Ferdinand I of Romania vs Leopold III of Belgium

Ferdinand I became King of Romania on October 10, 1914, following the death of his uncle, King Carol I. He inherited a kingdom at a critical moment, as World War I had just begun, and Romania was initially neutral.

Ferdinand I signed the Treaty of Bucharest with the Allies on August 17, 1916, committing Romania to enter World War I on their side. Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary on August 27, 1916, aiming to annex Transylvania.

Following the collapse of Austria-Hungary, the Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia proclaimed the union of Transylvania with Romania on December 1, 1918. Ferdinand I ratified this union, fulfilling a key national goal and greatly expanding Romania's territory.

Ferdinand I signed the Agrarian Reform Law of 1921, which expropriated large estates and redistributed land to peasants. This reform aimed to address rural poverty and create a stable class of small landowners, but it also weakened the traditional aristocracy.

Ferdinand I and Queen Marie were crowned in a grand ceremony at Alba Iulia on October 15, 1922, symbolizing the unification of all Romanian provinces. The coronation affirmed the creation of Greater Romania after World War I.

Leopold III became king of Belgium after his father Albert I's death. He inherited a country facing economic depression and rising political tensions between Flemish and French-speaking communities.

Germany invaded Belgium on May 10, 1940. Leopold III took personal command of the Belgian army, which fought for 18 days before being overwhelmed by the German blitzkrieg.

Leopold III surrendered the Belgian army to Germany on May 28, 1940, without consulting his government. This decision was condemned by the Belgian government in exile, which declared him unable to reign.

Leopold III remained in Belgium under German house arrest at the Royal Palace of Laeken. He was later deported to Germany in 1944 and then to Austria, where he was liberated by American forces in 1945.

After World War II, a referendum on Leopold III's return to the throne divided Belgium. Violence erupted between supporters and opponents, leading to his abdication on July 16, 1951, in favor of his son Baudouin.