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| Anatol Țăranu | |
For Romanians everywhere, January 24 is the celebration of the Unification of the Romanian Principalities in 1859 – generically called "The Little Union". Achieved through the will and action of the unionist parties in Iasi and Bucharest, the union of the two Romanian principalities, Moldavia and Wallachia, was only the first stage in the creation of the modern unitary Romanian state, in the unification and affirmation of the modern Romanian nation.
The union of the two Romanian principalities in 1859 was perfectly suited to the processes of the great transformations in the political, social and cultural structure of the European continent in the 19th century, the main consequence of these transformations being the formation of national states. In this context, the case of Romania organically matched the specificity of the century of nations, as the 19th century was rightly called, and the process of unification of the Romanian nation was an example of the general European trends of that period. It is enough to mention that, also in those years, the unified states of Germany and Italy appeared on the political map of Europe, along with Romania.
Brief history
Back in the first half of the 19th century, not much foreshadowed the radical changes in the fate of Moldavia and Wallachia, which at the beginning of the century were totally dependent on Russia and Turkey, both empires being categorically opposed to the union of the principalities. However, this state of affairs was strongly shaken by the events of the 1848 revolution, which revealed the cultural and economic similarity between the two Romanian countries. Even if the revolution was repressed, it was an important moment in which the Romanian national elite openly expressed its desire for unity and democratic reforms.
Against this background, a first step towards union was taken in the same year, 1848, through the establishment of the Customs Union between Moldavia and Wallachia. At that time, Turkey and Russia, distracted by the revolutionary turmoil on the European continent, did not grasp the importance of this fact and did not block the practical realization of this project.
Along the way, the international context changed radically in relation to the Romanian principalities, after the Crimean War, between 1853 and 1856, when Russia was defeated by the coalition formed by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the French Empire, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Ottoman Empire. After this war, the fate of the Romanian principalities, from the hands of the Russians and Turks passed under the preponderant influence of the great European powers.
The Crimean War ended with the Congress of Paris in February-March 1856, the peace treaty being based on the containment of Russian power and its influence in southeastern Europe. For the Romanians, the treaty resulted in the abolition of the Russian protectorate and its replacement with a collective guarantee of the Great Powers. Through this fact, it was possible to eliminate Russian influence and ensure that the tsarist troops would no longer be able to cross the territory of the principalities without the consent of the guarantor powers, as well as to cede the southeast of Bessarabia to the Principality of Moldavia.
In 1858, the Great Powers met at the Paris Conference that ended with a Convention, concluded on August 7/19, which stipulated the future political, social and administrative status of the Romanian principalities. Even if the Paris Convention only partially took into account the will of the Romanians, this international document set down fundamental norms regarding the political and legal situation of the principalities and their reorganization, which created preconditions for the union. The Paris Convention was based on the declared support of Emperor Napoleon III, who wanted a pro-French bastion in Eastern Europe to counter Russian influence.
Fait Accompli argument
Basically, the Paris Convention sanctioned the formal union of Moldavia and Wallachia in a state called the United Principalities, but in which two rulers, two legislative assemblies, two governments had to be elected. However, the text of the Convention did not clearly specify that both principalities could not be governed by the same ruler. This legal ambiguity in the text of the Convention was brilliantly used by the unionist parties in both principalities in the election of the new rulers. Consequently, an election was held in Iasi, Moldavia, on January 5/17, 1859 and Alexandru Ioan Cuza was chosen the new ruler. A week later, on January 12/24, 1859, an election was held in Bucharest, where Alexandru Ioan Cuza was also elected ruler. In this way, the Romanian political elite put the Great Powers in front of a fait accompli when both principalities were governed by the same ruler.
Even if the fact accomplished on January 24, 1859 was considered by the Ottoman Porte and Austria as a violation of the Paris Convention, the Romanian unionists skillfully took advantage of the circumstance that the text of the 1858 Convention did not stipulate that the rulers elected in the two principalities should be separate persons, thus eluding the protest of the opponents of the union. This way, Cuza became ruler of the two principalities, and their union was recognized by the great powers during his reign.
Cuza's great merit was that, during his reign, he managed to ensure the international recognition of the Union of the Romanian principalities and, through the reforms promoted in all fields, he laid the foundations of the modern Romanian state. In 1862, with the help of the unionists from both principalities, Alexandru Ioan Cuza unified the Parliament and the Government, thus achieving the political union of two Romanian countries. In 1866, when the first constitution was drafted, the new state with the name of Romania appeared on the political map of Europe.
Throughout the period during which two of the Romanian principalities managed to unite, Transylvania, Banat, Bessarabia and Bukovina continued to be under foreign, Austrian and Russian rule, waiting for the year 1918, when the natural Romanian unification process was accomplished, culminating in the completion of the Great Union of Alba Iulia. This event was favored by the collapse of the great multinational empires, the Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires.
Lessons of Little Union
The first lesson regarding the achievement of the Little Union of 1859, as well as the Great Union of 1918, is about the crucial role played by the Romanian cultural and political elite in those historic events. The Romanian intellectuals and politicians of the time intensely supported the idea of union. They published articles, gave speeches, and held gatherings to educate the population on the benefits of unification. Through cultural and political initiatives, the elites cultivated a common national identity, emphasizing the historical, linguistic and cultural ties between the provinces populated by Romanians.
Another lesson that derives from the Little Union is related to the skill with which Romanian politicians and diplomatic emissaries acted, pleading for the national cause at European level. The election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as ruler of both principalities was an act of great political skill, and the union was achieved through close coordination between the political parties of both principalities, which put aside rivalries to achieve the common goal. The Union of 1859 was thus the result of a combination of political vision, diplomatic strategy and national mobilization, skillfully coordinated by the Romanian political elite of the time.
The Little Union reminds us that great political achievements require unity, vision and diplomacy. Today, politicians in Romania and the Republic of Moldova have the duty to build bridges of cooperation, to encourage national solidarity and to cultivate a common vision that reflects the interests of the entire Romanian nation. The Union of 1859 was not only a symbolic act, but also an example of political pragmatism, which can inspire the project of national reunification even today.
IPN publishes in the Op-Ed rubric opinion pieces submitted by authors not affiliated with our editorial board. The opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily coincide with the opinions of our editorial board.