Ferdinand I of Romania vs King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud

Ferdinand I became King of Romania on October 10, 1914, following the death of his uncle, King Carol I. He inherited a kingdom at a critical moment, as World War I had just begun, and Romania was initially neutral.

Ferdinand I signed the Treaty of Bucharest with the Allies on August 17, 1916, committing Romania to enter World War I on their side. Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary on August 27, 1916, aiming to annex Transylvania.

Following the collapse of Austria-Hungary, the Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia proclaimed the union of Transylvania with Romania on December 1, 1918. Ferdinand I ratified this union, fulfilling a key national goal and greatly expanding Romania's territory.

Ferdinand I signed the Agrarian Reform Law of 1921, which expropriated large estates and redistributed land to peasants. This reform aimed to address rural poverty and create a stable class of small landowners, but it also weakened the traditional aristocracy.

Ferdinand I and Queen Marie were crowned in a grand ceremony at Alba Iulia on October 15, 1922, symbolizing the unification of all Romanian provinces. The coronation affirmed the creation of Greater Romania after World War I.

Ibn Saud led a small force of 40 men to recapture Riyadh from the rival Al Rashid clan. The daring night raid restored the Saud family's control over their ancestral capital and marked the beginning of the unification of Arabia.

Ibn Saud proclaimed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, unifying the regions of Najd, Hejaz, Asir, and Al-Ahsa under his rule. The new kingdom was established as an absolute monarchy with Islamic law as its foundation.

Oil was discovered in commercial quantities in Dhahran by the American company Standard Oil of California (SOCAL). Ibn Saud granted a concession that led to the creation of Aramco, transforming Saudi Arabia's economy and global standing.

Ibn Saud met with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt aboard the USS Quincy in the Suez Canal. The meeting established the US-Saudi alliance, with the US guaranteeing Saudi security in exchange for oil access, a relationship that lasted for decades.