Romanian Gendarmerie - Early History
The Romanian Gendarmerie was founded on the 3rd of April 1850, when the ruler Grigore Alexandru Ghica, approved the decision of People Assembly and promulgated "The Rule for Reform of the Corps Servants in Gendarmes". This law granted the Gendarmerie a legal status and established the principles of organizing and functioning.
The law stated that the Gendarmes Regiment of Moldavia would split into 2 two structures, each one having 6 counties as area of responsibility. Each county had 1 Company of gendarmes and there were 2 more companies to the police and the authorities of Iasi City . These 14 companies consisted of 1433 mounted and dismounted gendarmes. This law also established the following attributions: surveillance of the public safety, maintaining order and law enforcement.
During the reign of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the Romanian Gendarmerie, as all the institutions of the state has been modernized. Thus, in the same time with the transformation of the Gendarmes Regiment into Gendarmes Legion, the process of replacing the Gendarmes Squadrons with Dorobants Squadrons begins. Then under The Law for Organizing of Military Forces from November 1864, the Gendarmerie is organized on new principles and put under the direct command of the Ministry of War, ceasing to be subordinated to the Ministry of Interior. The Law of Gendarmerie from 1850 and The City Gendarmes Regulations have been the main documents for organizing and functioning of the Gendarmerie and also, the base of the new law and regulations.
The period between 1866-1877 is characterized by transformation in the country's defense system, successively, in the years 1868, 1872, 1874, 1877, leading to modernization and training of the army, which by glorious actions during The Independence War from 1877 -1878, covered with glory, contributing decisively to the independence. By organization, training and functioning the Gendarmerie performed tasks as Military Police and in special situation was engaged in combat together with military units, or even independently. For the participation in the war, many gendarmes have been rewarded with "The Independence Defenders" medal, Russian medals and the medal of "Crossing the Danube ".
The need for a strong specialized force whose main attribution is guard and order, ensuring citizen's safety and freedoms and also law enforcement, determined an intensification of the activity of political and military leaders to elaborate a law for organizing the Gendarmerie on the whole territory of the country. Thus, a first attempt was made in 1885, when Gl. Radu Mihail, the Chief of Bucharest Police, elaborated a project of law of Gendarmerie, but it wasn't adopted.
Two years later, during the debates on the "Rural Law", I.C. Bratianu said:" The Rural Gendarmerie will be better than the Rural Police that we've had so far!" The Article no. 82 of this law was mentioning the organization of the Rural Gendarmerie on the base of a special law, but the lack of the financial resources delayed the project until 1893.
The role, the position and the organization of Gendarmerie were clarified by the Conservatory Party and specially by its leader, Lascar Catargiu, who elaborated and presented to The Parliament, in February 1893, "The Law for Organizing the Rural Gendarmerie", which was promulgated by Royal Decree No. 2919 from the 30 th August 1893.
This law established a military structure with attributions in the field of guarding and order in every village in the country, because the previous unspecialized structures could not handle the complex situation in the ground and did not meet the requirements of institutions in a an European modern state of that time. It is to be mentioned that the law maker mainly insisted on maintaining and guarantying the public safety and on law enforcement, as well.
At September the 1 st 1893, also the Regulations for the Implementation of the Law of Rural Gendarmerie were issued. The most important provision of this document was the following:"The organization of Gendarmerie, as stipulated in the law, makes this institution a military body at the Ministry of Interior's disposal, for ensuring public order and safety. It is also under the command of the Ministry of Justice concerning the police attributions and the Ministry of War for issues concerning the discipline, command ship and military training of the troops"( Art.1).
The bloody social Riot from 1907, put the political institutions, the institutions designated to maintain order and even the military institutions in a very difficult situation. The lack of interest shown to the reinforcement of the Gendarmerie at the beginning of the 20 th century and especially to its preventive actions caused a lot of human and material losses. The situation required preparation and promulgation of some law in the years 1908, 1911, 1913 and also the organizational consolidation of the Gendarmerie.
The provisions of Articles 6 and 7 of Gendarmerie' s Law from March the 24 th 1908, are to be mentioned: " Art.6 The Gendarmerie Corps is an integrate part of the army, and has to obey the provisions of the general laws and regulations. Art. 7 The officer of the Gendarmerie Corps are recruited from any specialization of the army. The transfer of the officer from the army in the Gendarmerie is made by a High Decree, on the base of the report of the Ministry of Interior, at the recommendation of the Ministry of War."
During the military maneuvers the Rural Gendarmerie accomplished Military Police tasks, made the necessary requisitions, and functioned as a Military Police. During all exercises and maneuvers the gendarmes units were considered components of the regular army having the same rights as the military units and subunits.
The Independence War from 1877 - 1878 signifies Romanian Gendarmerie's first engagement in a modern war. The experience gained will be used and improved during the 2 nd Balkans War and during the military operation of The Great War.
During the 2nd Balkans War the Gendarmerie acted as a force of the National Defense System, together with the forces engaged in battles accomplishing very well its missions. After The Peace from Bucharest in 1913, until Romania 's engagement in the 1st World War, some changes concerning the organization and the attributions have been made. The changes aimed the forces enlargement, bringing into existence new special gendarmes stations for the factories from Bucharest involved in war support, new special guard and check points in mountain crosses, from Vatra Dornei up to Turnu Severin, creating a special detachment for guarding oil fields.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
