1878 Treaty Of Berlin And Romania's Independence
The Russian-Turkish War of 1878 is the last in a series of conflicts between the two countries which began in 1718 and marked history throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The Russian-Turkish wars in the 19th century gave the Romanian principalities, as well as the other states in the Balkans, the opportunity to move forward towards detachment from Ottoman influence, and towards independence. The first state to achieve this was Greece, in 1821, although its independence wasn't unanimously recognized until 1829. Romania followed, alongside Serbia and Montenegro, in 1878.
The last states to break away from the Ottoman Empire were Bulgaria, in 1908, and Albania, in 1912. Throughout history, conflicts between the Russian and Ottoman Empires brought major changes to Romania's road to independence, and often reorientation in the country's international relations. But the biggest goal - independence - was difficult to achieve. Russia was an autocratic empire very little inclined to accept modernization. The Russian Empire was the first to raise the flag of the anti-Ottoman crusade, meant to free the Orthodox and the Slavs from the Ottoman oppressors. In reality, Russia's hidden purpose was to eliminate the Ottoman Empire, but replace it with its own domination.
The "Eastern crisis" was a popular term during the War of Crimea, between 1853 and 1856. The four parties then involved in the conflict were the Russian and Ottoman Empires, England and France. After the war, a defeated Russia sought revenge, which it was to achieve in 1875. That year marked the beginning of a new episode in the so-called "Eastern crisis", a situation which remain unsolved until the break of World War I. By 1877, tension has accumulated, enough for Russia to declare war against the Ottomans. Romanian politicians of the time felt that was a good opportunity to proclaim the country's independence. As a step towards this goal, Romania signed an agreement with Russia in the winter of 1877, by which it allowed the Czarist Army to pass through our country and head south towards the Ottomans. During the military campaigns of 1877-1878, Romania participated with an army of about 100,000 soldiers. The fall of Pleven, which was the headquarters of the Staff of the Turkish army led by Osman Pasa, forced the Ottoman Empire to request a truce.
The signing of the Peace of San Stefano, a town near Constantinople, ended the hostilities, settled the military status of the countries involved in the conflicts, and announced Russia's main plans to be upheld at the future peace congress . The Romanian representative was not invited to the talks and our country's requests were not taken into consideration. This was a major signal for the Romanian political class. The fact that the Czarist army was stationed on Romanian soil and refused to leave it, concurrently with the fact that France, a traditional ally of Romania lost control over Europe after 1871, made Romanian politicians turn towards Germany. Being one of Europe's major powers, Germany played a leading role in the signing of the 1878 peace treaty in Berlin.
The peace congress was held in Berlin because at the time, Germany was the main European power. After the defeat suffered by France at Sedan and the unification of German states around the Hohenzollern House and emperor William I, Germany was ready to dominate Europe. Great Britain continued to remain in a state of what historians call "splendid isolation", meaning it continued to be a part of politics on the continent, but refrained from getting involved in treaties or alliances. At the congress, the most important decision concerning Romania was the recognition of its state independence. But the recognition was dependent on several conditions to be met by Romania.. According to the treaty, Romania was to lose southern Besserabia, retrocede in 1856 and at the insistence of Russia, it won the seaside region of Dobruja. Russia forced a deal on our country: Romania was to receive Dobruja, the Danube Delta and the Serpent Island in exchange for southern Besserabia because this region was of major interest to the Russian Empire due to its strategic location at the mouth of the Danube.
The Treaty of Berlin was a new reconfiguration of European politics. In 1878, Romania was left with no allies. This paradoxical state of affairs was noticed by king Carol of Romania and by all the politicians of the time. Romania was indeed an independent country, but with no allies, which it needed for protection in case of future threats. Neither German politicians or emperor Wilhelm the 1st had any consideration for the welfare of Romania when negotiating its new international judicial status. As Russia had done before, Germany simply aimed to reach its strategic goals, which Romania was no part of. Germany's biggest concern, was to keep France in a state of isolation, by using all diplomatic means, as it was inevitable that all the public opinion in France was unanimous in seeking revenge after the defeat suffered at Sedan. Therefore, Germany's leading policy was directed towards keeping France isolated. Contrary to popular belief, the alliance between Romania and Germany had little to do with the fact that Romania was ruled by Carol the 1st , who was a cousin of emperor Wilhelm the 1st.
At the storming of Plevna and the besieging of other places the Rumanian army rendered very important services to Russia - services for which Russia showed no gratitude. The complete independence of Rumania was recognized by the Congress of Berlin (13 July, 1878), but it was compelled to cede Bessarabia which it had acquired in 1856, to Russia, and to content itself with the less important Dobrudja.
In consequence of this disappointment Rumania since favored Germany and Austria in its foreign policy. On 26 March, 1881, Charles had himself crowned king. The new kingdom soon began to display a successful activity in both the material and intellectual domains. The natural richness of the land was developed, the building of roads and railways promoted, and the standard of public instruction raised. Between 1882 and 1885 the independence of the Orthodox Church in Rumania from the Patriarchate of Constantinople was effected, and in 1883 the Archdiocese of Bukarest was erected for the Catholics.
Thanks to its intellectual and material development and its military strength, Rumania became an important factor in European politics. Roumania was unlike the countries that surround her in that she possessed a regular system of party government, a constitutional monarchy resembling in character that of Great Britain more closely than any other European state. The Legislature was composed of a Parliament of two Houses. The Senate consisted of 120 members elected for eight years, including the bishops and university representatives. The Chamber of Deputies had 183 members elected for four years. They must not be under twenty-five years of age, receive twenty francs a day for actual attendance and free travel on the railways. There were two major political parties: the Liberals, whose chief, Bratiano, son of the well-known statesman who encouraged King Carol in his decision to fight with Russia against Turkey in 1877, was Prime Minister for twelve years. He was a man of intelligence and agreeable personality, and possessed the confidence of both King Carol and his successor.
The leader of the opposition and head of the Liberal Conservative party was the brilliant and keenly pro-ally statesman Take Jonescu, the true leader of the Roumanian Irredentist party. His shrewd intellect, wide vision, and great oratorical powers gained him a great following ; and his reputation in Western Europe stands deservedly very high.
The last quarter of the nineteenth century witnessed a great leap forward of the nation's prosperity. Indeed, so marked was the country's progress, so great the vigor and mental elan of the people, able at last to develop on free lines, so triumphant the success of the Roumanian armies who went to the relief of the Russians in the Russo-Turco War in 1877, that the just culmination of the nation's efforts was reached in 1881, when Prince Carol was proclaimed a King. He was crowned with an iron crown, made from one of the cannon captured at Plevna ; and the principality finally emerged among the Powers a recognized kingdom.
Grievous conditions, however, still prevailed in the country in one connexion - the distribution of the land and real property. Almost half of the landed interest (over 47 per cent) was vested in the hands of scarcely 4200 persons, so that Rumania outrivalled Southern Italy as the land of big estates with all the resulting evils. As these great landowners possess political as well as economical power, and exercise it to the detriment of the peasants, a serious rising of the peasants broke out in 1907, and could be suppressed only with the aid of the army after the proclaiming of martial law. To abolish gradually these evil conditions and to protect the peasants from the oppression of the landowners and lessees and from usury, a series of excellent agrarian reforms had been introduced since 1907 and had been in many cases enforced.
When the Balkan War of 1913 broke out Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece allied themselves together to cast out the hated tyrant, the Turk, from Europe. Roumania maintained an attitude of neutrality ; but when Bulgaria turned traitor to her Allies in true Bulgarian spirit and attacked them, Roumania intervened in order to maintain the right of small nations to exist.
In 1914 King Carol died. His reign, which lasted forty-eight years, was undoubtedly the turning-point in Roumanian history, for the country was transformed from a corrupt and oppressed vassal of the Turks, living in a state of anarchy and chaos, into the first of the Balkan Powers, and the seventh amongst the independent states of Europe. She stands seventh in the way of population, her territory exceeds in size that of Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark or Holland as well as any of the other Balkan states. Her army takes rank immediately after those of the six great Powers, and so greatly has her trade increased that it very nearly equals the combined amount of Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Greece.
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