The (Un)grateful Homeland The Hard Life of World War I Invalids in Interwar Romania

In the interwar period there was a widespread wish to express gratitude towards those who suffered after World War I. The Romanian state assumed a central role in initiating and coordinating programs meant to ensure protection, support, and measures of social integration for the war invalids by adopting a wide-ranging legislative framework. The aim of the present study has been to review these legislative measures. In addition, it went beyond this analysis by presenting the difficult lives of the Romanian war invalids, due to the great number of affected individuals, to financial difficulties, and to frequent changes and readjustments in the law. The analysis of case studies from the periodical Glasul Eroilor (The voice of the heroes) has revealed examples of infringement of the invalids' rights, of dysfunctions and errors committed by state officials, of abuses and illegalities. Consequently, many Romanian war invalids felt that society was not really grateful for the sacrifices they had made.