Artur Văitoianu | |
|---|---|
 General Artur Văitoianu | |
| Prime Minister of Romania | |
| In office 1 October 1919 – 9 December 1919 | |
| Monarch | Ferdinand I |
| Preceded by | Ion I.C. Brătianu |
| Succeeded by | Alexandru Vaida-Voievod |
| Minister of National Defense | |
| In office 29 November 1918 – 26 September 1919 | |
| Prime Minister | Ion I. C. Brătianu |
| Preceded by | Eremia Grigorescu |
| Succeeded by | Ioan Rășcanu |
| Minister of the Interior | |
| In office 24 October 1918 – 29 November 1918 | |
| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Alexandru Marghiloman |
| Succeeded by | Gheorghe Gh. Mârzescu |
| In office 19 January 1922 – 30 October 1923 | |
| Prime Minister | Ion I. C. Brătianu |
| Preceded by | Ion Cămărășescu |
| Succeeded by | Ion I. C. Brătianu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1864-04-14)14 April 1864 |
| Died | 17 June 1956(1956-06-17) (aged 92) |
| Nationality | Romanian |
| Political party | National Liberal Party |
| Alma mater | University of Bucharest |
| Profession | Soldier, politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Romania |
| Branch/service | Romanian Land Forces |
| Years of service | 1884–1920 |
| Rank | General de corp de armată |
| Commands | 10th Infantry Regiment, 11th Infantry Brigade, 10th Infantry Division, 2nd Army Corps |
| Battles/wars | |
Artur orArthur Văitoianu (14 April 1864 inIzmail – 17 June 1956) was aRomanian general who served as aPrime Minister of Romania for about two months in 1919 (27 September – 30 November). During his mandate, the first elections ofGreater Romania were held.
He was born in Izmail, then part of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. His father, Teodor Weithoffer Văitoianu, was aBessarabian German, while his mother, Maria Missir, was Romanian.[1][2][3][4] He rose through the ranks of theRomanian Army and, during theWorld War IBattle of Mărăști, he commanded the Second Corps.
Earlier in the War, during theRomanian Campaign of 1916, he commanded the 10th Infantry Division at theBattle of Predeal Pass, in defense ofPrahova Valley. He managed to block theCentral Powers from reachingBucharest via the shortest way, thus preventing them from cutting off and surrounding the Romanian Army and by implication knock the country out of the war. It was a decisive victory that enabled Romania to wage war until 1918, when it had to surrender after Russia did the same, leaving Romania alone on the Eastern Front and surrounded by the Central Powers, a situation that far surpassed its military capacities.
A War andInterior Minister inIon I. C. Brătianu's cabinet, he came to lead the executive upon the latter's resignation over theAllied Powers' refusal to recognize theterritorial awards promised to Romania upon its 1916 entry into the conflict (on the basis of Romania having signed a separate peace with the Central Powers, theTreaty of Bucharest, in the previous year); in the short hiatus, no Romanian authority was present at the signing of theTreaty of Saint-Germain withAustria.[5]
Văitoianu took office as Romanian troops were engaged in anexpedition toHungary, where they were fighting against the newly proclaimedHungarian Soviet Republic. TheSupreme War Council of Allied Powers gave Romania an 8-dayultimatum to retreat its troops fromBudapest to the provisional border settled by theParis Peace Conference and to cease confiscation of Hungarian property, as well as to sign the peace with Austria and agree to guaranteeminority rights throughout Greater Romania.[5] Văitoianu's government refused to comply, and handed in its resignation on 30 November, leaving room for the bloc formed inParliament by theRomanian National Party ofTransylvania and thePeasants' Party of theRegat to form theAlexandru Vaida-Voevod cabinet, one which soon agreed to the Allies' demands.[5]
He was a high-ranking member of theNational Liberal Party-Brătianu for much of his political career.
Artur Văitoianu was buried in the World War I heroes'crypt inMărăști.[6] In 2007, the local authorities claimed that Văitoianu's and Averescu's remains were stolen from their crypts, asking for the Prosecution Office to investigate.[7]
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