Learning from History: The Union of the Romanian Principalities

Motto: “Precedents in history can furnish no other light than that of beacons, which give warning on the course to be shunned, without pointing out that which ought to be pursued.” Alexander Hamilton, Founding Father of the USA (The Federalist Paper no. 37)

On 24 January 1859, the Electoral Assembly in Bucharest unanimously elected Alexandru Ioan Cuza, one of the leaders of the 1848 Romanian Revolution, as Sovereign of the Principality of Wallachia. Shortly before, on 5 January, in Iasi, he had been voted as Ruler of Moldova. As Alexandru Ioan Cuza said in his inaugural speech: “The Union has been accomplished. The Romanian nation has been founded. The one you have elected as your ruler gives you today a united Romania”. 

A few years earlier, in July 1853, Russian troops had invaded Wallachia and Moldova, which were under Ottoman Empire’s suzerainty (the third Romanian principality, Transylvania, was at that time part of Austrian Empire). In October 1853, the Ottomans responded by declaring war on Russia. It was the beginning of the Crimean War. In March 1854, France and Great Britain also declared war on Russia, due to its refusal to withdraw from Romanian Principalities. The war ended in February 1856 with the defeat of Russia. Romanians made use of this moment to begin an active campaign for the union. The movement enjoyed the support of France, where many Romanian patriots found shelter after the defeat of the 1848 Revolution.

In March 1856, the Paris Congress decided that the two principalities were to be allowed to take the name of “The United Principalities of Moldova and Wallachia”, while maintaining separate rulers, governments and legislative assemblies. But this compromise did not match the determination of the Romanian unionists, who found the ingenious solution of electing the same person – Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the candidate of the National Party – as Ruling Prince of both countries, thus creating de facto the United Romanian Principalities.

One of Romanians’ greatest allies was French Emperor Napoleon III, who in 1860 confessed: “If I were asked what interest France had in those distant lands watered by the Danube, I would answer that France’s interest is everywhere where there is a just and civilizing cause to be upheld” (I accompanied members of the Bonaparte family to commemoration ceremonies at St Michael’s Abbey in Farnborough, UK, where Emperor Napoleon III rests. In their private collection, I had the privilege of seeing documents and personal objects belonging to their illustrious predecessors, including the Legion of Honor worn on his chest by Emperor Napoleon I).

Professor and historian Ioan-Aurel Pop, President of the Romanian Academy, explains the union’s context: „The Romanian nation was not built from nothing, but from the many and long centuries of work of the Romanian people on themselves. The act of 24 January 1859  was successfully achieved following the judicious combination of internal and external factors, of the Great Powers interests, and of Romanian national interests. Romanian leaders wanted a future for their nation, and this future was unimaginable without syncronization with Europe, without returning to the roots, without entering the stream of successful history. If the unified Romania is our national edifice, then the Union of 1859 is the foundation of this edifice, crowned by the Great Union of 1 December 1918.” (Jurnalul.ro, 24 January 2024)

The Union of 1859 has been the beginning of an extraordinary process of modernization and reforms undertaken by Alexandru Ioan Cuza, from the remake of the justice and fiscal systems, to the agrarian reform. A Civil Code modeled after the French one was adopted, and a new administrative organization was introduced. In 1864, the electoral law expanded the base of voters to ensure a wider participation from among the peasantry and the middle-class. The University of Iași was established in 1860, and the University of Bucharest in 1864. A public instruction law was passed, stipulating that primary school education is compulsory and free, with a unique curriculum.

Alexandru Ioan Cuza was forced to abdicate in 1866, and the path of development continued under King Carol I. In 1866 Romania adopted one of the most modern constitutions in Europe, modeled on the Constitution of Belgium. On 9 May 1877, the country declared its independence. Following several military victories won by Romanians against Turkish troops south of the Danube, the independence was recognized within the 1878 Treaty of Berlin. At the end of the First World War, Romania became a key-actor in Central and Eastern Europe.

In 1940, when the dark clouds of the Second World War had gathered over Europe, the great historian Nicolae Iorga wrote about Romanians: “Nation abandoned at the crossroads of storms that beat here from age to age, and will always beat in these places of tempting abundance and passage of armies. Whatever others might have scattered around the world. We stayed. With the sword in hand, guarding all the horizons, and when the steel of sword broke for a moment, we opposed to brutality the thin weapon of our intelligence. And behold, we are still at home”.

Today, the European continent is under storms again and, as Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, recently remarked: “In these times of unprecedented challenges, it is more important than ever for the future of Europe to remain united around our common values and standards of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.” But now, Romania is a member of the European Union and NATO, and enjoys an exemplary strategic partnership with the United States. It is a provider of regional and global stability, promotes respect for the rule of law and human rights, and contributes to lasting peace solutions to conflicts. Its active participation in the Council of Europe’s activities and respect for European values were acknowledged in 2022 by the Parliamentary Assembly of this organization, which commended “…the political will and commitment shown by the Romanian authorities to fully respect their obligation to comply with democratic standards. The Assembly commends Romania for its commitment to protect the rights of persons belonging to national minorities. Romania can be considered as an example of good European practice in this area.” (PACE Resolution 2466 of 13.10.2022)

At the United Nations, Romania participated – since 1991 – with more than 12,500 military, police, gendarmes and close protection officers in 25 peacekeeping missions. Officers from francophone countries in Europe, Africa and Asia are trained for such missions at the Romanian Gendarmerie Application School for Officers, and the Romanian Protection and Guard Service (SPP) is the only structure of its kind in the world to provide close protection units which ensure protection of UN high level officials in conflict zones. Under cooperation agreements with the UN Department for Safety and Security, the EU and the European Parliament, SPP also provides close protection training courses to officers coming from other UN and EU member states.  

By history, geography, culture, traditions, values and aspirations, we are and will always be Europeans. At the same time, we are anchored in our roots. Over the years, I have discussed this topic with thousands of Romanians living abroad, in Europe and USA. They share the same belief that wherever we are, if the first breath of air inhaled into the lungs at birth was Romanian, then Romania will always exist within us.  

If Romanians have always been so proud of the Union of 1859, it is undoubtedly due to the sense of “ownership” that they assumed in its making, and to the great spirit of solidarity that made the union possible. Ion I. C. Brătianu (Prime Minister of Romania for five terms between 1909-1927) left us the following aphorism: „The soul of Romania can only manifest in national unity”.

In the hectic times we live in, in a world in full crisis and uncertainty, the spirit of the Union of 24 January 1859 is like the light of beacons that Alexander Hamilton was referring to.   

                                                                                                                        Dr. Ion I. Jinga

Strasbourg, January 2025

Note: The opinions expressed in this article no not bind the official position of the author.