King Michael's 1944 Coup That Changed Romania's Fate

In August 1944, as the Red Army approached the Prut River, a young king made a decision that reshaped Romania's destiny. This episode zooms in on King Michael I's royal coup of August 23, 1944 — the arrest of Marshal Ion Antonescu, the abrupt switch from Axis to Allied alignment, and the chaotic aftermath that saw Bucharest bombed by the Luftwaffe. We trace the secret negotiations through the Romanian opposition, the role of the National Democratic Bloc, and the desperate race to pull out of the war before Soviet occupation turned into full annexation. Along the way, we touch on the Ploiești oil fields, the Royal Palace's hidden radio transmitter, and the young king's uneasy alliance with the Romanian Communist Party. It's a story of impossible choices, wartime betrayal, and a monarchy's last bid for relevance — one that opened the door to seven decades of communist rule.

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