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- See also: Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)
| Romanian War of Independence (1877–1878) | |||||||||
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.jpg) The Siege of Plevna |
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 Russian Empire Romanian Principality Bulgarian volunteers |
 Ottoman Empire |
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| 10,000 |
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The Romanian War of Independence was fought in 1877 against the Ottoman Empire. On April 16 O.S. April 4] 1877, Romania and the Russian Empire signed at Bucharest a treaty under which Russian troops were allowed to pass through Roumanian territory, with the condition that Russia respects the integrity of Roumania. The mobilization began, and about 120,000 soldiers were massed in the south of the country to defend against an eventual attack of the Ottoman forces from south of the Danube. On April 24 O.S. April 12] 1877, Russia declared war to the Ottoman Empire and its troops entered Romania.
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Overview
On May 21 O.S. May 9] 1877, in the Roumanian parliament, Mihail Kogălniceanu declared the independence of Roumania as the will of the Roumanian people. A day later, the act was signed by Prince Carol I. The next day, the Roumanian government canceled paying tribute to Turkey (914,000 lei), and the sum was given instead to the War Minister.
Initially, before 1877, Russia did not wish to cooperate with Roumania, since they did not wish Roumania to participate in the peace treaties after the war, but the Russians encountered a very strong Turkish army of 50,000 soldiers led by Osman Pasha at the Siege of Pleven (Plevna) where the Russian troops led by Russian generals suferred very heavy losses and were routed in several battles.1
War
Due to great losses, Nikolai Konstantinovich, Grand Duke of Russia asked Carol I for the Romanian Army to intervene and join forces with the Russian Army.2 The precise English translation of this telegram is found in the 1899 original book of King Carol I' s, authorized memoirs.3
Prince Carol I accepted the Duke's proposal to become the Marshal of the Russian troops in addition to the Command of his own Roumanian army, thus being able to lead the combined armed forces to the conquest of Plevna and the formal surrender, after heavy fighting, of the Turkish General (Osman Pasha) to Prince Carol I. The Romanian Army won the battles of Griviţa and Rahova, and on 28 November 1877 the Plevna citadel capitulated, and Osman Pasha surrendered the city, the garrison and his sword to the Roumanian colonel Mihail Cerchez under orders from Prince Carol I. (Osman Pasha was later to be promoted to Field Marshal by the Sultan). After the occupation of Plevna, the Romanian Army returned to the Danube and won the battles of Vidin and Smârdan. On 19 January 1878, the Ottoman Empire requested an armistice, which was accepted by Russia and Romania. Romania won the war, having suffered more than 10,000 casualties. Its independence from the Porte (and also from Russia) was finally recognised by the Central Powers on 13 July 1878.
Aftermath
The peace treaty between Russia and the Ottoman Empire was signed at San Stefano, on 3rd March 1878. Russia did not keep its promises of the 4 April 1877 treaty (signed by the Russian consul Stuart Dimitri (and approved by the Czar Alexander II; Aleksandr II, Nikolaevich ) and the Roumanian Prime Minister of the day Mihail Kogălniceanu) to respect Roumania's territorial integrity. However, the treaty was not recognised by the Central Powers and the 1878 peace conference in Berlin decided that Russia would give Roumania its independence, the territories of Dobrogea, the Danube Delta and access to the Black Sea including the ancient port of Tomis (Constantza), as well as the tiny Snake Island (Insula Şerpilor), but Russia would nevertheless occupy as a so-called "compensation" the old Roumanian Southern counties of Bessarabia (Cahul, Bolgrad and Ismail), which by the Treaty of Paris of 1856 (after the Crimean War) were included in Moldavia. Prince Carol was most unhappy by this imposition of Russian occupation of Roumanian territories that seriously breached the Russo-Roumanian treaty of 4 April 1877; he was finally persuaded by Bismark (in now published original letters exchanged at that time) to accept this compromise with Russia in view of the great economical potential of Roumania's direct access to the Black Sea ancient ports.4
Gallery
 Romanian plate commemorating victory at Plevna |
 Ahmed Pasha's sword: Romanian capture at Plevna |
 At upper right is Carol I's insignia as a Russian Field Marshal |
 First Cannon Fire |
 Crossing the Danube |
 Carol I is welcomed in Bulgaria |
 King Carol I at Smârdan |
 Battle at Skit bridge |
 Color engraving from 1878 |
 Color engraving from 1878 |
 Color engraving from 1878 |
 Color engraving from 1878 |
 Capturing Plevna |
 Battle for Plevna |
 Plevna Diorama |
 Plevna Diorama |
See also
External links
- The Plevna Delay by Richard T. Trenk, Sr. (Originally published in Man At Arms magazine, Number Four, August, 1997)
- The Romanian Army of the Russo-Turkish War 1877-78
- Grivitsa Romanian Mausoleum in Bulgaria
Footnotes
- ^ http://www.archive.org/stream/reminiscencesofk00kremiala "Reminiscences of the KING OF ROUMANIA", Edited from the original with an Introduction by Sidney Whitman, Authorized edition, Harper& Brothers: New York and London, 1899
- ^ The telegram of Nikolai to Carol I (translated in Roumanian): "Turcii îngrãmãdind cele mai mari trupe la Plevna ne nimicesc. Rog sã faci fuziune, demonstratiune si dacã-i posibil sã treci Dunãrea cu armatã dupã cum doresti. Între Jiu si Corabia demonstratiunea aceasta este absolut necesarã pentru înlesnirea miscãrilor mele" ("The Turks massed together the greatest troop at Pleven to lay us waste. I ask you to make mergers, demonstrations and if it is possible cross the Danube with the army as you wish. Between Jiu and Corabia the demonstration is absolutely necessary to facilitate my movements.)
- ^ http://www.archive.org/stream/reminiscencesofk00kremiala "Reminiscences of the KING OF ROUMANIA", Edited from the original with an Introduction by Sidney Whitman, Authorized edition, Harper& Brothers: New York and London, 1899
- ^ http://www.archive.org/stream/reminiscencesofk00kremiala "Reminiscences of the KING OF ROUMANIA", Edited from the original with an Introduction by Sidney Whitman, Authorized edition, Harper& Brothers: New York and London, 1899, pp.15-20.
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