Viorel Tilea
Encyclopedia
Viorel Virgil Tilea C.B.E. (6 April 1896 – 20 September 1972) was a Romania
n diplomat, most noted for his ambassadorship in the United Kingdom
during the Second World War. He died in London. During the Second World War, Tilea lived at Holton Place, Oxfordshire
, where he became a key representative of Romania's monarchist regime in exile.
. He studied at the Hermannstädter Evangelisches Obergimnasium in Sibiu, before joining the University of Bratislava. However, in 1915, he was conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian Army
. He completed his studies at the University of Vienna
.
In 1921, he married Eugenia "Gene" Pop in Cluj
. After a short stay in London in February 1922, the two returned to Cluj. Tilea published two works, entitled Rolul diplomaţiei în politica de stat ("The role of diplomacy in state policy") and Acţiunea diplomatică a României ("Romanian diplomatic action"), eventually translated into German, Hungarian, Croatian and Bulgarian.
He had three daughters , Ileana Troiano, Ioana Ellerington and Stanca Lipton and a son Scotus Tilea, from his first marriage and a son Ioni Tilea and daughter Anca Tilea from his second marriage to Manuela Monroe. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (C.B.E.).
, to meet Mr Herron, an American writer, and friend of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson
. Between February and October 1919, he served as the private secretary of Iuliu Maniu
, and from October to December 1919 the private secretary of Alexander Vaida, attending the Paris Peace Conference
. It was in that year he became attached to the Romanian Legation in London.
He served as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Envoy of Romania to London between 1938 and 1940. He was the first to work in 1 Belgrave Square, the current home of the Romanian Embassy in London.
, requesting political asylum. Resigning his post, he co-founded the Free Romanian Movement.
In 1940, a coalition of Horia Sima
, leader of the Iron Guard
, and General (later Marshal) Ion Antonescu
had formed a National Legionary State
in Romania, forcing King Carol II to abdicate in favour of his 19-year-old son Michael, who became a figurehead to this new fascist regime. Carol II fled to exile in Mexico, where he wrote to his distant cousin, King George VI of the United Kingdom
, hoping for British support for an overthrowing of the new government to return it to a monarchy. The British did not support this, however, and hence Tilea would spend the war planning the liberation of Romania by external means with the Allied Powers
. Tilea also played a role assisting the efforts the British government did make for the support of monarchists in Romania.
In mid-March 1939, Tilea falsely[?] reported to the British government that his country was under the verge of an immediate German attack, which led to a U-turn on British policy of resisting commitments in Eastern Europe
, as part of Neville Chamberlain's European Policy
. In fact, there was no German attack planned on Romania in March 1939, but faced with troops from Romania's arch-enemy Hungary concentrating on the border, and German efforts to secure control of their country's oil industry, the Romanian government had concluded that there was a danger of a Hungarian-German invasion, and had exaggerated the danger level in order to secure British support. Whether Tilea was deliberately exaggerating the German threat to Romania as a way of gaining British support against the German demands to surrender the control of their oil industry as claimed by the British historian D.C. Watt, or if the Romanians genuinely believed that their country was under the verge of a German invasion in March 1939 as claimed by the American historian Gerhard Weinberg
is still unclear.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n diplomat, most noted for his ambassadorship in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
during the Second World War. He died in London. During the Second World War, Tilea lived at Holton Place, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, where he became a key representative of Romania's monarchist regime in exile.
Personal life
He was born in SibiuSibiu
Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
. He studied at the Hermannstädter Evangelisches Obergimnasium in Sibiu, before joining the University of Bratislava. However, in 1915, he was conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian Army
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
. He completed his studies at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
.
In 1921, he married Eugenia "Gene" Pop in Cluj
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
. After a short stay in London in February 1922, the two returned to Cluj. Tilea published two works, entitled Rolul diplomaţiei în politica de stat ("The role of diplomacy in state policy") and Acţiunea diplomatică a României ("Romanian diplomatic action"), eventually translated into German, Hungarian, Croatian and Bulgarian.
He had three daughters , Ileana Troiano, Ioana Ellerington and Stanca Lipton and a son Scotus Tilea, from his first marriage and a son Ioni Tilea and daughter Anca Tilea from his second marriage to Manuela Monroe. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (C.B.E.).
Work
In October 1918, he joined the Romanian National Council, and was soon sent to GenevaGeneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, to meet Mr Herron, an American writer, and friend of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
. Between February and October 1919, he served as the private secretary of Iuliu Maniu
Iuliu Maniu
Iuliu Maniu was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian politician. A leader of the National Party of Transylvania and Banat before and after World War I, he served as Prime Minister of Romania for three terms during 1928–1933, and, with Ion Mihalache, co-founded the National Peasants'...
, and from October to December 1919 the private secretary of Alexander Vaida, attending the Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference
Paris Peace Conference may refer to:* Paris Peace Conference, 1919, negotiated the treaties ending World War I* Paris Peace Conference, 1946 July 29 to October 15, 1946See also...
. It was in that year he became attached to the Romanian Legation in London.
He served as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Envoy of Romania to London between 1938 and 1940. He was the first to work in 1 Belgrave Square, the current home of the Romanian Embassy in London.
Tilea affair
In September 1940, he was recalled from his post, but decided to stay in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, requesting political asylum. Resigning his post, he co-founded the Free Romanian Movement.
In 1940, a coalition of Horia Sima
Horia Sima
Horia Sima was a Romanian fascist politician. After 1938, he was the second and last leader of the fascist and antisemitic para-military movement known as the Iron Guard.-In Romania:...
, leader of the Iron Guard
Iron Guard
The Iron Guard is the name most commonly given to a far-right movement and political party in Romania in the period from 1927 into the early part of World War II. The Iron Guard was ultra-nationalist, fascist, anti-communist, and promoted the Orthodox Christian faith...
, and General (later Marshal) Ion Antonescu
Ion Antonescu
Ion Victor Antonescu was a Romanian soldier, authoritarian politician and convicted war criminal. The Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II, he presided over two successive wartime dictatorships...
had formed a National Legionary State
National Legionary State
The National Legionary State was the Romanian government from September 6, 1940 to January 23, 1941. It was a single-party regime dictatorship dominated by the overtly fascist Iron Guard in uneasy conjunction with the head of government and Conducător Ion Antonescu, the leader of the Romanian...
in Romania, forcing King Carol II to abdicate in favour of his 19-year-old son Michael, who became a figurehead to this new fascist regime. Carol II fled to exile in Mexico, where he wrote to his distant cousin, King George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
, hoping for British support for an overthrowing of the new government to return it to a monarchy. The British did not support this, however, and hence Tilea would spend the war planning the liberation of Romania by external means with the Allied Powers
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
. Tilea also played a role assisting the efforts the British government did make for the support of monarchists in Romania.
In mid-March 1939, Tilea falsely[?] reported to the British government that his country was under the verge of an immediate German attack, which led to a U-turn on British policy of resisting commitments in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
, as part of Neville Chamberlain's European Policy
Neville Chamberlain's European Policy
Neville Chamberlain's European Policy was based on a commitment to "peace for our time."- Commitment to peace :As with many in Europe who had witnessed the horrors of the First World War and its aftermath, Chamberlain was committed to peace...
. In fact, there was no German attack planned on Romania in March 1939, but faced with troops from Romania's arch-enemy Hungary concentrating on the border, and German efforts to secure control of their country's oil industry, the Romanian government had concluded that there was a danger of a Hungarian-German invasion, and had exaggerated the danger level in order to secure British support. Whether Tilea was deliberately exaggerating the German threat to Romania as a way of gaining British support against the German demands to surrender the control of their oil industry as claimed by the British historian D.C. Watt, or if the Romanians genuinely believed that their country was under the verge of a German invasion in March 1939 as claimed by the American historian Gerhard Weinberg
Gerhard Weinberg
Gerhard Ludwig Weinberg is a German-born American diplomatic and military historian noted for his studies in the history of World War II. Weinberg currently is the William Rand Kenan, Jr. Professor Emeritus of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has been a member of the...
is still unclear.