United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia
United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (1859–1862) Romanian United Principalities (1862–1866) Romania (1866–1881) Principatele Unite ale Moldovei și Țării Românești (Romanian) | |||||||||||||||
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1859–1881 | |||||||||||||||
Motto:
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Anthem:
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Status | Vassal state of the Ottoman Empire (1859–1877)[a] | ||||||||||||||
Capital | |||||||||||||||
Common languages | |||||||||||||||
Religion | Romanian Orthodox, Catholicism, Judaism, Reformed Church | ||||||||||||||
Demonym(s) | Romanian | ||||||||||||||
Government | Constitutional monarchy[b] | ||||||||||||||
Domnitor (Prince) | |||||||||||||||
• 1859–1866 | Alexandru Ioan Cuza | ||||||||||||||
• 1866–1881 | Carol I | ||||||||||||||
Regency | |||||||||||||||
• 1866 | Lascăr Catargiu | ||||||||||||||
• 1866 | Nicolae Golescu | ||||||||||||||
• 1866 | Nicolae Haralambie | ||||||||||||||
Ion Brătianu (last) | |||||||||||||||
Legislature | Assembly of Deputies | ||||||||||||||
History | |||||||||||||||
24 January 1859 | |||||||||||||||
• First common government | 22 January 1862 | ||||||||||||||
• First Constitution | 13 July 1866 | ||||||||||||||
9 May 1877 | |||||||||||||||
• Kingdom established | 14 March 1881 | ||||||||||||||
Area | |||||||||||||||
1860[1] | 123,335 km2 (47,620 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
1881[1] | 130,177 km2 (50,262 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Population | |||||||||||||||
• 1860[1] | 3,917,541 | ||||||||||||||
• 1881[1] | 4,545,821 | ||||||||||||||
Currency | |||||||||||||||
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Today part of | |||||||||||||||
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The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (
In February 1866, Prince Cuza was forced to abdicate and go into exile by a political coalition led by the Liberals; the German Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was offered the Throne and, on 22 May [O.S. 10 May] 1866 he entered Bucharest for the first time. In July the same year, a new constitution came into effect, giving the country the name of Romania; internationally, this name was used only after 1877, since at the time the foreign policy of the state was drafted by the Ottomans. Nominally, the new state remained a vassal of the Ottoman Empire. However, by this time the suzerainty of the Sublime Porte had become a legal fiction. Romania had its own flag and anthem; after 1867, it had its own currency as well.
On 21 May [
For its triple symbolic meaning, the date of May 10 was celebrated as Romania's National Day until 1948, when the Communist regime installed the republic on 30 December 1947.
Background
As a historical term designating the pre-Union Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, sometimes including the Principality of Transylvania, the term "Romanian Principalities" dates back to the beginnings of modern Romanian history in the mid-19th century.[citation needed][5] It was subsequently used by Romanian historians as an alternative to the much older term "Romanian Lands". English use of "Romanian Principalities" is documented from the second half of the 19th century.
In the period between the late 18th century and the 1860s, Danubian Principalities was used, a term that sometimes included Serbia, but not Transylvania. In contrast, use of "Romanian Principalities" sometimes included Transylvania but never Serbia.
History
The aftermath of the
Though internationally formally recognized only after the period of Cuza's reign,
Following the
The reign of Alexandru Ioan Cuza
Opposition from the large-land-owners dominated parliament to Cuza resulted in a coup against him in 1864. He subsequently instituted authoritarian rule but his popular support, strong at the time of the coup, gradually waned as the land reform failed to bring prosperity to the peasant majority.[citation needed]
Cuza was forced to abdicate in 1866 by the two main political groups, the Conservatives and the Liberals, who represented the interests of former large-land-owners. Although the event sparked some anti-unionist turmoil in Cuza's native province of Moldavia, it was quickly suppressed by the central authorities.[citation needed]
The reign of Carol I as Prince
The new governing coalition appointed
In April 1877, in the wake of a new Russo-Turkish war, Romania signed a convention by which Russian troops were allowed to pass through Romanian territory in their advance towards the Ottoman Empire. On May 9, the Romanian parliament declared the independence of the principality, and joined the war on the Russian side. After several Romanian victories south of the Danube and the ultimate victory of the Russian-led side in the war, the European powers recognized Romania's independence under the 1878 Treaty of Berlin. Nevertheless, Romania was made to exchange Southern Bessarabia for Northern Dobruja, and allow non-Christians living in Romania access to Romanian citizenship.[citation needed]
In 1881, the country's parliament proclaimed Romania a kingdom.
List of Princes of Romania
Prince | Reign | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
Alexandru Ioan I (Alexandru Ioan Cuza) |
5 February 1862 – 22 February 1866 (4 years, 17 days) |
Born in Bârlad, Moldavia | |
Carol I (Karl Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen) |
20 April 1866 – 15 March 1881 (14 years, 329 days) |
First German King of Romania from the House of Hohenzollern, the founder of the Romanian branch of this German royal dynasty |
Administrative divisions
As of 1872, the Romanian Principality was organized into 33 counties of which 17 were in Wallachia (12 in Muntenia and 5 in Oltenia), and 16 were in Moldavia (13 in western Moldavia and 3 in southern Bessarabia).[10]
Demographics
According to the 1859–1860 census, the United Principalities had a population of 3,864,848.[11]
Religion and ethnic group | number | % |
---|---|---|
Eastern Orthodox |
3,638,749 | 94.2 |
Jewish | 134,168 | 3.5 |
Roman Catholic |
45,152 | 1.2 |
Protestant |
28,903 | 0.7 |
Lipovans | 8,375 | 0.2 |
Armenians | 8,178 | 0.2 |
Muslim | 1,323 | 0.03 |
Total | 3,864,848 | 100.0 |
Cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants, in 1859:[11]
Rank | Name | Population | Region |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Bucharest | 121,734 | Muntenia |
2 | Iași | 65,745 | Moldavia |
3 | Izmail1 | 31,779 | Southern Bessarabia |
4 | Botoșani | 27,147 | Moldavia |
5 | Ploiești | 26,468 | Muntenia |
6 | Galați | 26,050 | Moldavia |
7 | Craiova | 21,521 | Oltenia |
8 | Brăila | 15,767 | Muntenia |
9 | Bârlad | 13,165 | Moldavia |
10 | Focșani | 13,164 | Moldavia |
11 | Huși | 12,764 | Moldavia |
12 | Piatra Neamț | 11,805 | Moldavia |
13 | Roman | 10,818 | Moldavia |
14 | Giurgiu | 10,557 | Muntenia |
Notes: 1 - data for 1856.[12]
See also
References
- ^ INSSE. 1939. p. 41.
- ISBN 9789738953215. Archived from the original(PDF) on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ (in French) Histoire du congrès de Paris, Edouard Gourdon (1857)
- ISBN 9781861891037.
- ^ map of principalities, Principalities under Michael the Brave
- ^ ISBN 9780295803609. Retrieved 2012-03-28.
- ^ a b Kremnitz, Mite. Reminiscences of the King of Roumania. pp. 317–318.
- ^ "Regele Carol I, așa cum l-au descris câțiva dintre cei care l-au cunoscut - Editia de Dimineata". 2021-06-10. Archived from the original on 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
- ^ Source
- ^ (in Romanian) Map: [1] & Encyclopedic book O lucrare enciclopedica despre Romania, aparuta in primii ani de domnie ai lui Carol I
- ^ INSSE.
- ^ "Chambers's encyclopaedia; a dictionary of universal knowledge for the people". London [etc.] : W. and R. Chambers. 8 January 1860. p. 649 – via Internet Archive.
Further reading
- Keith Hitchins, The Romanians, 1774–1866 (1996) online
- Europa, Rusia si Romania, Ethnic and Political Studies, D. A. Sturdza, 1890 (in Romanian)