Contents
Principatele Unite
United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia (1859–1862)
United Principalities of Romania (1862–1866)
Romania (1866–1881)
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1859–1881
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Flag Coat of arms
Capital Iasi (1859–1862)
Bucharest (1859–1881)
Language(s) Romanian
Government Constitutional monarchy
Prince
- 1859 - 1866 Alexandru Ioan Cuza
- 1866 - 1881 Carol I
Legislature Parlamentul (Reprezentanţa Naţională, or Corpurile Legiuitoare)
- Upper house Senatul
- Lower house Adunarea Deputaţilor
History
- Union between Moldavia and Wallachia January 24, 1859
- First common Government January 22, 1862
- Kingdom established March 13, 1881
Currency Romanian Leu
The United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, also known as The Romanian Principalities was the official name of Romania after the Union of 1859. On February 5, 1862 (January 24 Old Style) the two principalities were formally united to form United Pricipalities (of Romania). Alongside Transylvania, the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia became the basis for the Romanian nation-state[1].
Starting 1866, when a new Constitution came into effect, the official name used was Romania, and, after the establishment of the Kingdom in 1881, Kingdom of Romania.
As a historical term designating the pre-Union Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia, and sometimes also the Principality of Transylvania, the term Romanian Principalities dates back to the beginnings of the modern Romanian historiography in the mid 19th century,1 being subsequently used by Romanian historians alternatively with the much older term Romanian Lands. In English, the term Romanian Principalities is documented from the second half of the 19th century.
For the epoch between the late 18th century and 1860s, an alternative name was also Danubian Principalities, which sometimes was meant to include Serbia, but was not meant to include Transylvania. By contrast, Romanian Principalities is sometimes meant to include Transylvania, and never includes Serbia.
The United Principalities of Wallachia (Tara Romaneasca) and Moldova (in French Les Principautés de Valachie et de Moldavie) was a state formed by the union between Moldova and Tara Romaneasca in 1859 under a single ruler. The state covered the regions Oltenia, Muntenia, Dobrogea, Moldova and southern Bessarabia (ie Cahul, Bolgrad and Ismail). The union of the two principalities of Romania was the first step toward creating a single state. The two rulers of the united principalities were Alexandru Ioan Cuza and Charles I. Following the defeat of the Russian Empire in the Crimean War and the signing of the Treaty of Peace from Paris 1856, the two principalities were put under joint supervision of the Ottoman Empire and the Congress of the Great Powers (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Second French Empire Kingdom of Sardinia, the Austrian Empire, Prussia and only a declarative level, Russian Empire). In the two principalities, unionist political movement National Party was regarded with sympathy by France, Russia, Prussia and Sardinia-Piedmont, was seen as a threat to their interests in the area of the Austrian Empire, Britain and the Ottoman Empire. Negotiations during the above said Treaty led to the approval of a minimum union, the two princes were to be elected in Bucharest and Iasi, the second legislative body, will that work in Focsani a joint legislative body that takes decisions in areas of common interest, such as taxes. Another decision which concerned the fate of the two principalities were the elections for ad hoc parliament meetings of all social classes, which were to discuss the future of both countries. In 1859, taking advantage of the ambiguity of the final texts of agreements, which envisaged the existence of two reigns, but not prevent one and the same person to be elected to both thrones, was elected as ruler of the united principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. The Treaty of Paris replaced the Russian protectorate with collective security powers. But it has not achieved union of the principalities but facilitated by the way, leaving the matter in the hands of the Romanians. By double election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza Romanian people have done it, first, the personal union (1859) and then full unification (1864). On January 5, 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected as ruler in Moldova. On January 24 the same year, Cuza was elected as ruler in Tara Romaneasca. That is how Moldova and Tara Romaneasca were united and the United Principalities were born.
History
The aftermath of Russian defeat in 1856 (the Treaty of Paris) brought forth a period of common tutelage of the Ottomans and a Congress of Great Powers (the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Second French Empire, the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, the Austrian Empire, Prussia, and, albeit never again fully, Russia). While the Moldavia-Wallachia unionist cause, which had come to dominate political demands, was viewed with sympathy by the French, Russians, Prussians, and Sardinians, it was rejected by the Austrian Empire, and viewed with suspicion by Great Britain and the Ottomans[2]. Negotiations amounted to an agreement over a minimal and formal union - however, elections for the ad-hoc divans of 1859 profited from an ambiguity in the text of the final agreement (specifying two thrones, but not preventing the same person from occupying both) and made possible the rule of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as Domnitor of the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia (of Romania from 1862).
Although internationally recognized only for the period of Cuza's rule[2], the union was cemented by Cuza's unsanctioned interventions in the text of previous organic laws, as well as by the circumstances of his deposition in 1866, when the rapid election of Carol of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, who had the backing of an increasingly important Prussia, and the Austro-Prussian War made measures taken against the union impossible.
In 1878, after the Romanian War of Independence, Romania shook off formal Ottoman rule, but clashed with its Russian ally over the Russian request for the Bujak (southern Bessarabia) - ultimately, Romania was awarded Northern Dobruja in exchange for southern Bessarabia. A Kingdom of Romania emerged in 1881.
Timeline (1859 - 1881)
History of Romania
This article is part of a series
Prehistory
Dacia
Dacian Wars
Roman Dacia
Thraco-Roman
Early Middle Ages
Origin of the Romanians
Middle Ages
History of Transylvania
Principality of Transylvania
Foundation of Wallachia
Foundation of Moldavia
Early Modern Times
Phanariotes
Danubian Principalities
National awakening
Organic Statute
1848 Moldavian Revolution
1848 Wallachian Revolution
United Principalities
War of Independence
Kingdom of Romania
World War I
Greater Romania
World War II
Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina
Communist Romania
Soviet occupation
1989 Revolution
Romania since 1989
Topic
Timeline
Military history
Romania Portal
1862 Formal union of Moldavia and Wallachia to form principality of Romania.
1866 Cuza forced to abdicate and a foreign dynasty is established. Carol I signed the first modern Constitution.
1877 April 16. Treaty by which the Russian troops are allowed to pass through Romanian territory
April 24. Russia declares war to the Ottoman Empire and its troops enter Romania
May 9. Romanian independence declared by the Romanian parliament, start of Romanian War of Independence
May 10. Carol I ratifies independence declaration
1878 Under Treaty of Berlin, Ottoman Empire recognizes Romanian independence. Romania ceded southern Bessarabia to Russia.
1881 Carol I was proclaimed King of Romania on March 26.
Historic usage of these terms
The designation of the principalities of Walachia and Moldavia under the terms Romanian Lands, and later Romanian Principalities was more than an ethno-linguistic description. Structural similarities in politics, state organization, social and cultural life, and most of all the fact of sharing Eastern Christianity set Walachia and Moldavia apart from their neighbors since late 14th and early 15th centuries, which led historians to coin and use these terms.
The term Romanian Land(s) can be documentary traced to the early 16th century. Neacşu's Letter and chancellery documents indicate that the autochthonous name of Walachia was Romanian Land (Romanian: Ţara Românească). Humanists traveling to or living in Transylvania, Moldavia, and Walachia note as early as the 16th century that the inhabitants of all three call themselves Romanians:
- In 1534, Tranquillo Andronico wrote Valachi (Romanians) "now call themselves Romans"'.[3]
- In 1532, Francesco della Valle travelling to Transylvania, Walachia and Moldavia noted that Romanians preserved the name of the Romans (Romani) and "they call themselves in their language Romanians (Romei)". He cites the sentence "Sti rominest ?" ("Do you speak Romanian ?" for Romanian: "ştii româneşte ?").[4]
- In 1574, Pierre Lescalopier noted that "those inhabiting Walachia, Moldavia and the most part of Transylvania say to be descendants of Romans, calling their language "romanechte" (French transcription for Romanian româneşte).[5]
- In around 1575, Ferrante Capeci wrote that "the inhabitants of those Provinces call themselves “Romanians”"[6]
- In the late 1500s, Giorgio Tomasi wrote that in Transylvania "live few others than Wallachian, who don’t want to be called otherwise but “Romanischi”, praising themselves to have Roman origins."[7]
- In 1554, Orichovius (Stanislaw Orzechowski) noted "in their own language, Romanians are called Romin, after the Romans, and Walachs in Polish, after the Italians".[8]
- The Transylvanian Saxon Johann Lebel confirms in 1542 that common Romanians call themselves "Romuini",[9]
- Anton Verancsics wrote in around 1570 that Romanians living in Transylvania, Moldavia and Walachia call themselves Romans (Romanians).[10]
- Reporting in 1699 about the Romanians of Transylvania, Martinus Szent-Ivany cited Romanian expressions like “We too are Romanians” ("Sie noi sentem Rumeni", for Romanian: "Şi noi suntem români") and “We are of Romanian blood” ("Noi sentem di sange Rumena", for Romanian: "Noi suntem de sânge român").[11]
A common Romanian ethno-linguistic area embracing Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania is mentioned by the chronicler Miron Costin in the 17th century.[12]