BRATIANU, ION (1864-1927), Rumanian statesman, was born at Florica, Rumania, on Aug. 20, 1864, the son of Ion C. Bratianu. He was educated at the Polytechnic school in Paris and on returning to Rumania became an engineer on the state rail ways. In 1895 he was elected a deputy as a Liberal. In the fol lowing year he was appointed minister of the interior in the Cab inet presided over by D. Sturza, whom he succeeded as prime minister and chief of the Liberal party when the latter retired in 1909. He remained in power until Jan. 1911, when he resigned, but in 1913, after the signature of the Treaty of Bucharest, he again formed a Cabinet. At the opening of the World War Bratianu was in power and it was his Government that guided Rumania's destinies throughout the period. He resigned on Jan. 29, 1918, rather than sign the terms of the peace imposed by the Germans. In Dec. 1918, however, he was again called to power following upon the decision of Gen. Coanda's Government to denounce the separate peace signed with the Central Powers.
Bratianu was chief Rumanian delegate at the Peace Confer ence in Paris, but he refused to sign the Peace Treaty as a protest against the minority clauses in the treaty and against the division of the Banat of Temesvar between Rumania and Yugoslavia ; Bratianu, in accordance with the treaty of alliance concluded be tween Rumania and the Allies in 1916 claiming that province entirely for Rumania. In consequence he resigned and remained in opposition until Jan. 1922, when he became prime minister again. Bratianu followed closely the policy of consolidation in augurated by his father, and most of the chief reforms, such as the introduction of universal suffrage, agrarian reform and the settlement of the Jewish question, were enacted during the period when he was in power. From 1922 onwards Bratianu was now practically a dictator; he had with him in the government his brother, Vintila Bratianu, who was minister of finance. The economic policy of the Government, with its suspicious attitude towards foreign capital, was strongly criticized, and Bratianu resigned in March 1926, only to be recalled by the King in June. Bratianu was thus able to "make" the elections, and secured a substantial majority. He supported the king in the plans for the regency when Prince Carol was excluded from the succession, and stoutly opposed proposals for the return of the prince after the king's death. Bratianu was twice married. His second wife was a sister of Prince Stirbey, who was prime minister for a short period in 1927. He died on Nov. 24, 1927. His brother Vintila succeeded him as prime minister, but was displaced at the end of 1928 by Jiuliu Maniu, leader of the Peasant party.