectiveness of the Balkan states was indeed notable.

But having said that, being in the 'powder keg' of the Balkans, if a country's military strength was not formidable, there was only one outcome: annexation.

It was precisely because of the constant warfare and smoke of gunpowder that the military strength of the Balkan states was so formidable. After all, only soldiers who have experienced war can be deemed truly elite and possess strong combat power.

In the warfare among the Balkan states, armored troops and air forces were also omnipresent.