Background
Ion was born at Florica, on August 20, 1864. He was the oldest son of Ion C. Bratianu, who had twice been Romanian premier, from 1867 to 1868 and from 1876 to 1888.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
Ion Brătianu
Edit Profile
also known as
Ionel Brătianu
Ion Brătianu, also known as Ionel Brătianu, was a Romanian politician, leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Prime Minister of Romania for five terms, and Foreign Minister on several occasions. Brătianu's political activities after World War I, including part of his third and fourth term, saw the unification of the Old Romanian Kingdom with Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia.
Education
Brătianu completed his secondary education at the Saint Sava National College in Bucharest (1882). After studying at the Polytechnic School in Paris, France, Ion accepted a position as engineer on the Romanian state railways.
Career
In he entered parliament 1895 as a Liberal deputy. During the governmental regime of Dimitrie Sturdza he became minister of the interior. In 1909, upon Sturdza's retirement, Bratianu became premier, continuing as leader of the Liberal Party. Like his father, he aimed at the expansion of the urban middle class. After two years in office he resigned, only to return in January 1914. He continued in office throughout the turbulent World War I years until January 29, 1918, when he resigned rather than accept the terms that Germany imposed after Romania's defeat. In November of that year the Allies were victorious. One month later Bratianu took office once again and denounced the earlier separate peace with the Central Powers. He became Romania's chief delegate to the Paris Peace Conference the following year. Once again, however, he was destined to take the side of the opposition. Protesting the clauses which awarded to Yugoslavia part of the Banat, or frontier province of Temesvar, he refused to sign the treaty, and, after resigning, headed the opposition for several years. In 1922, however, he once again took over the leadership of his country and, save for a brief period in 1926, remained dictator in all but name from 1922 until his death in Bucharest, November 24, 1927. Backed up in his policies by his brother Vintila, Bratianu did much to break up the large landed estates, grant citizenship to Jews, and extend universal suffrage in national elections. They opposed the elevation of Prince Carol to the throne. In general they represented the commercial and business interests of Romania but feared the influence of foreign capital and generally discouraged foreign investments and concessions.
Achievements
Connections
References
-
Born
-
Died
January 24, 1927 (aged 62) -
Nationality
Romanian -
Political Party
National Liberal Party