No successful politician was an idiot, and Carol I was no exception. When it was time to bow his head, he bowed it; when he saw the situation was beyond saving, he directly called for the big boss!
Face and dignity meant nothing to politicians compared to profit, especially when their own interests were involved!
Since he had decided to bow his head, Carol I naturally had no intention of continuing to fight the Bulgarians to the death. Without the army in his hands, what would he use to keep his throne?
Though he was seen by the bourgeoisie as a good king, his reputation among the common people was far from good. Nor did Carol I believe a bunch of mud-legged peasants would care about international influence!
He decisively began contracting the defensive line. Within just a few days, the main force of the Romanian army had retreated to the capital, Bucharest, and begun defending the capital.
Bucharest lay in the central part of the Wallachian Plain in southeastern Romania, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, a tributary of the Danube River. It was Romania's largest city.
Carol I had begun defending the capital regardless of anything else, leaving Ferdinand dumbfounded. Should they attack or not?
If they attacked, the Bulgarian army would inevitably suffer grievous losses. More importantly, it would likely be difficult for the Bulgarian army to take Bucharest in a short time. But if they did not attack, Romania's largest city would be preserved!
What could not be taken by force could also be obtained at the negotiating table—but that did not apply to the Balkan countries of the present day!
Army Minister Popov proposed, "Your Majesty, we have already surrounded Bucharest. Given just one month, we can capture this city, and the Wallachian Plain