Carol II of Romania

Carol II became King of Romania on June 8, 1930, after returning from exile. He had renounced his rights to the throne in 1925, but his son Michael's regency was overthrown, and Carol was invited back by a political faction.

Carol II abolished the constitution and established a royal dictatorship on February 10, 1938. He banned all political parties, created the National Renaissance Front as the sole legal party, and concentrated power in his own hands, aiming to counter the rise of the Iron Guard.

Under pressure from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, Carol II accepted the Second Vienna Award on August 30, 1940, ceding Northern Transylvania to Hungary. This territorial loss caused widespread outrage and severely weakened his regime.

On September 6, 1940, Carol II was forced to abdicate by General Ion Antonescu, who took power with support from the Iron Guard. Carol fled Romania, spending the rest of his life in exile in Portugal, Mexico, and Brazil.