Acta Politica Polonica

This article aims to analyze the Romanian political landscape during the interwar period and identify the causes of the parliamentary system’s collapse, followed by the monarchical system’s downfall, ultimately leading to the fascist dictatorship of Ion Antonescu and the Iron Guard. To achieve this, the following thesis was formulated: the instability of the political structure in the Kingdom of Romania was caused by the multi-faceted nature of the political scene, reflected in the monarch’s intervention in the political process and the activities of far-right organizations. To confirm this thesis, the following research questions were posed: How did the First World War affect the political situation in the country? What factors contributed to the instability of the political situation during the period of parliamentarism? What led to the downfall of Charles II’s rule? To achieve the above goal and answer the research questions, methods appropriate for historical sciences and techniques – source analysis and case study – were employed. The result of this analysis is that the cause of the instability of successive governments in the Kingdom of Romania during the interwar period was largely the lack of adequate legal mechanisms, the conflict between the monarch seeking to assume authoritarian power and the far-right Iron Guard, which sought a similar goal. Additionally, the main factors contributing to the fall of successive Romanian regimes are considered to be the political incompetence of the monarch, the unfavorable international situation, and a lack of political culture.