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{{short description|Regional unification in Eastern Europe, 1918–40 and 1941–44}}
{{History of Moldova}} {{History of Moldova}}
{{History of Romania}}
On {{OldStyleDate|April 9|1918|March 27}}, ''']''' proclaimed union with the ''']'''.
The '''union of Bessarabia with Romania''' was proclaimed on {{OldStyleDate|April 9|1918|March 27}} by ], the legislative body of the ]. This state had the same borders of the region of ], which was annexed by the ] following the ] of 1812 and organized first as an '']'' (autonomous until 1828) and later as a ]. Under Russian rule, many of the native ] were expelled from parts of Bessarabia and replaced with ]ns, ]ns, ], ], ],<ref>{{cite book|author-last=Figes|author-first=Orlando|title=The Crimean War: A History|publisher=Macmillan|year=2011|isbn=9781429997249|page=18}}</ref> ], ], ], ] and other peoples, although colonization was not limited to formerly Tatar-inhabited lands. Russia also tried to integrate the region by imposing the Russian language in administration and restricting education in other languages, notably by later banning the use of Romanian in schools and print.<ref>{{Cite web |title= Petitions of the Bessarabian nobility for the teaching of Romanian language in schools of the province :: Journal "Tyragetia" :: Publications :: National Museum of History of Moldova|url=https://www.nationalmuseum.md/en/press_releases/journal_tyragetia/petitions_of_the_bessarabian_nobility_for_the_teaching_of_romanian_language_in_schools_of_the_province/}}</ref>

The beginning of ] saw an increase in national awareness among the Bessarabians, and, following the beginning of the ] in 1917, Bessarabia proclaimed its own parliament, the '']'', which declared the ]. Following a ], with the Romanian Army firmly in control of the region, the ''Sfatul Țării'' voted for independence and later proclaimed, on {{OldStyleDate|April 9|1918|March 27}}, its union with the ]. Although the unification was made under various conditions, all of these except the promise of an ], which was carried out, were later abandoned by a minority of the Sfatul. Later, the Romanian administration swiftly dissolved the assembly and rejected the protests of the former deputies. In the peace talks after World War I, the European powers awarded Bessarabia to Romania, although the newly formed ], and the ] never recognized this.

However, the situation in Bessarabia would change after the signing of the ] between the ] (USSR) and ], in which the latter expressed its disinterest in the region. This allowed the USSR to send an ] to Romania, which was now diplomatically isolated following the capitulation of France, the guarantor of its borders, on 26 June 1940 in which it demanded Bessarabia and also ] (which had not been agreed upon with Germany). After Romania accepted it, the USSR ] these territories, ending Romanian administration of the zone (excepting a brief interruption from 1941-1944, when Romania reacquired these territories). Bessarabia was organized and split between the ] and the new ], which gained independence in 1991 as Moldova. Ever since, there has been a growing ], with supporters in ] and Moldova commemorating the day of the union, 27 March, on the ].


==Governorate of Bessarabia== ==Governorate of Bessarabia==
{{Main|Bessarabia Governorate}} {{Main|Bessarabia Governorate}}
]
The ] between the ] and the ]s provided for the Russian ] the eastern half of the territory of the ], including ] and Budjak (Southern Bessarabia). At first, the Russians used the name "] of Moldova and Bessarabia," allowing a large degree of autonomy, but in 1828 suspended the self-administration and called it ] of ], or simply Bessarabia. While the northeastern part of Moldavia, called ], was similarly annexed by the ], the western part of Moldavia remained an autonomous principality, and in 1859, united with ] to form the ]. In 1856, the Treaty of Paris saw two out of nine counties of Bessarabia, ] and ], returned to Moldavia, but in 1878, the ] saw the Kingdom of Romania returning them to the Russian Empire. The ] between the ] and the ]s provided for Russian ] of the eastern part of the territory of the ], as well as the Turkish-ruled regions of ] and Budjak (Southern Bessarabia). At first, the Russians used the name "] of Moldova and Bessarabia", allowing a large degree of autonomy, but in 1828 Russia suspended the self-administration and called it the ] of Bessarabia, or simply Bessarabia. While the northeastern part of Moldavia, called ], was similarly annexed by the ], the western part of Moldavia remained an autonomous principality, and in 1859, ] with ] to form the ]. In 1856, the Treaty of Paris returned the south of Bessarabia to Moldavia, but in 1878, the Kingdom of Romania returned them to the Russian Empire as a result of the ].

At the time of annexation, Moldavian<ref>regarded as Romanian by some authors</ref> population predominated in Bessarabia.<ref></ref> The ] of the region in the 19th century led to a large increase in the ], ], ], and ] population in the region; this together with a large influx of ] immigrants increased the ] population to more than a fifth of the total population by 1920.<ref> "Today, the ] form one of the most solid elements in Southern Bessarabia, numbering (with the Gagaoutzi, Turkish-speaking Christians also from the Dobrudja) nearly 150,000. Colonization brought in numerous Great Russian peasants, and the Russian bureaucracy imported Russian office-holders and professional men; according to the Roumanian estimate of 1920, the Great Russians were about 75,000 in number (2.9%), and the Lipovans and Cossacks 59,000 (2.2%); the Little Russians (Ukrainians) came to 254,000 (9.6%). That, plus about 10,000 Poles, brings the total number of Slavs to 545,000 in a population of 2,631,000, or about one-fifth"</ref> Other groups, such as ], ]s, and ] also settled in the region during the Russian rule.


Upon annexation, Romanian population of Bessarabia was predominant.<ref></ref> The ] of the region in the 19th century lead to a large increase in the ], ], ], and ] population in the region; this together with a large influx of ] immigrants, saw an increase of the ] population to more than a fifth of the total population by 1920.<ref> "Today, the ] form one of the most solid elements in Southern Bessarabia, numbering (with the Gagaoutzi, Turkish-speaking Christians also from the Dobrudja) nearly 150,000. Colonization brought in numerous Great Russian peasants, and the Russian bureaucracy imported Russian office-holders and professional men; according to the Roumanian estimate of 1920, the Great Russians were about 75,000 in number (2.9% ), and the Lipovans and Cossacks 59,000 (2.2% ) ; the Little Russians (Ukrainians) came to 254,000 (9.6%). That, plus about 10,000 Poles, brings the total number of Slavs to 545,000 in a population of 2,631,000, or about one-fifth"</ref> With the settling of other nationals such as ], ]s, and ], the proportion of the Romanian population decreased from cca. 90% to 64% during the course of the century. The Tsarist policy in Bessarabia was in part aimed at ] of the Romanian element by forbidding after the 1860s ] and ] in Romanian. However, the effect was an extremely low literacy rate (in 1897 approx. 18% for males, approx. 4% for females) rather than a denationalization.<ref></ref> Some Romanian historians claimed that a strong sentiment of frustration and resentment to the Russian control had started to appear before the beginning of the ].<ref>{{citation|author=Cazacu|title=A Century of Serfdom|year=1912|url=http://depts.washington.edu/cartah/text_archive/clark/bc_24.shtml}} text: ''"The Russians are now holding their celebration of a century of material possession of Bessarabia. But her spirit they do not possess, nor shall they ever possess it. In the celebration of the Russians, the Moldavians have no share except that of deep and painful silence. The whole Roumanian people feels this pain, and does not lose hope that Bessarabia, and with her the Roumanian people, will have a chance to celebrate in her turn the day of salvation. It will come. History repeats itself so often, and the historical maxim remains: Babylon was, the Empire of Alexander of Macedon was, the Roman Empire was, the Byzantine Empire was, and the time will come to say of other empires also-they were. Not so long ago was 1855 with the Crimea, and not so long ago was Port Arthur and Tzushima, and-Great is the Lord God of Hosts!-it will be again, surely it will be again!"''</ref> The Tsarist policy in Bessarabia was in part aimed at ] of the Moldavian element by forbidding after the 1860s education and ] in Romanian. However, the effect was an extremely low literacy rate (in 1897, 18% for males and 4% for females) rather than denationalization.<ref></ref> Some Romanian historians claimed that a strong sentiment of frustration and resentment to the Russian control had started to appear before the beginning of World War I.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Cazacu|title=A Century of Serfdom|year=1912|url=http://depts.washington.edu/cartah/text_archive/clark/bc_24.shtml}} text: "The Russians are now holding their celebration of a century of material possession of Bessarabia. But her spirit they do not possess, nor shall they ever possess it. In the celebration of the Russians, the Moldavians have no share except that of deep and painful silence. The whole Roumanian people feels this pain, and does not lose hope that Bessarabia, and with her the Roumanian people, will have a chance to celebrate in her turn the day of salvation. It will come. History repeats itself so often, and the historical maxim remains: Babylon was, the Empire of Alexander of Macedon was, the Roman Empire was, the Byzantine Empire was, and the time will come to say of other empires also-they were. Not so long ago was 1855 with the Crimea, and not so long ago was Port Arthur and Tzushima, and-Great is the Lord God of Hosts!-it will be again, surely it will be again!"</ref>


==Moldavian Democratic Republic== ==Moldavian Democratic Republic==
{{Main|Sfatul Țării|Moldavian Democratic Republic}}
]. ''Note: the region past the ] was a part of ] only briefly, during World War II'']]

{{Main|Sfatul Ţării|Moldavian Democratic Republic}}
World War I brought in a rise in political and cultural (national) awareness of the locals, as 300,000 Bessarabians enrolled in the Russian Army formed in 1917, within bigger units several "Moldavian Soldiers' Committees". Following the ], Bessarabia elected its own parliament, '']'' (October-November 1917), which opened on {{OldStyleDate|December 3|1917|November 21}}, proclaimed the ] ({{OldStyleDate|December 15|1917|December 2}}), formed its ] ({{OldStyleDate|December 21|1917|December 8}}), proclaimed ] from ] ({{OldStyleDate|February 6|1918|January 24}}). World War I brought a rise in political, cultural and national awareness in the population, as 300,000 Bessarabians enrolled in the Russian Army formed in 1917, within bigger units several "Moldavian Soldiers' Committees". Following the ], Bessarabia elected its own parliament, '']'' (October–November 1917), which opened on {{OldStyleDate|December 3|1917|November 21}}, proclaimed the ] ({{OldStyleDate|December 15|1917|December 2}}), formed its government ({{OldStyleDate|December 21|1917|December 8}}), proclaimed independence from Russia ({{OldStyleDate|February 6|1918|January 24}}).


==The Union Act== ==The Union Act==
]
On {{OldStyleDate|April 9|1918|March 27}}, Sfatul Ţării decided with 86 votes for, 3 against and 36 abstaining, towards the union with the Kingdom of Romania, conditional upon the fulfillment of the agrarian reform, local autonomy, and respect for universal human rights.<ref></ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Charles Upson Clark|title=Bessarabia: Russia and Roumania on the Black Sea - View Across Dniester From Hotin Castle|publisher=Dodd, Mead & Company|location=New York|year=1927|chapter=24:The Decay of Russian Setiment|url=http://depts.washington.edu/cartah/text_archive/clark/bc_17.shtml#bc_17}}</ref><ref>Pelivan (''Chronology'')</ref><ref>Cazacu (''Moldova'', pp. 240-245).</ref>
]
], 1876.]]
On {{OldStyleDate|April 9|1918|March 27}}, Sfatul Țării decided with 86 votes for, 3 against and 36 abstaining (mostly non-Romanians), for union with the Kingdom of Romania, conditional upon the fulfillment of agrarian reform, local autonomy, and respect for universal human rights.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071204070133/http://www.prm.md/search.php?id=2332&lang=rom |date=2007-12-04 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Charles Upson Clark|title=Bessarabia: Russia and Roumania on the Black Sea View Across Dniester From Hotin Castle|publisher=Dodd, Mead & Company|location=New York|year=1927|chapter=24:The Decay of Russian Sentiment|url=http://depts.washington.edu/cartah/text_archive/clark/bc_17.shtml#bc_17}}</ref><ref>Pelivan (''Chronology'')</ref><ref>Cazacu (''Moldova'', pp. 240–245).</ref> This was in spite of the fact that the national referendum necessary under the law had not taken place.


The county councils of Bălţi, Soroca and Orhei were the earliest to ask for unification with the Kingdom of Romania, and on April 9 1918, Sfatul Ţării voted in favour of the union, with the following conditions: Fearing a radical land reform, the county councils of Bălți, Soroca and Orhei, dominated by large landowners, were the earliest to ask for unification with the Kingdom of Romania, deeming the royal government preferable to the Sfatul Țării, dominated by left-wing populists. On April 9 1918, Sfatul Țării voted in favour of the union, with the following conditions:


# Sfatul Ţării would undertake an agrarian reform, which would be accepted by the Romanian Government. # Sfatul Țării would undertake an agrarian reform, which would be accepted by the Romanian Government.
# Bessarabia would remain autonomous, with its own diet, Sfatul Ţării, elected democratically # Bessarabia would remain autonomous, with its own diet, Sfatul Țării, elected democratically
# Sfatul Ţării would vote for local budgets, control the councils of zemstvos and cities, and name the local administration # Sfatul Țării would vote for local budgets, control the councils of zemstvos and cities, and name the local administration
# Conscription would be done on a territorial basis # Conscription would be done on a territorial basis
# Local laws and the form of administration could be changed only with the approval of local representatives # Local laws and the form of administration could be changed only with the approval of local representatives
Line 30: Line 42:
# All individuals who had committed felonies for political reasons during the revolution would be amnestied. # All individuals who had committed felonies for political reasons during the revolution would be amnestied.


==Great Romania== ==Greater Romania==
{{Main|Greater Romania}} {{Main|Greater Romania}}
]. ''Note: the region past the ] was a part of ] only briefly, during World War II'']]
There were 86 votes for, 3 votes against and 36 deputies abstained. The first condition for agrarian reform was debated and approved in November 1918, and following this, Sfatul Ţării voted a motion which removed all the other conditions, trusting that Romania would be a democratic country. This vote has been judged illegitimate, since there was no quorum: only 44 of the 125 members took part in it (all voted "for").<ref>Charles King, "The Moldovans: Romania, Russia, and the Politics of Culture", Hoover Press, 2000, pg. 35 </ref> Unfortunately, the Romania's government rejected most of these 11 points (conditions), which would cause later much discontent in this new province of Romania, Bessarabia.
]
There were 86 votes for, 3 votes against and 36 deputies abstained. The first condition for agrarian reform was debated and approved in November 1918, and following this, Sfatul Țării voted a motion which removed all the other conditions, trusting that Romania would be a democratic country. The vote, which renounced Bessarabia's autonomy, has been judged illegitimate, since there was no quorum: only 44 of the 125 members took part in it (all voted "for").<ref name=":1">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IVV9pZKrP2sC|title=The Moldovans: Romania, Russia, and the Politics of Culture|first=Charles|last=King|publisher=Hoover Press|year=2013|isbn=9780817997939}}</ref>


The historian ], who traveled by bicycle through the whole of ], claimed there is little doubt that the vote represented the prevailing wish in Bessarabia and that the events leading to the unification indicate there was no question of a "seizure", but a voluntary act on the part of its people.<ref>Bernard Newman, "The new Europe", p. 245</ref>
In the autumn of 1919, elections for the Romanian Constituent Assembly were held in Bessarabia; 90 deputies and 35 senators were chosen. On December 20, 1919, these men voted, along with the representatives of Romania's other regions, to ratify the unification acts that had been approved by Sfatul Ţării and the National Congresses in Transylvania and Bukovina.


The Romanian prime-minister at the time, ], was to admit however that the unification was decided in Romania, as the Moldavian leaders ] and ], aware of the widespread distrust of Romanian rule, feared an overt annexation would lead to a revolutionary situation.<ref name="Meurs68-69">van Meurs, Wim, ''The Bessarabian question in communist historiography'', East European Monographs, 1994, pp. 68–69</ref>
The union was confirmed by Romania's European allies in the ].


In the autumn of 1919, general elections were held in Bessarabia to elect 90 deputies and 35 senators to the Romanian parliament – the Constituent Assembly. On 20 December 1919, the elected representatives ratified, along with their colleagues from the other historic provinces, the unification acts that had been approved by ] and the National Congresses in ] and ].
The ] refused to sign the Treaty on the grounds that ] was not represented at the Conference.<ref>Wayne S Vucinich, ''Bessarabia'' In: '']'' (Crowell Collier and MacMillan Inc., 1967) vol. 4, p. 103</ref> The newly-communist ] did not recognize the Romanian rule over Bessarabia,<ref>Wayne S Vucinich, ''Bessarabia'' In: '']'' (Crowell Collier and MacMillan Inc., 1967) vol. 4, p. 103</ref> a stand that was tacitly accepted by many other countries such as the ].


During the peace talks between the Great Powers and Romania, on 1 February 1919, British Prime Minister ] talked with ] and, after the withdrawal of the Romanian government's delegation, Lloyd George proposed that Romania's claims be analyzed by a territorial commission that would examine historical, ethnographic, geographic, strategic, but not political facts.<ref>''Istoria Romanilor'', vol. VIII,, pp. 6–7, Editura Enciclopedica, Bucuresti, 2003</ref> The Territorial Commission on Romanian Affairs was formed, by which the representatives of the Big Four Powers presented their proposals and decided Romanian's territorial future. The commission was formed by ] and ] (USA), ] and ] (United Kingdom), ] and Guy Laroche (France), and ] and ] (Italy). During the debates the only issue related to Romania on which the representatives agreed was that Bessarabia should belong to Romania.<ref>Marcel Mitrasca, ''Moldova: A Romanian Province under Russian Rule. Diplomatic History from the Archives of the Great Powers'', p. 67</ref> However, the United States refused to sign the Treaty on the grounds that Russia was not represented at the conference.<ref name="Wayne S Vucinich 1967 p. 103">Wayne S Vucinich, "Bessarabia" in: '']'' (Crowell Collier and MacMillan Inc., 1967) vol. 4, p. 103</ref> The newly communist Russia did not recognize Romanian rule over Bessarabia,<ref name="Wayne S Vucinich 1967 p. 103"/> a stand that was tacitly accepted by many other countries such as the United States.
The union was recognized by the European countries <!--Allies is incorrect, as Germany, Austria and Hungary also recognized it.--> in the Treaty of Paris (1920). The newly-communist Russia was not represented as a party <!--they had observers--> at the treaty conference.<ref>Wayne S Vucinich, ''Bessarabia'' In: ''Collier's Encyclopedia'' (Crowell Collier and MacMillan Inc., 1967) vol. 4, p. 103</ref> A mutual treaty between the Soviets and Romania was not signed due to the former's claims over Bessarabia. In the ] of 1928 and the ] of July 1933, the ] and Romania have subscribed to the principle of non-violent resolution of territorial disputes. ], at the time part of the ], itself part of the ], was formed into the ] (1924-1940) after the failure of the ].


The union was recognized by the United Kingdom, France and Italy <!--Allies is incorrect, as Germany, Austria and Hungary also recognized it.-->in the ]. The treaty did not, however, come into force as Japan, one of the signatories, failed to ratify it. Soviet Russia was not represented as a party <!--they had observers-->at the treaty conference.<ref name="Wayne S Vucinich 1967 p. 103"/> A mutual treaty between the Soviets and Romania was not signed due to the former's claims over Bessarabia. In the ] of 1928 and the ] of July 1933, the Soviet Union and Romania subscribed to the principle of non-violent resolution of territorial disputes. ], at the time part of the ], itself part of the ], was formed into the ] (1924–1940) after the failure of the ].
The ], settled by ''Sfatul Ţării'' in 1918-1919, resulted in a rise of a ], as the ] population of the region represented 80%. Together with peace and favorable economic circumstances, it produced a small economic boom, which allowed the region to catch up technologically with the rest of ]. A ]ful land reform, promoted by the majority of the political leadership of Bessarabia in 1918, as opposed to an irregular ] of property, promoted by the pro-Soviet elements, was more appealing to the local farmers, and is at least partly responsible for the consent the ] has given to the ]'s plans for building a ] for all Romanians. The literacy rate grew to over 40% by 1930; however, the region still remained lagging in the aspect of education. In an attempt to alienate the Bessarabian ] from the Russian influence, the Romanian authorities have allowed education in any language desired; with time, while ] replaced ] in cities, the authorities sought to reduce the number of ethnic minority education and attract them into Romanian classes.

The ] legislated by ''Sfatul Țării'' in 1918–1919 resulted in the redistribution of land among the rural population of the region, which constituted 80%. The actual process dragged out until the early 1930s, with the average allotted land falling short of the prescribed 6 hectares per eligible individual. The law was notable among Romanian controlled territories as it expropriated land not only from the large landowners, but also from the peasants who gained land by ''ad-hoc'' divisions of the agricultural lands during the ]. The reform was further marred by corruption and preferential allotment to Romanian state functionaries and officers, as well as to the deputies who voted for union with Romania in 1918 (the latter were allotted 50 hectares each). Under pressure from the large landowners in the original territories of Romania, the land reform required compensations to the former owners, in contrast with the earlier declarations of the ''Sfatul Țării'' which proposed ] of property or even ]. In a bid to gain legal recognition of the union, Romanian also concluded inter-governmental accords which offered preferential compensations to deposed owners of ], ] and ] citizenship. The literacy rate grew to over 40% by 1930; however, the region continued to lag educationally.

In 1924, ], a strong supporter of the Union in 1918, criticized the Romanian government for transforming Bessarabia into an "]", where the "Moldavian people suffers and bleeds more than under the ]".<ref>{{cite book|author-last=Halippa|author-first=Pantelimon|title=O cuvântare ținută în Parlamentul Țării. Discuția la Mesaj, Ședința din 28 noiembrie|year=1924|location=București|page=71}}</ref>


==Soviet occupation== ==Soviet occupation==
{{Main|Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina}} {{Main|Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina}}
The ''status-quo'' was changed 22 years later, when, as a result of the ] (Article 4 of the ] to the Treaty), ] yielded Bessarabia to the ]. On June 26, 1940, Romania received an ] from the Soviet Union, demanding the evacuation of the Romanian military and administration from Bessarabia and from the northern part of Bukovina, with an implied threat of ] in the event of noncompliance.<ref name="ultimatum"> in Ioan Scurtu, Theodora Stănescu-Stanciu, Georgiana Margareta Scurtu, ''Istoria Românilor între anii 1918-1940'' (in Romanian), ], 2002</ref> Under pressure from ] and ], the Romanian administration and the army were forced to retreat from Bessarabia as well from ] to avoid war.<ref>{{cite book | last = Nagy-Talavera | first = Nicolas M. | title = Green Shirts and Others: a History of Fascism in Hungary and Romania | date= 1970 | page = 305}}</ref> On ], ], these territories were ]. During the retreat, the Romanian Army was attacked by the Soviet Army, which entered Bessarabia before the Romanian administration finished retreating. Some 42,876 Romanian soldiers and officers were unaccounted for after the retreat.{{Fact|date=June 2009}} The ''status quo'' was changed 22 years later, when, as a result of the ] (Article 4 of the ] to the Treaty), ] agreed that it had no interest in Bessarabia, effectively yielding it to the Soviet Union. On June 26, 1940, after the ], Romania's ally, Romania received an ultimatum from the Soviet Union demanding the evacuation of the Romanian military and administration from Bessarabia and from the northern part of Bukovina, with an implied threat of invasion in the event of noncompliance.<ref name="ultimatum"> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071113170140/http://www.unibuc.ro/eBooks/istorie/istorie1918-1940/13-4.htm |date=November 13, 2007 }} in Ioan Scurtu, Theodora Stănescu-Stanciu, Georgiana Margareta Scurtu, ''Istoria Românilor între anii 1918–1940'' (in Romanian), ], 2002</ref> Under pressure from Moscow and Berlin, the Romanian administration and the army were forced to retreat from Bessarabia and from ] to avoid war.<ref>{{cite book | last = Nagy-Talavera | first = Nicolas M. | title = Green Shirts and Others: a History of Fascism in Hungary and Romania | year= 1970 | page = 305}}</ref> On June 28, 1940, these territories were occupied by the Soviet Union. During the retreat, the Romanian Army was attacked by the Soviet Army, which entered Bessarabia before the Romanian administration finished retreating. Some 48,888 Romanian soldiers and officers were unaccounted for after the retreat, including 53 casualties. In the case of several army divisions, more than half of the personnel had deserted, choosing to remain in Bessarabia.<ref>{{cite web |author=International Commission on the Holocaust in Romania |title=The June/July 1940 Romanian withdrawal from Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina and its consequences on interethnic relations In Romania |work=Final Report of the International Commission on the Holocaust in Romania |publisher=Yad Vashem (The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority) |date=11 November 2004 |url=http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/about/events/pdf/report/english/1.3_The_1940_Romanian_withdrawal.pdf |access-date=6 January 2014 |author-link=Wiesel Commission |archive-date=23 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140123185211/http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/about/events/pdf/report/english/1.3_the_1940_romanian_withdrawal.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>


The southern and northern parts, which had just over 1/2 ethnic minorities (Ukrainians, ], ], ]), were transferred to the Ukrainian SSR as ] and as part of ]. At the same time, the Moldavian ASSR, where ethnic ] were a ], was disbanded, and just under 1/2 of its territory was joined with the remaining territory of Bessarabia to form the ], coterminous with the present-day Moldova. Although Soviet troops were forced out in 1941 by the ], and Romania re-established its administration, the Soviet Union reconquered and reannexed the area in February-August 1944. The southern and northern parts, whose population was just over half ethnic minorities (Ukrainians, ], ], and ]), were transferred to the Ukrainian SSR as ] and as part of ]. At the same time, the Moldavian ASSR, where ethnic ] were a ], was disbanded, and just under half of its territory was joined with the remaining territory of Bessarabia to form the ], coterminous with the present-day ]. Although Soviet troops were forced out in 1941 by the ], and Romania re-established its administration, the Soviet Union reconquered and reannexed the area in February–August 1944.


The official Soviet policy (1940-1941, 1944-1989) also stated that ] and ] were two different languages and, to emphasize the distinction, Moldovan was written using a special Cyrillic alphabet (the ]) derived from the ] &ndash; unlike Romanian, written with its own version of the Latin alphabet. <ref>Mackinlay, pg. 140</ref> The official Soviet policy (1940–1941, 1944–1989) also stated that ] and ] were two different languages and, to emphasize the distinction, Moldovan was written using a special Cyrillic alphabet (the ]) unlike Romanian, in which ] was replaced by ] in 1860s.<ref>Mackinlay, p. 140</ref>

==Legacy==
{{main|Unification of Moldova and Romania}}
]
Moldova became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then, there has been ].<ref name=":1" /> Furthermore, the union of Bessarabia with Romania is now commemorated on the ], celebrated every 27 March. In Romania, this holiday is official since 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.presidency.ro/ro/presedinte/agenda-presedintelui/declararea-zilei-de-27-martie-ziua-unirii-basarabiei-cu-romania-ca-zi-de-sarbatoare-nationala|title=Declararea zilei de 27 martie – Ziua Unirii Basarabiei cu România ca zi de sărbătoare națională|publisher=]|date=27 March 2017|language=ro}}</ref> It is not official in Moldova despite attempts at doing so,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://moldova.europalibera.org/a/propunerea-instituirii-zilei-unirii-basarabiei-cu-rom%C3%A2nia-a-fost-respins%C4%83/30468348.html|title=Propunerea instituirii Zilei Unirii Basarabiei cu România a fost respinsă|newspaper=Radio Europa Liberă Moldova|date=4 March 2020|language=ro}}</ref> but some Moldovan unionists celebrate it anyway.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.digi24.ro/stiri/externe/moldova/100-de-ani-de-la-unirea-basarabiei-cu-romania-manifestatie-de-amploare-la-chisinau-901455|title=100 de ani de la unirea Basarabiei cu România. Manifestație de amploare la Chișinău|newspaper=Digi24|date=25 March 2018|language=ro}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.icr.ro/roma/ziua-unirii-basarabiei-cu-romania-27-martie-sarbatorita-pe-ambele-maluri-ale-prutului|title=Ziua Unirii Basarabiei cu România – 27 martie – sărbătorită pe ambele maluri ale Prutului|publisher=]|date=26 March 2017|language=ro}}</ref> The same situation occurs in Transnistria.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://infoprut.ro/46827-foto-ziua-unirii-basarabiei-cu-romania-sarbatorita-la-liceul-romanesc-din-tiraspol.html|title=(FOTO) Ziua Unirii Basarabiei cu România, sărbătorită la liceul românesc din Tiraspol|first=Iulia|last=Modiga|newspaper=InfoPrut|date=28 March 2017|language=ro}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
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==References== ==References==
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==External links==
{{Commons category|Union of Bessarabia with Romania}}
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{{Unification of Moldova and Romania}}
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Latest revision as of 14:28, 16 September 2024

Regional unification in Eastern Europe, 1918–40 and 1941–44
Part of a series on the
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The union of Bessarabia with Romania was proclaimed on April 9 [O.S. March 27] 1918 by Sfatul Țării, the legislative body of the Moldavian Democratic Republic. This state had the same borders of the region of Bessarabia, which was annexed by the Russian Empire following the Treaty of Bucharest of 1812 and organized first as an Oblast (autonomous until 1828) and later as a Governorate. Under Russian rule, many of the native Tatars were expelled from parts of Bessarabia and replaced with Moldavians, Wallachians, Bulgarians, Ukrainians, Greeks, Russians, Lipovans, Cossacks, Gagauzes and other peoples, although colonization was not limited to formerly Tatar-inhabited lands. Russia also tried to integrate the region by imposing the Russian language in administration and restricting education in other languages, notably by later banning the use of Romanian in schools and print.

The beginning of World War I saw an increase in national awareness among the Bessarabians, and, following the beginning of the Russian Revolution in 1917, Bessarabia proclaimed its own parliament, the Sfatul Țării, which declared the Moldavian Democratic Republic. Following a Romanian military intervention, with the Romanian Army firmly in control of the region, the Sfatul Țării voted for independence and later proclaimed, on April 9 [O.S. March 27] 1918, its union with the Kingdom of Romania. Although the unification was made under various conditions, all of these except the promise of an agrarian reform, which was carried out, were later abandoned by a minority of the Sfatul. Later, the Romanian administration swiftly dissolved the assembly and rejected the protests of the former deputies. In the peace talks after World War I, the European powers awarded Bessarabia to Romania, although the newly formed Russian SSR, and the United States never recognized this.

However, the situation in Bessarabia would change after the signing of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact between the Soviet Union (USSR) and Nazi Germany, in which the latter expressed its disinterest in the region. This allowed the USSR to send an ultimatum to Romania, which was now diplomatically isolated following the capitulation of France, the guarantor of its borders, on 26 June 1940 in which it demanded Bessarabia and also Northern Bukovina (which had not been agreed upon with Germany). After Romania accepted it, the USSR invaded these territories, ending Romanian administration of the zone (excepting a brief interruption from 1941-1944, when Romania reacquired these territories). Bessarabia was organized and split between the Ukrainian SSR and the new Moldavian SSR, which gained independence in 1991 as Moldova. Ever since, there has been a growing movement to reunite the region with Romania, with supporters in Romania and Moldova commemorating the day of the union, 27 March, on the Day of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania.

Governorate of Bessarabia

Main article: Bessarabia Governorate
1918 map of the region

The 1812 Treaty of Bucharest between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empires provided for Russian annexation of the eastern part of the territory of the Principality of Moldavia, as well as the Turkish-ruled regions of Khotyn and Budjak (Southern Bessarabia). At first, the Russians used the name "Oblast of Moldova and Bessarabia", allowing a large degree of autonomy, but in 1828 Russia suspended the self-administration and called it the Governorate of Bessarabia, or simply Bessarabia. While the northeastern part of Moldavia, called Bukovina, was similarly annexed by the Austrian Empire, the western part of Moldavia remained an autonomous principality, and in 1859, united with Wallachia to form the Kingdom of Romania. In 1856, the Treaty of Paris returned the south of Bessarabia to Moldavia, but in 1878, the Kingdom of Romania returned them to the Russian Empire as a result of the Treaty of Berlin.

At the time of annexation, Moldavian population predominated in Bessarabia. The colonization of the region in the 19th century led to a large increase in the Russian, Ukrainian, Lipovan, and Cossack population in the region; this together with a large influx of Bulgarian immigrants increased the Slavic population to more than a fifth of the total population by 1920. Other groups, such as Gagauz, Jews, and Germans also settled in the region during the Russian rule.

The Tsarist policy in Bessarabia was in part aimed at denationalization of the Moldavian element by forbidding after the 1860s education and Liturgy in Romanian. However, the effect was an extremely low literacy rate (in 1897, 18% for males and 4% for females) rather than denationalization. Some Romanian historians claimed that a strong sentiment of frustration and resentment to the Russian control had started to appear before the beginning of World War I.

Moldavian Democratic Republic

Main articles: Sfatul Țării and Moldavian Democratic Republic

World War I brought a rise in political, cultural and national awareness in the population, as 300,000 Bessarabians enrolled in the Russian Army formed in 1917, within bigger units several "Moldavian Soldiers' Committees". Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Bessarabia elected its own parliament, Sfatul Țării (October–November 1917), which opened on December 3 [O.S. November 21] 1917, proclaimed the Moldavian Democratic Republic (December 15 [O.S. December 2] 1917), formed its government (December 21 [O.S. December 8] 1917), proclaimed independence from Russia (February 6 [O.S. January 24] 1918).

The Union Act

The Carpatho-Danubian-Pontic Space on 9 April 1918, after the Sfatul Tarii of the Moldovan Democratic Republic voted to unite with Romania.
The Union Act of 1918.
The ethnological map of the Romanian population by Heinrich Kiepert, 1876.

On April 9 [O.S. March 27] 1918, Sfatul Țării decided with 86 votes for, 3 against and 36 abstaining (mostly non-Romanians), for union with the Kingdom of Romania, conditional upon the fulfillment of agrarian reform, local autonomy, and respect for universal human rights. This was in spite of the fact that the national referendum necessary under the law had not taken place.

Fearing a radical land reform, the county councils of Bălți, Soroca and Orhei, dominated by large landowners, were the earliest to ask for unification with the Kingdom of Romania, deeming the royal government preferable to the Sfatul Țării, dominated by left-wing populists. On April 9 1918, Sfatul Țării voted in favour of the union, with the following conditions:

  1. Sfatul Țării would undertake an agrarian reform, which would be accepted by the Romanian Government.
  2. Bessarabia would remain autonomous, with its own diet, Sfatul Țării, elected democratically
  3. Sfatul Țării would vote for local budgets, control the councils of zemstvos and cities, and name the local administration
  4. Conscription would be done on a territorial basis
  5. Local laws and the form of administration could be changed only with the approval of local representatives
  6. The rights of minorities had to be respected
  7. Two Bessarabian representatives would be part of the Romanian government
  8. Bessarabia would send to the Romanian Parliament a number of representatives equal to the proportion of its population
  9. All elections must involve a direct, equal, secret, and universal vote
  10. Freedom of speech and of belief must be guaranteed in the constitution
  11. All individuals who had committed felonies for political reasons during the revolution would be amnestied.

Greater Romania

Main article: Greater Romania
Bessarabia in yellow and Northern Bukovina in grey, as a parts of Kingdom of Romania. Note: the region past the Dniester river was a part of Romania only briefly, during World War II
Romanian stamp commemorating 10 years of the Union

There were 86 votes for, 3 votes against and 36 deputies abstained. The first condition for agrarian reform was debated and approved in November 1918, and following this, Sfatul Țării voted a motion which removed all the other conditions, trusting that Romania would be a democratic country. The vote, which renounced Bessarabia's autonomy, has been judged illegitimate, since there was no quorum: only 44 of the 125 members took part in it (all voted "for").

The historian Bernard Newman, who traveled by bicycle through the whole of Greater Romania, claimed there is little doubt that the vote represented the prevailing wish in Bessarabia and that the events leading to the unification indicate there was no question of a "seizure", but a voluntary act on the part of its people.

The Romanian prime-minister at the time, Alexandru Marghiloman, was to admit however that the unification was decided in Romania, as the Moldavian leaders Daniel Ciugureanu and Ion Inculeț, aware of the widespread distrust of Romanian rule, feared an overt annexation would lead to a revolutionary situation.

In the autumn of 1919, general elections were held in Bessarabia to elect 90 deputies and 35 senators to the Romanian parliament – the Constituent Assembly. On 20 December 1919, the elected representatives ratified, along with their colleagues from the other historic provinces, the unification acts that had been approved by Sfatul Țării and the National Congresses in Transylvania and Bukovina.

During the peace talks between the Great Powers and Romania, on 1 February 1919, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George talked with Ion I. C. Brătianu and, after the withdrawal of the Romanian government's delegation, Lloyd George proposed that Romania's claims be analyzed by a territorial commission that would examine historical, ethnographic, geographic, strategic, but not political facts. The Territorial Commission on Romanian Affairs was formed, by which the representatives of the Big Four Powers presented their proposals and decided Romanian's territorial future. The commission was formed by Clive Day and Charles Seymour (USA), Sir Eyre Crowe and Alan Leeper (United Kingdom), André Tardieu and Guy Laroche (France), and Giacomo De Martino and Count Luigi Vannutelli-Rey (Italy). During the debates the only issue related to Romania on which the representatives agreed was that Bessarabia should belong to Romania. However, the United States refused to sign the Treaty on the grounds that Russia was not represented at the conference. The newly communist Russia did not recognize Romanian rule over Bessarabia, a stand that was tacitly accepted by many other countries such as the United States.

The union was recognized by the United Kingdom, France and Italy in the Treaty of Paris (1920). The treaty did not, however, come into force as Japan, one of the signatories, failed to ratify it. Soviet Russia was not represented as a party at the treaty conference. A mutual treaty between the Soviets and Romania was not signed due to the former's claims over Bessarabia. In the Kellogg-Briand Treaty of 1928 and the Treaty of London of July 1933, the Soviet Union and Romania subscribed to the principle of non-violent resolution of territorial disputes. Transnistria, at the time part of the Ukrainian SSR, itself part of the Soviet Union, was formed into the Moldavian ASSR (1924–1940) after the failure of the Tatarbunar uprising.

The land reform legislated by Sfatul Țării in 1918–1919 resulted in the redistribution of land among the rural population of the region, which constituted 80%. The actual process dragged out until the early 1930s, with the average allotted land falling short of the prescribed 6 hectares per eligible individual. The law was notable among Romanian controlled territories as it expropriated land not only from the large landowners, but also from the peasants who gained land by ad-hoc divisions of the agricultural lands during the Russian Revolution. The reform was further marred by corruption and preferential allotment to Romanian state functionaries and officers, as well as to the deputies who voted for union with Romania in 1918 (the latter were allotted 50 hectares each). Under pressure from the large landowners in the original territories of Romania, the land reform required compensations to the former owners, in contrast with the earlier declarations of the Sfatul Țării which proposed expropriation of property or even socialization. In a bid to gain legal recognition of the union, Romanian also concluded inter-governmental accords which offered preferential compensations to deposed owners of British, French and Italian citizenship. The literacy rate grew to over 40% by 1930; however, the region continued to lag educationally.

In 1924, Pan Halippa, a strong supporter of the Union in 1918, criticized the Romanian government for transforming Bessarabia into an "inferno", where the "Moldavian people suffers and bleeds more than under the Tsarist regime".

Soviet occupation

Main article: Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina

The status quo was changed 22 years later, when, as a result of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact (Article 4 of the Secret Annex to the Treaty), Nazi Germany agreed that it had no interest in Bessarabia, effectively yielding it to the Soviet Union. On June 26, 1940, after the Fall of France, Romania's ally, Romania received an ultimatum from the Soviet Union demanding the evacuation of the Romanian military and administration from Bessarabia and from the northern part of Bukovina, with an implied threat of invasion in the event of noncompliance. Under pressure from Moscow and Berlin, the Romanian administration and the army were forced to retreat from Bessarabia and from Northern Bukovina to avoid war. On June 28, 1940, these territories were occupied by the Soviet Union. During the retreat, the Romanian Army was attacked by the Soviet Army, which entered Bessarabia before the Romanian administration finished retreating. Some 48,888 Romanian soldiers and officers were unaccounted for after the retreat, including 53 casualties. In the case of several army divisions, more than half of the personnel had deserted, choosing to remain in Bessarabia.

The southern and northern parts, whose population was just over half ethnic minorities (Ukrainians, Bessarabian Bulgarians, Bessarabian Germans, and Lipovans), were transferred to the Ukrainian SSR as Izmail Oblast and as part of Chernivtsi Oblast. At the same time, the Moldavian ASSR, where ethnic Romanians were a plurality, was disbanded, and just under half of its territory was joined with the remaining territory of Bessarabia to form the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, coterminous with the present-day Moldova. Although Soviet troops were forced out in 1941 by the invasion of Axis forces, and Romania re-established its administration, the Soviet Union reconquered and reannexed the area in February–August 1944.

The official Soviet policy (1940–1941, 1944–1989) also stated that Romanian and Moldovan were two different languages and, to emphasize the distinction, Moldovan was written using a special Cyrillic alphabet (the Moldovan Cyrillic alphabet) – unlike Romanian, in which Romanian Cyrillic alphabet was replaced by Romanian Latin alphabet in 1860s.

Legacy

Main article: Unification of Moldova and Romania
1998 Moldovan stamp commemorating 80 years of the Union

Moldova became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then, there has been a movement to unite again the region with Romania. Furthermore, the union of Bessarabia with Romania is now commemorated on the Day of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania, celebrated every 27 March. In Romania, this holiday is official since 2017. It is not official in Moldova despite attempts at doing so, but some Moldovan unionists celebrate it anyway. The same situation occurs in Transnistria.

See also

References

  1. Figes, Orlando (2011). The Crimean War: A History. Macmillan. p. 18. ISBN 9781429997249.
  2. "Petitions of the Bessarabian nobility for the teaching of Romanian language in schools of the province :: Journal "Tyragetia" :: Publications :: National Museum of History of Moldova".
  3. regarded as Romanian by some authors
  4. "The first Russian census after the annexation (1816) revealed a province almost solidly Roumanian – of a population of about half a million, 92.5% Moldavian and Ukrainian, 1.5% Lipovans (Russian heterodox), 4.5% Jews, 1.6% other races"
  5. text from a 1927 source: "Today, the Bulgarians form one of the most solid elements in Southern Bessarabia, numbering (with the Gagaoutzi, Turkish-speaking Christians also from the Dobrudja) nearly 150,000. Colonization brought in numerous Great Russian peasants, and the Russian bureaucracy imported Russian office-holders and professional men; according to the Roumanian estimate of 1920, the Great Russians were about 75,000 in number (2.9%), and the Lipovans and Cossacks 59,000 (2.2%); the Little Russians (Ukrainians) came to 254,000 (9.6%). That, plus about 10,000 Poles, brings the total number of Slavs to 545,000 in a population of 2,631,000, or about one-fifth"
  6. Naturally, this system resulted not in acquisition of Russian by the Moldavians, but in their almost complete illiteracy in any language
  7. Cazacu (1912). "A Century of Serfdom". text: "The Russians are now holding their celebration of a century of material possession of Bessarabia. But her spirit they do not possess, nor shall they ever possess it. In the celebration of the Russians, the Moldavians have no share except that of deep and painful silence. The whole Roumanian people feels this pain, and does not lose hope that Bessarabia, and with her the Roumanian people, will have a chance to celebrate in her turn the day of salvation. It will come. History repeats itself so often, and the historical maxim remains: Babylon was, the Empire of Alexander of Macedon was, the Roman Empire was, the Byzantine Empire was, and the time will come to say of other empires also-they were. Not so long ago was 1855 with the Crimea, and not so long ago was Port Arthur and Tzushima, and-Great is the Lord God of Hosts!-it will be again, surely it will be again!"
  8. Sfatul Tarii ... proclamate Moldavian Democratic Republic Archived 2007-12-04 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Charles Upson Clark (1927). "24:The Decay of Russian Sentiment". Bessarabia: Russia and Roumania on the Black Sea – View Across Dniester From Hotin Castle. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company.
  10. Pelivan (Chronology)
  11. Cazacu (Moldova, pp. 240–245).
  12. ^ King, Charles (2013). The Moldovans: Romania, Russia, and the Politics of Culture. Hoover Press. ISBN 9780817997939.
  13. Bernard Newman, "The new Europe", p. 245
  14. van Meurs, Wim, The Bessarabian question in communist historiography, East European Monographs, 1994, pp. 68–69
  15. Istoria Romanilor, vol. VIII,, pp. 6–7, Editura Enciclopedica, Bucuresti, 2003
  16. Marcel Mitrasca, Moldova: A Romanian Province under Russian Rule. Diplomatic History from the Archives of the Great Powers, p. 67
  17. ^ Wayne S Vucinich, "Bessarabia" in: Collier's Encyclopedia (Crowell Collier and MacMillan Inc., 1967) vol. 4, p. 103
  18. Halippa, Pantelimon (1924). O cuvântare ținută în Parlamentul Țării. Discuția la Mesaj, Ședința din 28 noiembrie. București. p. 71.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  19. Soviet Ultimata and Replies of the Romanian Government Archived November 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine in Ioan Scurtu, Theodora Stănescu-Stanciu, Georgiana Margareta Scurtu, Istoria Românilor între anii 1918–1940 (in Romanian), University of Bucharest, 2002
  20. Nagy-Talavera, Nicolas M. (1970). Green Shirts and Others: a History of Fascism in Hungary and Romania. p. 305.
  21. International Commission on the Holocaust in Romania (11 November 2004). "The June/July 1940 Romanian withdrawal from Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina and its consequences on interethnic relations In Romania" (PDF). Final Report of the International Commission on the Holocaust in Romania. Yad Vashem (The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  22. Mackinlay, p. 140
  23. "Declararea zilei de 27 martie – Ziua Unirii Basarabiei cu România ca zi de sărbătoare națională" (in Romanian). President of Romania. 27 March 2017.
  24. "Propunerea instituirii Zilei Unirii Basarabiei cu România a fost respinsă". Radio Europa Liberă Moldova (in Romanian). 4 March 2020.
  25. "100 de ani de la unirea Basarabiei cu România. Manifestație de amploare la Chișinău". Digi24 (in Romanian). 25 March 2018.
  26. "Ziua Unirii Basarabiei cu România – 27 martie – sărbătorită pe ambele maluri ale Prutului" (in Romanian). Romanian Cultural Institute. 26 March 2017.
  27. Modiga, Iulia (28 March 2017). "(FOTO) Ziua Unirii Basarabiei cu România, sărbătorită la liceul românesc din Tiraspol". InfoPrut (in Romanian).

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