Romania celebrates Union of the Romanian Principalities today

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On January 24, every year, Romania celebrates the Little Union, a historic event of great importance. This day is declared a holiday by law, and many public and private institutions adjust their schedules.

January 24, 1859 was the date on which the Union of the Romanian Principalities, the Little Union, took place. On January 24, 1859, Moldavia united with Wallachia following the double election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as ruler of the two principalities.

The unification of 1859 was not only a victory for the Romanians, but also a remarkable example of diplomacy and political strategy. Every step, from ad hoc consultations to the designation of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as sole ruler, was marked by tense negotiations and compromises. This story begins in a Europe troubled by conflicts and conflicting interests, where the great powers tried to shape the fate of peoples according to their own interests.

The Union of the Romanian Principalities, known as the Small Union (the Great Union being the one from December 1, 1918, in Alba Iulia), represents the unification of the old principalities, Moldavia and Wallachia, into a united Principality.

In the mid-19th century, the fate of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia was in the hands of Russia and the Ottoman Empire, which opposed their union. The situation changed following the Crimean War, between 1853 and 1856, when Russia was defeated by the Great Powers, consisting of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the French Empire, the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the Ottoman Empire.

After the war, in 1856, through the Peace Treaty of Paris, decisions were made that also concerned the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. For example, three counties in southern Bessarabia, Cahul, Ismail and Bolgrad, were attached to Moldavia.

Amid discussions about the unification of the two principalities, in 1857 the Great Powers granted them the right to organize a “referendum” (consultation of the population with the right to vote) about the Union. To this end, Ad-hoc assemblies were established, in which elections for the Ad-hoc Divans were discussed, which were to rule on the political and social organization of the Romanian lands.

In Wallachia, the majority of the members of the Ad-hoc Divan said “Yes” to the Union, but in Moldavia, the situation was more controversial. Here, the caimacan (deputy ruler of Moldavia), Nicolae Vogoride, supported by the Ottoman Empire, which promised him the throne if the Union was not achieved, falsified the electoral lists for representation in the Ad-hoc Divan.
However, chance led Vogoride to reveal himself, through letters, to his brother in Constantinople, and the correspondence was stolen and published in the European press in Brussels. The discovery caused scandals both among Romanians and especially at European level.

The Great Powers broke off relations with the Ottoman Empire, requested meetings with the Emperor of France, Napoleon, and the Queen of Great Britain, Victoria, and the fake elections were thus annulled. In the fall of 1857, following the new elections, everyone voted for the Union of the Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia.

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