History of Romania: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 03:47, 1 November 2002

Background: The territory of today's Romania was inhabited in antiquity by the Dacians, a Thracian tribe. Eventually, a state emerged. The Dacian state sustained a series of conflicts with the expanding Roman Empire, and was finally conquered in 106 by the Roman emperor Trajan, during the reign of the dacian king Decebalus.

Faced by successive invasions of germanic tribes, the Roman administration withdrew two centuries later. Multiple waves of invasion followed: such as the the slavs in the 7th century, the hungarians in the 9th century, and the tatars in the 13th century. However, the most important and influential of the invasions, was the 12th century migration of the Vlachs, a linguistically Latin people who occupied vast portions of the territory know known as Romania, after crossing the River Danube from the south. It is from the Vlaques that the current population of Romania descends, drawing both their language and religion from these ancestors. In all, the early Vlaque period is however part of a several centuries long 'Dark Age' which is only know being revealed through archeological and archeo-linguistic research.

After the The larger principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia emerged in the 14th century. Transylvania was, at that time, a largely autonomous part of the Hungarian kingdom, a result of the conquest in the 11th to 13th century of the pre-existent smaller political formations.

The end of the same 14th century also brought the Ottoman Turks to the Danube. Their territory expanded rapidly. In 1453 Constantinople fell and in 1541 all the Balkans and most of Hungary became provinces of the Ottoman Empire. At the same time, Moldavia, Wallachia, and Transylvania remained autonomous, under Ottoman suzerainty.

The year 1600 brought the first unification of the three principalties by Wallachian prince Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave for the english-speakers). The union did not last, since Mihai was killed only one year later by the soldiers of a Hungarian army officer.

At the end of the 17th century Hungary and Transylvania become part of the Austrian Empire, following the defeat of the turks. In their tun, the Austrians rapidly expanded their empire: In 1718 an important part of Wallachia was incorporated to the Austrian Empire and was only returned in 1793.

The eastern province of Moldavia has not had a simpler destiny. In 1775 the Austrian Empire occupied the north-western part of Moldavia, later called Bukovina. In 1812, Russia occupied the eastern half of the principality, calling it Bessarabia.

As in most European countries, 1848 brought revolution to Moldova, Wallachia, and Transylvania. Its goals - complete independence and national emancipation - remained unfulfilled, but were the basis of the subsequent evolutions. Also, they helped the population of the three principalities recognise their unity of language and interests.

In 1859, prince elections (yes, elections) held in both Moldavia and Wallachia chose the same person as prince. Thus, Romania was created. In 1866 the german prince Carol (Charles) of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was appointed as prince, in a move to assure German backing to unity and future independence. In 1877, following a Russian-Romanian-Turk war, Romania became completely independent, and in 1881 it became a kingdom.

In 1916 Romania entered the first World War on the Entente side. At the end of the war, the Austrian and Russian empires had gone; governing bodies created in Transylvania and Bessarabia chose union with Romania.

The resulting "Great Romania", did not survive World War II. In 1939 Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Ribbentrop-Molotov treaty, that stipulated, amongst other things, the Soviet "interest" in Bessarabia.

As a result, in 1940, Romania lost territory in both east and west: In June 1940 the Soviet Union took Bessarabia and Bukovina after issuing an ultimatum to Romania. Two thirds of Bessarabia are collated to a small part of URSS to form the "Moldavian Soviet Republic". The rest was appointed to the Ukrainian Soviet Republic.

In August 1940, half of Transylvania - later called the Northern Transylvania - was "given" by Germany and Italy to the fascist Hungarian state. Both regions still have a Romanian majority population.

At the end of WWII, Northern Transylvania returned to Romania; the Moldavian Soviet Republic became independent only in 1991, under the name of Moldova.

Soviet occupation following World War II led to the formation of a communist Peoples Republic in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of President Nicolae Ceausescu became increasingly draconian through the 1980s.

In December 1989, bloody demonstrations and uprisings resulted in Ion Illiescu taking over as president on December 22nd. Nicolae Ceausescu was immediately arrested, and after a quick trial, he and his wife were executed on December 25th. Democratic elections were held, but Illiescu and former communists dominated the government until 1996. Much economic restructuring remains to be carried out before Romania can achieve its hope of joining the EU. Right now, Romania's first purpose is to become a NATO member, hoping to be invited to join the treaty in November, at the Prague summit of the alliance.

See also : Romania

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 <b>Background:</b>
-The territory of today's Romania was inhabited in antiquity by the [[Dacia]]ns, a [[Thracian]] tribe. Eventually, a state emerged. The Dacian state sustained a series of conflicts with the expanding [[Roman Empire]], and was finally conquered in [[106]] by the [[Roman emperor]] [[Trajan]], during the reign of the dacian king [[Decebalus]]. Roman conquest brought [[colony|colonists]], the [[Latin language]] - from which descended the [[Romanian language]] - and [[Christianity]].
+The territory of today's Romania was inhabited in antiquity by the [[Dacia]]ns, a [[Thracian]] tribe. Eventually, a state emerged. The Dacian state sustained a series of conflicts with the expanding [[Roman Empire]], and was finally conquered in [[106]] by the [[Roman emperor]] [[Trajan]], during the reign of the dacian king [[Decebalus]].
-Faced by successive invasions of [[Germanic peoples|germanic tribes]], the Roman administration withdrew two centuries later. Multiple waves of invasion followed: such as the the [[Slavic peoples|slavs]] in the [[7th century]], the [[Magyars|hungarians]] in the [[9th century]], and the [[tatars]] in the [[13th century]]. References to native political entities disappear during these "dark ages" until the [[10th century]].
+Faced by successive invasions of [[Germanic peoples|germanic tribes]], the Roman administration withdrew two centuries later. Multiple waves of invasion followed: such as the the [[Slavic peoples|slavs]] in the [[7th century]], the [[Magyars|hungarians]] in the [[9th century]], and the [[tatars]] in the [[13th century]]. However, the most important and influential of the invasions, was the 12th century migration of the Vlachs, a linguistically Latin people who occupied vast portions of the territory know known as Romania, after crossing the River Danube from the south.  It is from the Vlaques that the current population of Romania descends, drawing both their language and religion from these ancestors. In all, the early Vlaque period is however part of a several centuries long 'Dark Age' which is only know being revealed through archeological and archeo-linguistic research.
-The larger principalities of [[Moldavia]] and [[Wallachia]] emerged in the [[14th century]]. [[Transylvania]] was, at that time, a largely autonomous part of the [[Hungary|Hungarian]] kingdom, a result of the conquest in the [[11th century|11th]] to 13th century of the pre-existent smaller political formations.
+After the The larger principalities of [[Moldavia]] and [[Wallachia]] emerged in the [[14th century]]. [[Transylvania]] was, at that time, a largely autonomous part of the [[Hungary|Hungarian]] kingdom, a result of the conquest in the [[11th century|11th]] to 13th century of the pre-existent smaller political formations.
 The end of the same 14th century also brought the [[Ottoman Turks]] to the [[Danube River|Danube]]. Their territory expanded rapidly. In [[1453]] [[Constantinople]] fell and in [[1541]] all the [[Balkan peninsula|Balkans]] and most of Hungary became provinces of the [[Ottoman Empire]]. At the same time, Moldavia, Wallachia, and Transylvania remained autonomous, under Ottoman suzerainty.