The Small State in International Relations – Regional Security Arrangements of Finland and Romania in the Interwar Period

The study analyses the concept of a small state, its role in international relations and the way it can ensure its security in relation to the great actors. The concept of a small state emerged in the post-war period, being definitely imposed in the 60s-70s of the 20th century. There are two important schools of thought in this research area. The first is the positivist approach that defines the small state starting, mainly, from the geographical criteria – surface, population, resources etc. The second introduces, along with the physicalgeographical criteria, the geopolitical framework, namely the way the respective state influences European and world political affairs as well as the decisions of other states. Regardless of the approach paradigm, the small state is not necessarily a victim of the great powers, having its definite role in the dynamics of international relations and the main goal of ensuring its survival in a most often anarchic international environment. Moreover, the study provides an analysis of the regional security strategies of Romania and Finland, two states located far from each other in the interwar period, showing that Romania tried to compensate for the security deficit by concluding regional alliances with Poland (1921), the Little Entente (1920-1921) and the Balkan Entente (1934), while Finland was very reluctant to such formulas. It joined neither the Baltic Entente nor the Nordic Group, but collaborated with them. As the entire international order established by the Paris Peace Conference collapsed at the end of the fourth decade of the 20th century, Romania and Finland found themselves at the discretion of the two great totalitarian powers – Germany and the Soviet Union. Their conduct during the years of the Second World War influenced their post-war destiny.