Early in this book, Captivating History tells how Romania got its name. After Emperor Trajan fought with the Dacian people (and their leader Decebal), Roman settlers stayed in the territory and mixed with the native Dacians, bringing about the land of Romania. 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.
However, in the early 1800s, the elites of the Romanians were coming to understand that their sense of ethnic distinctiveness was based on their Byzantine Orthodox cultural and political traditions, and their historical origins. They were starting to yearn for independence. However, there were so many powerful empires surrounding them, they were hardpressed to take their destiny into their own hands. Another problem was that Transylvania was part of the Habsburg Empire, while Wallachia and Moldavia were more independent.
In 1866, Romania (Wallachia and Moldavia), became a constitutional monarchy. 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.
On a personal note, we went on a cruise a few years ago and many of the employees on the ship were Romanians. When we asked why there were so many working on the ship, they stated that there weren't enough jobs and that the cost of living was so high, they had to get jobs out of their homeland to make a future for themselves. Over 1/2 of the employees on that cruise (between 600 - 900) were all Romanians.
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.
However, in the early 1800s, the elites of the Romanians were coming to understand that their sense of ethnic distinctiveness was based on their Byzantine Orthodox cultural and political traditions, and their historical origins. They were starting to yearn for independence. However, there were so many powerful empires surrounding them, they were hardpressed to take their destiny into their own hands. Another problem was that Transylvania was part of the Habsburg Empire, while Wallachia and Moldavia were more independent.
In 1866, Romania (Wallachia and Moldavia), became a constitutional monarchy. 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.
On a personal note, we went on a cruise a few years ago and many of the employees on the ship were Romanians. When we asked why there were so many working on the ship, they stated that there weren't enough jobs and that the cost of living was so high, they had to get jobs out of their homeland to make a future for themselves. Over 1/2 of the employees on that cruise (between 600 - 900) were all Romanians.
