The Winton M. Blount Postal History Symposia - Smithsonian ...

6 6 • s m i t h s o n i a n c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o h i s t o ry a n d t e c h n o l o g yacquisition from Greece) in the distance and a rising sunblazing in the sky. The final stamp in the series is a view ofthe Poganovski Monastery.Romania participated in Hitler’s invasion of the SovietUnion in June of 1941 and sent troops into Bessarabiato reclaim the territory that Stalin had annexed the previousyear. 22 On the first anniversary of its reconquest ofBessarabia, Romania issued a series of three semi- postalstamps. 23 All three portray General Antonescu, Romania’sde facto head of state. Two of the three also portray theKing of Romania, King Michael; King Michael’s father,King Carol II, had been forced to abdicate in 1940 due tonational outrage over the country’s territorial losses. Dueto Michael’s youth, General Antonescu served as regent.The first stamp in the series depicts the Romanianarmy crossing the Pruth River to retake Bessarabia; thePruth was the western border of Bessarabia. The bridgeis in the foreground, and the soldiers are viewed from theback as they march from Romania into Bessarabia. Inaddition to two icons representing the occupying power(General Antonescu plus the army), the iconic contentincludes one of the optional elements, the crossing of aborder. Both King Michael and General Antonescu appearon the second stamp, along with a portrait of Stephenof Moldavia, a famous fifteenth- century Romanianruler during whose reign Bessarabia was part of Moldavia(justification of occupation by citing historical precedent).The third stamp (Figure 8) is a map of Bessarabia; at thebottom of the stamp, beneath the map, are soldiers. Fourportraits complete the stamp’s iconic content. In additionto those of King Michael and General Antonescu, homageis paid to Hitler and Mussolini: a tip of the hat to the Axis,since Romania’s alliance with the Axis made the return ofBessarabia possible.The purpose here has been to explain the iconic contentand textual messages of the stamps or sets of stampsissued by several eastern European countries to celebratetheir territorial acquisitions obtained during the periodfrom the Munich crisis in the fall of 1938 to Hitler’s invasionof the Soviet Union in June 1941. The stamps havebeen described as propaganda posters, and the analysisof their iconic content and textual messages has shownhow they functioned as such. In conclusion, the issuethat remains to be addressed is the purpose of these miniaturepropaganda posters: specifically, what messagesthe five governments were seeking to convey with thesestamps, and how they wished to influence public opinion.Philatelic literature, once again, is virtually silent on thistopic, and a search for relevant government documents ormemoir material is beyond the scope of this study. AnyFigure 8. On the first anniversary of its reconquest of Bessarabia,Romania issued a series of three stamps. The third stamp is amap of Bessarabia; at the bottom of the stamp, beneath the map, aresoldiers. Four portraits complete the stamp’s iconic content: KingMichael, General Antonescu, Hitler, and Mussolini—a tip of the hatto the Axis, since Romania’s alliance with the Axis made the returnof Bessarabia possible. From the collection of Robin Gates Elliott.conclusions, therefore, are purely speculative. Yet speculationis possible through seeking connections between thestamp designs and the historical background and circumstancesthat produced them.First, all of these stamps convey a positive message:wrongs have been righted, integral parts of the homelandhave been restored, and ethnic brethren have been rescuedfrom foreign domination and returned safely home. Everyoneis happy: soldiers are greeted with flowers, the ethnicbrethren are smiling, flags are flying, and the sun is shining.Even the suffering Szeklar in the arms of the Madonnais at least still alive. The happiness portrayed stands insharp contrast to the national mood caused by the loss ofthe territories. Hungary endured a year of political turmoilin 1919 due to its territorial losses, and the Treaty of Trianonthe following year, which confirmed the losses, wasan occasion for national mourning and defiance. Bulgariamarked the Treaty of Neuilly with a day of mourning. Asa result of Romanian territorial losses in 1940, the king,Carol II, was forced to abdicate in favor of his young son,Michael. It also stands in contrast to the actual conditionsthat existed in eastern Europe when the stamps were