jjares reviewed Romanian History: A Captivating Guide to the History of Romania and Vlad the Impaler on + 3270 more book reviews
ROMANIAN HISTORY --
Romania is made up of three provinces: Transylvania, Wallachia, and Moldavia. Because this territory is at a crossroads; much history took place there. For hundreds of years, the Romanian lands were battlegrounds for their neighbor's ambitions. Romanians have been buffeted by the conflicting wars with the Byzantines, Ottoman Turks, Habsburgs, and Russia. Much of Romanian history has been the conflict between their Eastern heritage and their desire for more Western innovation and progress.
In 1866, Romania (Wallachia and Moldavia), became a constitutional monarchy. During that time, Transylvania was part of the Habsburg Empire, while Wallachia and Moldavia were more independent. There are several fascinating paragraphs about the Gypsies (Roma, not to be confused with Romanians) and how the Romanian government freed them (they were virtually slaves) and included them into Romanian life.
Romania was reluctantly pulled into World War I, but in 1920, Romania gained Transylvania as part of their nation. Between the wars, there was considerable discussion in the country about which way to go -- west with modernization or east with a traditional agrarian economy. However, in 1938, a dictatorship was established in Romania. With the rise of Hitler, the whole Romanian economy became subject to Germany's war aspirations.
Because of the tightrope the Romanians walked during World War II, they were a pawn in the armistice. Essentially, Russia took Romania into its sphere. They forced the king to abdicate and the Russians renamed the state, the Romanian People's Republic. It took 40+ years for the Romanians to wrest their country from the Soviet block.
VLAD THE IMPALER --
Vlad the Impaler lived in an extremely violent and unsettling time in world history. Life during these times must have been truly terrifying. People who lived in the fortified cities had a very high chance of dying (gruesomely). This book talks about the 'scorched earth' policy followed by the military leaders. Life seems to have been short and often violent during the time outlined in this book. Think about it -- they only had what they could glean from the forests because they were in hiding and could not farm to feed themselves. Unrest and wars seemed to be the most common state of their lives.
Obviously, Vlad the Impaler was a complex person. Forced to live amongst the Turks during his formative years, he seems to have learned what he could from these people and used the military skills he learned from the Turks against them later. Because Vlad was such a blood-thirsty fighter, he seemed to do a great deal (with the smaller number of people on his side) because he must have created terror wherever he went.
Romania is made up of three provinces: Transylvania, Wallachia, and Moldavia. Because this territory is at a crossroads; much history took place there. For hundreds of years, the Romanian lands were battlegrounds for their neighbor's ambitions. Romanians have been buffeted by the conflicting wars with the Byzantines, Ottoman Turks, Habsburgs, and Russia. Much of Romanian history has been the conflict between their Eastern heritage and their desire for more Western innovation and progress.
In 1866, Romania (Wallachia and Moldavia), became a constitutional monarchy. During that time, Transylvania was part of the Habsburg Empire, while Wallachia and Moldavia were more independent. There are several fascinating paragraphs about the Gypsies (Roma, not to be confused with Romanians) and how the Romanian government freed them (they were virtually slaves) and included them into Romanian life.
Romania was reluctantly pulled into World War I, but in 1920, Romania gained Transylvania as part of their nation. Between the wars, there was considerable discussion in the country about which way to go -- west with modernization or east with a traditional agrarian economy. However, in 1938, a dictatorship was established in Romania. With the rise of Hitler, the whole Romanian economy became subject to Germany's war aspirations.
Because of the tightrope the Romanians walked during World War II, they were a pawn in the armistice. Essentially, Russia took Romania into its sphere. They forced the king to abdicate and the Russians renamed the state, the Romanian People's Republic. It took 40+ years for the Romanians to wrest their country from the Soviet block.
VLAD THE IMPALER --
Vlad the Impaler lived in an extremely violent and unsettling time in world history. Life during these times must have been truly terrifying. People who lived in the fortified cities had a very high chance of dying (gruesomely). This book talks about the 'scorched earth' policy followed by the military leaders. Life seems to have been short and often violent during the time outlined in this book. Think about it -- they only had what they could glean from the forests because they were in hiding and could not farm to feed themselves. Unrest and wars seemed to be the most common state of their lives.
Obviously, Vlad the Impaler was a complex person. Forced to live amongst the Turks during his formative years, he seems to have learned what he could from these people and used the military skills he learned from the Turks against them later. Because Vlad was such a blood-thirsty fighter, he seemed to do a great deal (with the smaller number of people on his side) because he must have created terror wherever he went.
