In the early 1800's the growing national feeling led to a strong development of Romanian litterture, theater and education. The failure of the Hetaeri uprising in 1821 led by Alexandros Ypislantis and Tudor Vladimirescu made the Turks agian start appointing native princes, and after the peace of Edirne after the Russian-Turkish war 1828-29 these were given Russian protection. The principalities were under Russian military adminstration until 1834, and in 1831-32 the occupying power made the so-called 'Organic Statutes' ('Reglement organique'), which in reality was a first Romanian constitution. Although it caused worse conditions for the farmers, it made the foundation for a modernization of the public administration and opened the way for a union between Moldavia and Walachia by creating uniform institutions in both principalities and mutual customs arrangements between them (1846-47).

Influenced by the February Revolution in France large uprisings were organized in 1848-49 in Moldavia, Walachia and Transylvania. These were suppressed by outside forces, and until 1856 the later Romania stood almost constantly under Russian, Turkish and Austrian occupation. During a few years, however, the Crimean War changed the whole international constellation. At the peace treaty of Paris in 1856 it was established that Walachia and Moldavia should remain under Turkish supremacy, but their autonomy should be guarateed by a joint "Danube Commission" (consisting of France, Great Britain, Turkey, Sardinia, Austria, Preussen and Russia).

Alexandru Ioan Cuza Prince of Moldavia and Walachia from 1859, of Romania 1862-66 Mi 558

Already in 1857 the parliaments established in Bucarest and Iasi declared their intention to unite the two principalities under a mutual hereditary monarch, and in January/February 1859 they bypassed the Danube Commission by both choosing Alexandru Ioan Cuza as their prince. The double election of Cuza (1859-66) was followed by an intense political campaign to get an acceptance from Turkey, and then to create a true union of the principalities. The efforts were rewarded by success in Januar 1862, when Moldavia and Walachia were united in one single principality under the name Romania, with mutual parliament and government in Bucarest. The prince immediately initiated a series of liberal reforms, and by a coup d'etat in 1864 Cuza and his prime minister Mihail Kogalniceanu consolidated their power to initiate an extensive land reform. A counter-coup led by Lascar Catargiu, however, forced Cuza to abdicate in February 1866. A regency was elected which then offered the throne to Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Later the same year he was declared Prince of Romania under the name of Carol 1.

Carol 1 Prince of Romania from 1866 King of Romania from 1881 Mi 563

During the Russian-Turkish war 1877-78 Carol I made vital contributions on Russian side, and in May 1877 he proclaimed full Romanian independence from Turkey. The Berlin Congress 1878 acknowledged the independence, and Northern Dobrudja including the harbor town of Constanta was ceeded to Romania.

In March 1881 Romania was proclaimed as Kingdom, and in 1885 the Patriarch of Konstantinopel recognized the Romanian Orthodox Church as independent. In his foreign policies King Carol in 1883 joined the Triple Entente through a secret treaty, but this was never ratified by the Parliament.

The years following 1900 were characterized by strong industrial development, the building of a modern banking system and modernization of the harbors along the Danube and on the Black Sea coast. International capital got large influence in the new oil industry. In the state administration, however, abolishment of the strongly rooted corruption was unsuccesful, and the continued exploitation of the peasants caused a violent uprising in 1907 which was brutally suppressed. In the second Balkan war Romania interfered on the side of Serbia and Greece, and forced Bulgaria to surrender Southern Dobrudja at the peace treaty of Bucarest in August 1913.

---

Previous: Medieval Principalities

Next: Romania in World War I

---

Back to Romania