Carol Caraiman și rolul aerodromului clujean în spectaculara restaurație a prințului exilat [Carol Caraiman (King Carol II of Romania) and the role of the Cluj airfield in the spectacular restoration of the exiled prince (1930)]

This is the story of a dramatic homecoming that felt more like a film plot than a political coup. In June 1930, Prince Carol II’s plane touched down at the Cluj airfield, marking a spectacular and risky return to reclaim his throne. Moving away from the later propaganda, this work seeks to find the man behind the monarch. It offers a more intimate look at a ruler who arrived with the ambition of a saviour, only to find his reign swept away by the brutal tides of 20th-century extremism.

Keywords: King Carol II of Romania, Restoration of Carol II, Cluj airfield, Interwar Romania, Romanian Monarchy, Aviation history.

Acknowledgments: This work was financially supported by the project ”Quality, innovative and labor market relevant doctoral and postdoctoral research”: POCU/380/6/13/124146, a project co-financed from the European Social Fund, through the Human Capital Operational Program 2014-2020.