The album România în Primul Război Mondial: Pe drumul spre Marea Unire (1916-1918) aims to bring back to the Romanian collective memory the events, personalities and sacrifices made by the entire Romanian nation, from all historical provinces, for the fulfillment of the national objective, the Great Union in the glorious year of 1918.

Romania’s participation in the First World War and the unfolding of the events that led to the act of the Great Union are documented through photographs, archival documents, periodicals, maps and musical sheets kept in the Special Collections of the National Library of Romania (sections: Historical Archive, Photographs, Old Romanian Periodicals, Audio-video and Cartography).

The album facilitates access for both specialists and the general, uninformed public to a series of lesser-known heritage documents, regarding Romania’s participation in the First World War (military and civil aspects), and the achievement of the Great Union of 1918, introducing them, on this occasion, into the national and international cultural circuit.

Occupying an important place in the economy and in the history of Romania’s participation in the First World War – also known as the War of Reunification –, 1916 was a year of great hopes, but was also marked by great defeats and disappointments, with massive losses of territory (almost two-thirds), and a bleak outlook for the Kingdom of Romania.

The documents relating to the year 1916 present the events that took place between August (the moment Romania entered the war, as part of the Anti-German Coalition – the Entente) and November (the loss of the battle for Bucharest, the occupation of the capital by German troops, the withdrawal of the Romanian state authorities to Iași, where the foundations of the great victories of the following year, 1917, would be laid, with the essential support provided by the French Military Mission).

In terms of type and content, the images cover a wide range of documents: leaflets containing official information from the Romanian General Headquarters, prefectures, and local police (information through which the population was informed about the situation on the front); mobilization and military operation orders addressed to units on the battlefield; articles from Epoca, The „Universul” newspaper almanac, Albina. Popular encyclopedic magazine, and Stampa; photographs representing the leadership of the Romanian-Franco-Russian Allied Command: King Ferdinand, generals Constantin Prezan, Mihail Aleksandrovich Beliaeff (Beleaev), Henri Mathias Berthelot; images of the hero-generals Ioan Dragalina and David Praporgescu, with other high-ranking officers; photographs from the daily life of Romanian and allied troops „Paradă militară la Braşov” – illustrated postcard; „Trupe române urcând Munţii Carpaţi, 1916”; „Sărbătoarea Crăciunului la Comandatura germană din Craiova, 1916”; „O scenă în timpul popasului, 1916”, „Prima linie de trăgători, Oituz, 1916”), but also of the occupation troops; maps and sketches with the location of military units on the battlefield, etc.