On This Day

World War I: The Central Powers under General Mackensen capture Bucharest

The Kingdom of Romania remained neutral throughout the first two years of World War I.

The Kingdom of Romania remained neutral throughout the first two years of World War I. They eventually entered the conflict on the side of the Entente from 27 August 1916 until insurmountable pressure from Central Powers - which had occupied two thirds of the country - led to an armistice being signed on 9 December 1917. Six months later, a crippling peace treaty was imposed on Romania, which the government ratified. King Ferdinand I refused to promulgate the treaty, hoping for an Allied victory on the Western Front. As the Central Power war efforts collapsed, Romania re-entered the war on 10 November 1918.

Historical Significance

The Kingdom of Romania remained neutral throughout the first two years of World War I.

Events Before

  1. "The Birth of a Nation" the first 12-reel film in America, directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Lillian Gish and Mae Mar

    "The Birth of a Nation" the first 12-reel film in America, directed by D. W. Griffith, starring Lillian Gish and Mae Marsh, premieres at Clune's Auditorium in Los Angeles

  2. French forces attempt to drive the Germans back into the Champagne region during World War I, gaining a few hundred yard

    French forces attempt to drive the Germans back into the Champagne region during World War I, gaining a few hundred yards at the cost of 50,000 casualties

  3. First military use of poison gas occurs when Germany uses chlorine gas against the Allies along the Western Front at Ypr

    First military use of poison gas occurs when Germany uses chlorine gas against the Allies along the Western Front at Ypres, France in World War I [1]

  4. First landings at Gaba Tepe and Cape Helles on the Gallipoli Peninsula by ANZAC forces during World War I

    The landing at Anzac Cove on Sunday, 25 April 1915, also known as the landing at Gaba Tepe and, to the Turks, as the Arıburnu Battle, was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula by...

  5. RMS Lusitania is sunk by a German submarine off the southern coast of Ireland, with 1,198 lives lost

    RMS Lusitania is sunk by a German submarine off the southern coast of Ireland, with 1,198 lives lost

Events After

  1. Sculptor Auguste Rodin (76) weds Rose Beuret

    Sculptor Auguste Rodin (76) weds Rose Beuret

  2. First major strike of the Russian "February Revolution" starts at the giant Putilov factory in Petrograd [NS=Mar 3]

    First major strike of the Russian "February Revolution" starts at the giant Putilov factory in Petrograd [NS=Mar 3]

  3. First jazz records are recorded: "Dixie Jazz Band One Step" and "Livery Stable Blues" by the Original Dixieland Jass Ban

    First jazz records are recorded: "Dixie Jazz Band One Step" and "Livery Stable Blues" by the Original Dixieland Jass Band for the Victor Talking Machine Company in NYC

  4. First major strike of the Russian "February Revolution" starts at the giant Putilov factory in Petrograd [OS=Feb 18]

    First major strike of the Russian "February Revolution" starts at the giant Putilov factory in Petrograd [OS=Feb 18]

  5. First jazz record is released on a 78 by the Original Dixieland Jass Band for the Victor Talking Machine Company ("Dixie

    First jazz record is released on a 78 by the Original Dixieland Jass Band for the Victor Talking Machine Company ("Dixie Jazz Band One Step" on one side, "Livery Stable Blues" on the other)

More from the 1910s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on December 6, 1916?
The Kingdom of Romania remained neutral throughout the first two years of World War I. They eventually entered the conflict on the side of the Entente from 27 August 1916 until insurmountable pressure from Central Powers - which had occupied two thirds of the country - led to an armistice being signed on 9 December 1917. Six months later, a crippling peace treaty was imposed on Romania, which the government ratified.
Why is World War I: The Central Powers under General Mackensen capture Bucharest significant?
The Kingdom of Romania remained neutral throughout the first two years of World War I.

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