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History of Romania

Romania is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe, on the lower course of the Danube and the northwestern shore of the Black Sea.. 6 eras, 60 BCE to today.

Dacia, 60 BCE–106 CE Draft, not yet reviewed

Dacia was the land inhabited by the Dacians, with its core in Transylvania and stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black Sea in the east and the Tisza in the west. A Dacian kingdom that united the Dacians and the Getae was formed under the rule of Burebista and lasted until the Roman conquest in AD 106. The Romans destroyed the capital city, Sarmizegetusa Regia, and built a settlement bearing the same name, Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetuza, 40 km away.

Seat of power: Sarmizegetusa Regia

Principality of Wallachia, 1330–1859 Draft, not yet reviewed

Wallachia was one of the two historical Romanian principalities that laid the foundation for the establishment of the modern Romanian state. By 1330, the state had consolidated following Basarab I's victory in the Battle of Posada against the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1417, Wallachia was forced to accept the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire for the first time; this suzerainty lasted until the mid-19th century. In 1859, Wallachia united with Moldavia to form the United Principalities.

Seat of power: Câmpulung

Rulers

United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, 1859–1881 Draft, not yet reviewed

The union was formed on 5 February 1859 when Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected as the Domnitor (Ruling Prince) of both principalities. In February 1866, Prince Cuza was forced to abdicate and go into exile by a political coalition led by the Liberals. In July the same year, a new constitution came into effect, giving the country the name of Romania. On 21 May 1877, Romania proclaimed itself fully independent.

Seat of power: Bucharest

Rulers

Kingdom of Romania, 1881–1947 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Kingdom of Romania was a constitutional monarchy that existed from 1881 until the abdication of King Michael I in 1947. The country gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire during the 1877–1878 Russo-Turkish War. Greater Romania included the provinces that became part of the state after World War I: Bessarabia, Banat, Bukovina and Transylvania. Following the abolishment of the 1923 constitution by King Carol II in 1938, the Kingdom of Romania became an absolute monarchy, only to become a military dictatorship under Ion Antonescu in 1940.

Seat of power: Bucharest

Rulers

Socialist Republic of Romania, 1947–1989 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Socialist Republic of Romania was a communist state that existed from 1947 to the Romanian revolution in 1989. In December 1947, King Michael I was forced to abdicate and the People's Republic of Romania was declared. It was an Eastern Bloc state and a member of the Warsaw Pact, with a dominant role for the Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its constitutions. Many people were arrested, executed or died in custody under communist Romania, most during the Stalinist era of the 1950s, for political, economical, or other reasons.

Seat of power: Bucharest

Rulers

Romania, 1989 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

After the fall of communism and the Romanian revolution in 1989, Romania transitioned to liberal democracy. Romania has been a member of NATO since 29 March 2004 and of the EU since 1 January 2007. Romania is a developed country with a high-income economy and is widely regarded as a middle power in international relations.

Seat of power: Bucharest

Rulers

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