Romanian Campaign of 1916.The Invasion

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(Baloon type Caquot ,prepared for launching on Marasesti Front ,summer 1917)

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The fight at Mihaileni

Corps XVIII-th and XL Russians of the VIII-th Army ,which have left the Bucovina Front ,begin to gather around Siret Hamlet ,to cross in to Russia by Dorohoi County ;the Russian announce that they will force the passing ,if they are not permitted to keep the weapons and follow the road fixed by them .The Commander of the 9th Romanian Division ,which was occupying zone of Northern Moldavia ,tries to convince the Russians to obey.But the Russians knowing themselves much more numerous than Romanians and so ,thinking themselves strongger,continue the advance.Crossing over Mamornita line -tereblecea ,guarded by Romanian 34th Regiment ,they capture an entire Romanian Company with 7 officers and 215 soldiers of this Regiment ,of which Commander entangled himself in too long parliamentations with the Russians.

The prisoners have been freed ,after a few days,by the 40th Romanian Regiment.

The Commander of the Romanian Division makes two Detachments ,with combined troops ,to stop the advance of the Russians and force them to disarm.Constantinescu Detachment Arghir ,made out of two Battalions of the 35th Regiment ,a Battalion of the 9th Hunters Regiment and a battery of howizers(obusiere) ,occupies Mihaileni small city ,in front of Siret City ,where there is a big center of Russian troops with very aggresive attitude.The Russian delegats come in the day of 15 th of Janauary 1918 to reclame free way;it is awaited at night the attack for forcing of the passing through.The Romanian troops assume fighting positions with the center in Mihaileni and the wings at Sinautii de Sus and at Sinautii de Jos.The artillery battery is at the bridge over Molnita ,in front of Mihaileni.

In the afternoon of the day,the Russians start the advance and occupy Gherbautii ,in front of Mihailenilor,with two regiments of the 23rd Division ,having with them also artillery ;other four regiments of the 26th Division are at Siret.Our Hunters Battalion ,which is at Sinautii de Sus ,start by evening the advance towards Gherbauti ,but is attacked from the front and flank ,from Tereblecea,by much superior forces and has to retreat again in the starting point.Our left wing ,at Sinautii de Jos ,is attacked at night by superior forces of geandarmery and has to retreat her as well with 200-300 meters until receives reinforcements.The next day in the morning ,at 4 ,big Russian forces start the advance and attack of howizers and a battery of cannons ,which arrived also,fire over the Russian columns coming from Siret towards Sinautii de Sus ,as two Infantry Battalions ,Romanian, aim their attack over the elevations over Sinautii de Sus,where there are Russian troops which threaten with veiling of our right flank.The Russian artillery sets also into position and fires over Romanian troops.The fight becomes very violent near 9 in the morning .The Russians fight with great stubborness.Defeated though by the precisse firing range of the Romanian artillery and by the impetuous attack of Infantry they start at 10.30 to weaken and to retreat towards Gherbauti.Pursued close by Romanians ,the retreat of the Russians transforms in disordered running;big groups start to surrender ,others run to Siret .In the Southern edge of Gherbautilor ,the Romanian troops stop ,gather ,reconstitue the units.We had 16 dead and 57 wounded ,of which three officers ;losse of the Russians were very big.The disarming is made with the help of Ucrainian troops which are friendly to us ,and the artillery material and atelaje is given to us to safe keeping.A part of the troops of XVIII Corps ,together with the commander ,General Sytin ,crossed straight to the Austrians and constituted prisoners.

With this last trial made by the Russians in Upper Moldavia to defeat the dispozition of the Commandment pertaining the disarming and of the intinerary ,has benn defeated.The Russian troops had to bend their head in the face of energy and determination of the Romanian soldiers and the evacuation continues to be made regularly,as was the fixed programe of the two Commandments.

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Russian -Romanian rapports in the second phase of the revolution.

In state of war with sovietic Russia

Following the decided attitude and of the energic action of the Romanian Army,the Russian military formations which have left the Romanian Front and were heading towards their patria ,have been forced to reenter in order;their pouring was made now regulat ,disarmed ,on the indicated roads by Romanian Commandment and under Romanian military guard.

Towards the end of January 1918 ,there did not exist Russian Army in Moldavia anymore .Of the formidable Army of a million soldiers was left ,afet a year,only few guards of volunteers to guard the imense deposits of military materials , and a number of officers ,fateful to the Old Regime ,which were awaiting the good moment to enlist under the counterrevolutionary flags ,of Generals Denkin,Kaledin,Kolceak.

But the rapports of the Romanian Government with the new leaders of sovietic Russia and with their armies which were grouping in to organizations ,did not end in the same time with the ending of the Russian -Romanian alliance.The disorders of the armed groups,kept in harness during their retreat perpendicular over the Moldavian territory ,moved now over Prut River ,together with these armies.Bassarabia was in full efervescence.On one hand were active feverishly the local revolutionary elements ,agitating and organizing after the model of bolsevic revolution. from the imense Russian territory and after the indication received from the bolsevic government central of Petrograd;on the other hand ,was the re-awakening of the Romanian national conscience of old province between Prut River and Nistru River,organized on national basis ,conform with the shouts of autonomy and independence which the Russian revolution announced to the oppreseed people by the Tzarist regime and freedoom of revolution.

The excesses commited by the Russian troops in retreat ,disorganized,tolerated or sometimes even incited by the revolutionar governings improvised,have created new connections of solidarity between the young Moldavian State which was forming at Chisinau,as a reaction against the disorders and plunderings ,and the mother country;they have rushed the inevitable process of Unification(with Romania).At 27th of January 1918 ,Romanian Army,called in aid by the Moldavian Republic was entering Chisinau ,and by the end of February the last Russian military formations were throwed over Nistru River.

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As it was to be expected ,the decided action of the Romanian Armies ,on Moldavian territory ,as on the one of Basarabia ,started from a circumstance of legitime defence and not based on a mandate received from the Allied Powers, has produced lot of upset at Petrograd.The hostility of the bolsevic current against Romania has been manifested even from the time pf burghezo-socialist phase of the revolution ,because the bolsevic leaders did not forgive to Romania her attitude to have remained fateful to the aristocratic states of the Wst and not accepting the cooperation with bolsevic of new Russia.As in the council of the Russian republic in Petrograd ,the foreign minister Trescenko ,the partizan of Kerenski ,suppoerted the legitimacy of Romanian revendications and was bringing omages to the Romanian sacrifice and of her leality in fulfilling her obligations ,with all the sufferings endured "especially because of our(Russian) weakness",the soviet of the deputies of the workers and soldiers ,in which predominated maximalist elements (bolsevice),send to the socialist interallied -planned to be held in Paris in october 1917-Skobelev with precise instructions in which the interests of Romania were not only neglected but even mocked.Because ,on one hand ,the matter of Romanians in the enslaved provinces was absolutely passed under silence -in a program in which it was talked abiut the liberation and the autonomy of all states enslaved -and on the other hand it was seen thet"Romania to be reestablished in her old borders ,with the obligation to give autonomy to Dobrogea ,which will be free to have her fate"!So,an atentate at the territorial integrity of Romania before the War.

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At 7th of November the maximalist revolution brings to power in Russia ,the government of commissaries of the people ,lead by lenin and trotki(names of communist leaders).Inaugurating a new politics in the foreign affairs and in the internal ,the government breaks all the engagements made by the formes goverments,the Tzaris ones,and by those of the burgezo-socialist in the first phase of the revolution.Pertaining our country ,considered as a bastion of reactionary burghezia and bridgehead of the Western Powers against the Russian revolution ,the attitude of the new government is very unfriendly ;its chieftain inspirer is dr. christu racovsky ,political friend and personal friend of trotki ,the commissary of the government for foreign affairs.rakovski was in the soviet government a kind of a counceler for Romanian affairs.Above the role played by rakovski in the preparation and leading of the revolt of the Romanian sailors in the harbours of Danube and Black Sea ,as well as the retaliations against the Romanians minds refugeed in Meridional Russia,he played an important role in the attitude which the Government of Petrograd took against Romania and the Romanian Government in Iasi(as the Romanian Government moved from Bucharest to Iasi ,as we know).

The energy proved by the Romanian Government in reprimating of the armed enterprises tried at Iasi against our King and Russian General Scerbacev ,as well as the operation of cleaning the Moldavian territory -first-and of Basarabia-then-by the disorganized groups of the disolved Russian armies ,have irritated to superlative the government in Petrograd ,which-under racovski instigations -have inaugurated the series of retaliation measures.

At 13th of january 1918 Diamandi ,the Romanian Minister at petrograd ,is arrested in the building of the Romanian Legation and locked away,together with all personel of the legation in fortress-prisson Petropavlovsk,the Russian Bastilia;this,under the pretext of retaliations for the lack of attention which the Romanian Government gives to the chieftains choosen by the Russian armies and by the soldiers.At the protest of the unanimity of the diplomatic representatives at Petrograd against this stepping over the most elementaries principles of international law ,the Romanian Mission was set free after three days of incarceration ,and is expelled.

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At 16th of January ,the sovietic government sends to Romanian Government an ultimatum by which this one is somated to answer,in 24 hours ,at the accuzation that it would have committed some alleged acts ,arbitrary ,over the Russian armies.The ultimatum has received a precisse answer from the Romanian government ,which reestablishes the truth ,showing that the "measures taken by the government are edged to only away the conflicts on the Romanian territory and at obstacling of the disorder retreat ,which has as effects plunderings and devastations".The Russian ultimatum was also blaming the Romanian Government of the arrestation of "some officers Austrians ,which were guests at 194th Regiment".The Romanian Government answers "that the Austrian officers found behind the Front,have been re-walked to the enemy posts ,although,after the stipulations of the Truce,they were in right to make these ones prisoners".In the same time ,the Romanian Government ,finding out about the arrestation of Diamandi ,was sending to the Europena Cancellaries a protest ,in which was showing the situation of rapports between Russians and Romanians,as well as the sacrifices made by Romanians to feed the Russian Army,used to be,to which -said the report-gave 96 000 carriages of replenishments .Only in the city of Iasi ,the Russian soldiers ,passing by,have received from the end of October 1916,some 25 000 breads a day.By the end of December 1917,the XXX-th Russian Corps ,coming back from Russia without provissions ,has received from the Romanian authorities the food for two days.To talk,then,as the government of Petrograd does ,is to affirm an inexact thing -ends the note of the Romanian Government.

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At 26th of January ,following the intervention of Romanian troops in Bassarabia ,the government of soviets breaks relations with Romania .A radiogram of trotki news the World that:10The diplomatic relations with Romania are boken.The members of Romanian Legation and all the agents of the Romanian authorities -will be expelled on the shortest way ;2)The golden Treasury of Romania ,which is in Moscow,wlll not be possible to be obtained by the "Romanian oligarhy" back. The Council of the commissaries takes full responsibility to conserve this fond ,which has to be given to the Romanian people;3)The former Commander of the Russian troops on the Romanian Front ,General Scerbacev ,which took position against the revolution,is declared the enemy of the people of Russia and outlawed.

This declaration of War is also a characteristic document for the degeneration of the relations between former allies:Romanian Thesaurus/Treasury ,given as sacre deposit in the hands of Russia and guaranteed ,only by formal declarations of the Allied Powers,but with the honour of the Russian state is confiscated ,and by this means assumed by the government at Petrograd.

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To justify this incorrect attitude and unleal-real abuse of one Nation's trust-the Russian government has explained that Romania would have asked for the restitution of the Romanian Thesaurus from Moscow to transfere it to the "Whithe" Generals of Southern Russia -Keledin,Denikin a.s.o-for these to be able to constitute and maintain an Army of volunteers ,and not to send it to America*.

The War declaration of Russia towards Romania was uncontestable an event of exceptional gravity.In the moment when the enemy ,taking advantage of the Russian defection and by our isolation,thus, somated us to accept the peace of capitulation imposed by this one ,in the moment when surrounded from three parts by the enemy ,we made the inventory of strengths ,to see if it is possible a desperate resistance ,at least to satisfy the honour of the engagements to the Western Allies,in the same time,in our back ,in the only Sector considered as free ,Russia rises against us.So,sorrounded by enemies from all parts ,poor island in the middle of a stormy ocean ,assulted all around by tha big waves!Completely isolated ,without power of help from nowhere ,we could release the shout of pain of Kosciuszko [10] in fron of his patria:"God is to high and France to far!"

It is undoubtful ,the culminant moment of the Romanian tragedy.The Romanian Government has not lost his head ,though.He understood where the real danger was and where was the one which could be fought back.The discussions for closing of a peace becoming unavoidable ,were starting to close in over the steel barrier of the old Front of War.Russia,caught in the convulsions of social changes and of the Civil War(of Russia),was not, for the moment a redutable adversary.

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Trials of revolt at the Danube and at the Black Sea

The evacuations officialy made,by the Romanian Government ,or the ones made individually,of own initiative ,have created a small city of Meridional Russia , a real important Romanian colony.There were there parliamentaries ,magistrates and clerks ,members of different committes of provissionings and colaborations with the Russian authorities ,superior officers ,military garrisons ,refugees from Ardeal and a great number of families and particulars.In some of the cities as Odessa ,Cherson and Rostov on Don ,there have been also opened Romanian highschools ,with teachers from Romania ,for the children of the refugees families which wanted to continue the studies begun in the country,without lossing yers.There were published newspapers in Romanian language by refugees newspaper people.The great Romanian banks had here bureaus ,and some treades men have opened up entreprises which were going not bad.Many Mocans from Sibiu ,seated in Rostov and the surrounding region ,have taken over almost of the cheese trade.

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*After the expelling of the Romanian Minister(Consul) at Petrograd ,the Romanian interests in Russia have been given to France,and the keys of the Romanian Thesaurus have been given also to the French Consulate in Moscow.In February ,the bolsevic commissary for foreign affairs ,fritsche(name), has asked for the keys ,declaring that ,by the decission of the commissaries of the people of Petrograd ,the Thesaurus is confiscated and if,needed,he will use force to obtain the keys.At the protests of the French Counsul ,the bolsevic gives up,but he verifies the Thesaurus and takes from it eight cassets with bank notes in the sum of 1 350 000 Lei(Romanian currency).In August 1918 ,with the arrestation of the French Counsul ,the keys have passed to the Consul of Denmark.From then on,an unbreakable mistery has surrounded , over the fate of the Romanian Thesaurus .From different declarations of the bolsevic diplomats results that the Thesaurus have been taken and used by the soviets for their needs .A great quantity of the gold of the Romanian National Bank would have been send abroad for different shoppings.

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The increasing disorganising in Russia ,the Civil War which was carried almost in permanence between the different parties or fractions of the Russian Army ,the "White" Russians -the remains of the Tzarist Army -Cossacks ,Ucrainians ,bolsevics have made a lot of concerns and sufferings to Romanians.Many times,a city was bombarded entire days -fortunately without too serious effects -till it fell from one hand to another.Then ,there was no certainty of the individual and of his belongings.Brigandages were produced daily and in great style ,after astouning procedures .Taking advantage of the chaos , the bands of theives have become to organise them in military way;they had general staffs installed in hotels ,from where they conducted the operations with the telephone.Kidnapping of persons ,especially children ,to take great sums of money from families ,was a very used procedure.One night ,at Odessa ,a Ball organized aboard the ship "Sinope",which was within the power of the mutineers ,has been announced through the news papers in the following way :"It is Brought to the knowledge the public of Odessa that,at the Ball on Sinope ship , in filantropic purposes , by the crew of the ship,may come without fear anyone, with money or objects of value,because the committe of the ship has made understanding with the committe of bandits in the city to not attack anyone and has received formal assurances that no one will be attacked ;more over,even the committe of bandits will send delegats to help police the ship during the Ball".

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In the mixed up crowds of refugees and dislocated Romanians within the harbours of Southern Russia ,there was also a great number of the members of Romanian Army :some terrestrial troops ,but especially sailors and workers of the civilian or military stabiliments -factories ,building sites ,crafting shops belonging to the Army or ,taken ,by the Army for the needs of the War and evacuated during the panic days ,especially in August 1917 month,after Battle of Marasesti ,when the Russians have started to manifest the intention to leave the Front.There were also deposits of munitions ,fluvial vessels or maritime for war or comerce ,barges ,towers etc,which had a numerous personnel.Over this mass of people ,considered as apt to receive the revolutionary sugestions ,has been exercised a strong campaign of propaganda from the part of Russians agitators ,with the aim to convert them at a mutiny action against the civil leaders and military ones of the Romanian State.

The central of this action was Odessa .The city was in the power of War unleashed between the Ucrainian troops (white) and bolsevic army formations (red).In a first phase ,after some days of fights around the city and on the streets of this one,the sovietic troops ,supported by the fleet of the Black Sea ,have remained victorious and masters over Odessa.The supreme authority was exercised by "Rumcerod"(The Committee of the Romanian Front,of Black Sea and of Odessa ).

The propaganda activity enterprised by the Russian sailors over their camarads ,Romanians, in Odessa ,Nicolaev,Cherson ,Sevastopol a.s.o. stretched also over the soldiers in the harbours of Lower Danube:Galati,Tulcea,Chilia,Sulina.The pushing towards desertion and to organise of revolutionary committes were made verbaly,by direct contact,and also by written manifests distributed clandestine.The propaganda had effect not only over a small number of sailors and soldiers ,which was showed by the fact that"the revolutionary Romanian battalion", made at Odessa by Romanians from Ardeal at the revolution was not over 500 men of the number of over 20 000 men of soldiers and military workers on the vessels and harbours of Danube and of the Black Sea.

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At Odessa was instituted a "Romanian committe of action social democrat" to intensify the activity of propaganda ;it was made also ,by this one ,a news paper ,with the title "the fight"(Lupta).The commanding of the movement in Odessa has had in the beginning as leader,"rakovsky" ,having as principal lieutenant the lawyer "m.g.bujor" from Iasi.By articles of newspapers ,and also by written manifests ,there has been carried a violent propaganda against the reactionary government at Iasi(the Romanian Government) which "dared to rise his hand over the Russian revolution";there was asked the revenge for the "Russian revolutionaries killed by the order of oligarhy(Romanian Government)" and there were made attacks against the counerrevolutionaries currents of Russia.The political program was:provoking the Russian revolution in Romania ,de-Throning King Ferdinand of Romania ,taking down the reactionar political regime of Romania (Romanian Government) and the establishment of the "Romanian Republic of the soviet ,of workers ,soldiers and peasants".

Under the influence of the revolution in October ,the campaign begins to take more and more communist character.The events of December 1917 and January 1918 -the armed conflicts between Romanian troops in Basarabia ,breaking of relations between the sovietic government and the Romanian Government -have worsened the situation at the Danube and at the Black Sea .Admiral Nemernikov,the Commander of the Russian Fluvial Forces ,have left the Command ,which was taken over by a committe of three sailors.It as been the signal of crossing from acts of propaganda to force measures.

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One of the most grave acts has been tried on Chilia Arm of Danube Delta ,at the limit with Basarabia.A revolutionary committe ,having ahead of it gh.stroici(name) of galati ,was formed in Chilia Veche and has entered in revolutionary action ,occupying the vessels in the harbour-mostly barges -tearing the officers gallons and rising the red communist flag.The sailors on the Russian vessels from the Black Sea have come in the aid of the revolutionars in Chilia.Same actions took place in Izmail and at Vilcov.The intervention of the Romanian river monitors on the Danube ,acting ina coordinated manner with the terestrial Romanian Armies have reprimated without too much dificulty the beginning of revolt*.stroici(name) has refugeed at Odessa ,where he continued the revolutionary activity.

Towards the end of October 1917 and in january 1918 ,the theatre of Romanian revolutionary trials have moved to Odessa and in to the other Russian harbours at the Black Sea.At Odessa was evacusted the majority of the comercial Romanian vessels. ,amongst ,which ,the biggest ,as:"Imparatu Traian","Romania"."Dacia" "Regele Carol" ,"Durostor" have been armed and transformed into fighting units.One of the sailors on these boats,earned by the revolutionary propaganda and supported by the communist organizations and by the local soviets ,have put master on these ships ,took down the old Commandors ,instituting revolutionar committes to lead them ;then ,have changed the names of the vessels ,rebaptizing them with revolutionary names and have coordonated their actions with the ones of soviet armies and soviet fleet,against the counterrevolution.Same thing happened at Sevastopol .The central of the commandments of revolutionary groups in marine(navy) were on "Durostor" ship ,and of the terestrial troops in the former building of the Romanian Consulate in Odessa.Among the chiefs were :m.gh.bujor,gh.stroici.,i.munteanu (names of communists) a.s.o.The revolutionar committes have installed at all deposits of armament ,at the aviation park ,on the Romanian vessels and towing vessels in the Russian harbours of the Black Sea and arrested the officers ,considered as being counterrevolutionaries.The Romanian revolutionary battalion and other smaller formations of fight have given help to the Russian troops at Tighina ,Svobodka,Razdelnaia a.s.o.

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The central government of soviets in Petrograd have considered the Russian -Romanian conflict as a matter of foreign policy of the Federative Russian Republic,going beyond the local interests and limited of the "Rumcerod" in from Odessa and being of the competence of the commissary for foreign affairs of the sovietic government.trotki have send to odessa ,rakovski ,as tasked with full poweres in Ucraine ;he would deal with the Russian- Romanian conflict .The Romanian interests in meridional Russia were going in this way on enemy hands.

christu racovski ,medic as preofession,Bulgarian as origin ,from the border of old Dobrogea ,has been one of the socialist leaders from Romania ,to which he was stamping an international character.During his ressidency in the the Medical Corps of Romanian Marine ,he played a role of intermediary between potemkinisti sailors and the Romanian Government.latter,during the activity of the social democrat party ,being considered by Bratianu Government as dangerous agitator ,he has been expelled from Romania ,as foreign citizen ,but he has been brought back by Marghiloman government,as a measure of represalies against Bratianu(Romanian Primeminister).Being abroad ,he took revenge ,printing in French a book ,"La Romanie des Boyards(Romania of boyards);boyards=landowners mainly and aristocracy;which comprises -next to some real stories about the cruel exploitation of the peasants by some of the landowners and greedy land administrators-also a multitude of exagerations and unreal generalizations-a violent pamflet and injurious ,written with lack of objectivity and with hatered.At Iasi ,in 1917 ,being arrested as agitator ,has been liberated with force by the Russian soldiers which were manifesting on the streets,in the day of 1st of May ,carried in triumph ,then expedited over Prut River*.

*To see the description of this operation at chapter "The independence of Basarabia"

Coming back to Odessa,with dictatorial powers this time ,racovski has started by instituting ,as a government,of a "high autonom college"-the entire name being"the high comission for fighting the Romanian's counterrevolution and Ucrainian,plenipotent organ of the soviets of the commissaries of the people of Petrograd"-,under his presidency;the foreign Minister was the Romanian veteran from Brasov,and the principal executive force was the "revolutionary battalion".In the college were:m.gh.bujor,lawyer nicolau from Bucharest,stroici from Galati,dicescu ,ciornei,krupferwasser ,binumovici(names of communists) a.s.o.

The activity of racovski was aimed firstly against the Romanian Governors,with which he had old personal duels to settle ;that is why he inaugurated his activity by sending to the Romanian Government in Iasi a series of ultimative notes by which he was somating them to acomplish different requests of political and military order -things which were beyond his powers-and on the other hand he started a series of represalies of police against Romanians in Odessa.-the only operations which he was capable of acomplishing.He decreted in the same time the confiscation of all vessels and property belonging to the Romanian State and to different enterprises and particular individuals in the cities and ports of Meridional Russia and announced the starting of the hostilities "for defending the Russian revolution".

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The military events of months January and February , March 1918-the advancing of the German armies in meridional Russia -have disorganized the Russian reolutionary forces and of the Romanian mutineers which have retreated to Crimeea and Kuban.The greatest part of vesels ,factories and crafting shops and deposits of the Romanian Armies ,have been recuperated.The most of the Romanian mutineers have been received back in the Romanian Army .Some of the leaders ,like bujor and stroici,have been arrested ,trialed and sentenced to prisson.

The trial of rebellion in which took part sailors and workers of Danube harbours and from the Black Sea ones in December 1917 and January 1918 [11] has been seen with unusual eyes after the point of view of the position of the comentators and historians.

Happened in very critical times of our War of wholing Romanian Kingdom ,when the Russian defection was setting in peril not only the victory ,but even the existence of the Romanian Kingdom ,it has been considered by the leading blankets of the Kingdom,of the Army and by a great majority of the intelectuality as a losing mind of an infime minority of the fighting forces ,due to the psychosis of War and of the close contact with Russian revolution;it did not took however proportions.For the Russian revolutionary historians and comentators ,and Romanians,it takes great proportions of a glorious event from the fight of the workers and soldiers ,awakened to the conscience of class,against a reactionary governation,corresponding to the real interests of Romania ,which were asking the taking down of the burghess-boyard regime and the instauration of the democrat -popular regime .The failure of the movement is explained by the same circles by some mistakes and weknesses:the inexistance at that epoch of a workers party ,communist ,to lead the fight and tha false attitude of the social-democrats of right(side).

* In the soviet union ,rakovski has made an agitated career .partisan fidel of trotki ,he had for a few years imporrtant situations ,as "ambassador of the soviets at Paris".After the fall of his project ,has entered in disgration.The writer Panait Istrati found him at Tiblisi(Caucaz) where he had forced home ,then nothing has been heard about mr.rakovski.

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The Russian Romanian alliance epilogue.

The odyssey of Romaninas from Southern Basarabia

At the breaking of relations with the Russian government ,all Romanians from the cities in Southern Russia are trying to come back to the kingdom.In Odssa have gatheret the greatest part of Romanians from other localities ,especially parliamentaries .A bad fate was awaiting them here.Odessa was in the eve of Civil War , unleashed between Ucrainians and bolsevics.When this ones(bolsevics) supported also by the fleet of the Black Sea ,have remained victorious ,have started the represalies over the adversaries and the suspects.Rumcerod arrested the leading members of the Romanian colony and,after long interogatories ,they released them with the condition to serve as intermediaries between the Romanian Government and bolsevic Ucraine ,to ease down the conflict declared by the government of Petrograd.What has determined Rumcerod to this tactic was the fraid of a Romanian armed intervention in Odessa direction.A Romanian-Russian-American delegation went to Iasi to intermediate an understanding.In this delegation also the new Government of Averescu [12] ,have started the tratatives ,which seemed to give a peaceful solution to the conflict.

With the arrival of racovski(name of communist leader) which has taken over the leading of the politic in Odessa,the things changed to worse not only for the political military relations between the two states former allied ,but olso for the personal situation of the Romanian demnitars in Odesa-between which were former ministers ,Generals,high clerks send with special missions ,senators ,deputies(from Romanian Chamber of Deputies).They have been arrested by rakovski's order ,maltratated and interned on the Russian ships of War "Sinope","Almaz" and "Aleksis",as well as the Romanian ship "Imparatul Traian"(Traian Roman Emperor) ,rebaptized "The Social Revolution" ,which were in the harbour.In these floating prissons ,the Romanians are held crowded in small rooms and without ventilation -and mocked-,being forced to do all kinds of odd jobs as:sweeping the decks ,cleaning the latrines(toilets).Some of them have been then transported in to one of the prissons in Odessa .

The arrestation of Romanians was not only a mean of represalies and of vengeful satisfaction of rakovski ,but a way to make money.Almost all the arestees ,especially those with money,have been mugged by their wealth under the form of house searchings or taking fines to be set free,after which were again arrested.All the deposits of Romanians at the banks in Odessa have been confiscated,as well as all the money of the Romanian State,worth of several millions ,which they had in Odessa ,the Romanian comissions tasked with the replenishmets .

For saving the Romanians in Odessa ,have started tratattives between the Romanian Government and the two authorities in Odessa,the "autonom college of Rumcerod",through the Italian Minister Fasciotti and of the military attaches of the Entente.At 10th of March ,it is closed a convention between Averescu's Government and the two revolutionary authorities ,by which the Romanian Government engages to evacuate Basarabia in two months,leaving only a Detachment of 10 000 men ,to supervise the Romanian deposits and the metal roads lines;the members of Romanian delegations and the arrested persons by the Russians will be set free ,against an equal number of Russian prisoners from Romania etc.The convention had to be executed quickly,pretaining the liberation of the Romanian arrestees,because the mastering of the Russian revolutionaries in Odessa was closing to an end.At 2nd of March the germans have entered in Kiev and started the marching towards Odessa .The fights at Nistru River were to end by themselves ,without racovski 's peace.Then ,this one ,which by the arrestation and torturing of Romanians ,was following a personal revenge and did not want to let the pary off his hand ,used a trick:in the day of 13th of March ,as the germans were at the gates of Odessa ,instead of expediting the Romanians towards Sulina ,where was to take place the exchange of prisoners, he embarked them by force on the ship "Imparatul Traian",with destination Sevastopol .During the embarkation ,the Romanians have been brutalized ,hit with rifle beds and bushed with bayonets;some escaped running ,not being touched by the bullets of rifles fired upon them.Some 52 of them have been climbed on the ship ,which went out to the sea.

In the same time ,the refugees of Ardeal ,in Odessa ,ahead with Octavian Goga(the poet) ,being afraid not to fall in the hands of the hungarian Armies ,which would have executed them as traitors of country ,they have run at Ovidiopol ,from where they have crossed by boats Nistru River in Cetatea Alba(the White Fortress) ,occupied by the Romanian Army.

..........

[razu]

..........

On the ship "Imparatul Traian" ,the Romanian hostages have been accompanied by Colonel Boyle.This Canadian Colonel has showed himself as a good friend of Romanians ,decided and enregic man.Asked by the Russians and by the Romanians to intermediate the peace ,he gives a pretious and determined concur ,makes for several times the journey with the aeroplane from Odessa to Iasi and back and manages to establish the accord which comprised also the exchange of prisoners and hostages.In the moment,though ,to put into execution the mission he assumed ,to lead the Romanian hostages at Sulina ,the hit of rakovski obstacles him in doing so.Without any hesitation ,Boyle climbs up the ship together with the Romanians .At the invitation of bolsevic chiefs to leave the ship ,not being a prisoner,the Colonel answers calmly:

"-I have guaranteed the freedoom and life of these men and took the engagement to take them free to Iasi,an I will,or in any case ,their fate will be mine too.I respond firstly for their lives ;You respond by theirs and mine".Boyle refused any treatment of favour to which he was tempted -special cabin and meals-and has remained in the middle of the prisoners ,sleeping as them on the empty timber ,without blanket and bed stuff,although he was 65 of age .For three weeks ,the Canadian Colonel is the mate ,the Chief the protector of Romanians ,which he encourages ,defends and prepares their saving with fermity and energy.

...........

[RHLV]

Andrei

Have been trying to send you a private message, but they all keep coming back saying your mail box is full.

Please do publish the info on Bessarabia (as well as "The Remaking" info). Both should be fascinating. I really appreciate what you are doing here for all of us.

Best wishes, and thanks again,

Rich

[razu]

.....

"Imparatul Traian",followed soon by "Dacia" ,which has embarked also few Romanians as well,anchored in the day of 1st of March at Feodossia -the old genovese Caffa -harbour on the Eastern shore of Crimeea .The city was in bolsevic hands ,but in the eve of civil fights .Under the pretext that they would be set to shelter by the bolcsevic anarchy ,the Romanians have been put in a prisson.Ten days of detention have spent here the Romanians in a depressing state of mind ,as Boyle was leading with energy the liberation tratatives by wireless telegraphy,set to his dispozition by the British Consul .

One night ,when the local elements,excited by romanian lieutenants of racovski were preparing to attack the prisson ,the prisoners are taken out ,in secrecy and,escorted by a guard Commanded by a Ceh Officer , lead to the harbour ,embarked on ship "Cernoe More".The ship starts towards Sevastopol were it embarks some more Romanians ,escaped with life ,overwhelmed by terror ,by a ferocious masacre which took place few days earlier.New tratatives with "Centraflota",the revolutionary committe of the sailors in Sevastopol ,to allow the leaving of the ship with Romanians to Sulina.The ship had to wait some long days till ,in the wake of the intervention of the new Governent Marghiloman[13],with marshal mackensen to allow the entering in Sulina harbour to the ship "Cernoe More",with the Anglo-Russian crew on aboard.Only at 15th of March "Cernoe More" could rise the anchor and,after a very adventurous trip ,interrupted by a harbouring of two days for shelter at Eupatoria ,because of the storm,has reached Sulina ,where the 92 Romanians disembarked.

Colonel Boyle acomplished his mission.

The Romanians which remained in the other cities in the Southern Russia have been freed and repatriated ,after many adventures -by an irony of fate-by the austro-hungarian armies which,rejecting stage by stage the russian armies towards East ,have occupied Ucraine and Crimeea.Very concerning was,however,the fate of the refugees from Ardeal from the austro-hungarian army.,which made the Ardelean Romanian Legions at Kiev.These were considered and looked up by the austro-hungarians ,as desertors and country traitors.They have been hidden and helped to return in the country with the patriotic accomplicing of some Romanian officers from the austro-hungarian army.

The odyssey of Romanians from Southern Russia ,the victims of the revenge of racovski ,was over.It has been a meschine episode ,worthy of a bad soul and vengeful,which throws a thin shadow on the light projected by the flames of the great event of russian revolution.

[razu]

Andrei

Have been trying to send you a private message, but they all keep coming back saying your mail box is full.

Please do publish the info on Bessarabia (as well as "The Remaking" info). Both should be fascinating. I really appreciate what you are doing here for all of us.

Best wishes, and thanks again,

Rich

Rich,

Thank you.Next chapter is the one with Basarabia.

Andrei

[RHLV]

To the forum moderator;

Note my original post does not have the phrase "and tidy up your mailbox" attached, yet when Andrei quotes the post the line is there. I'd like to know what happened to change my original post.

Dr. Richard H. L. Verdun

[razu]

Chapter II

Unification Of Basrabia With Romania

1.From Russian Gubernia(government) To Moldavian Republic

Awakening of Basarabia

The great political shakings have as different results ,as they are unespected.The Russian revolution has destroied the military power of the Rusian Empire ,dived the country in anarchy and has set in ballance for a moment the cause for which the countries of Entente were fighting.But the breaking of the chains of power of the absolutist power of the Tzarist Empire has also provoked a a freedom movement of the nations kept with force in it.With the political ,military and social desmebration of Russia ,has awoken the national conscience of the enslaved nations which reclame their wright to life ;it would otherwise contradict the principles of the Russian revolution itself.They accept the ideea of the autonomy of the provinces with un-Russian nationalities and plan for the ideea of a vast Russian federative republic.But the want for fredoom ,unchained from the metals of the secular regime of opression ,evolves with an unstoppable power.The autonomy is not good for anybody now.Finland ,Pols,Ucrainians ,Lithuanians ,Georgians ,even the Cossacks and Tatari ,want their complete free life ,political.and start to constitute of national states ,completely independent by the government in Petrograd.The Great Empire of Romanovs[1] ,build with the sword and maintained with the shield ,is pulverising.

In the the most South-Western corner of the Empire,Basarabia seemed in the beginning that is not taking part to the great moves shaking the base of the colossus.Dived in to ignorrance ,separated by the mother country by an unbreakable wall ,it seemed like a citadel of Tzarist reactionarism ,unmade for a life of political freedom and lost for national life ."The League of Real Russians " was recruting from Basarabia renegates , the most fierce leaders.And still ,in the deep darks of Basarabia ,enslaved and estranged ,was burning silent,weak and shy the candle of nation conscience ,from which the powerful blow of Russian revolution will light up the ligthting torch of awakening of national life.

.......

Isolation of Basarabia by Romanians

With all the Russification of the majority estranged society blanket of Basarabia,the rural poulation ,the base of the country ,has remained Romanian in its majoruty*,and the Romanian national ideea ,or at least the interest for the Romanians things-nation,language ,literature,customs have been preserved in the preocupations of the iluminated Basarabians .Alexandru Hasdeu has published in Russian or have left in the manuscript masterpieces of erudition over the history of Basarabia.Constantin Stamate has made a great activity writing in Romanian,in poetry and prose,translating and imitating from foregn languages many writings .In the first times following the annexation of Basarabia has been made a great movement of exchange among the intelectuals and writers one side and the other of Prut River.From Iasi have crossed into Basarabia :Beldiman,Conachi ,Andronache Donici ,Hrisoverghi ,Constantin Negruzzi.From Basarabia have come over,and established here(Romania):Donici,Alecu Russo,and then Bogdan Hasdeu ,V.Crasescu,D.C.Moruzzi ,Zamfir Arbore ,C.Stere, ensuring thus by this current ,the continuity of thought and the Romanian feeling.The Russian military expeditions against Turkey,which all were passing through Romania ,were making to fall ,for a short while the Prut River barrier and the brothers were meeting again.Theatres from Iasi were going in Chisinau :plays of Alecsandri ,played by Millo ,were very tasted in Basarabia and were making most of the times high national manifestations.The greta political events or cultural from the free country(Romania) ,like the Unification of the Principates and the birth of Romanian Academy ,have also gave occassion of expressing feelings of solidarity an national pride(in Basarabia).

The ermetic closure of the border of Prut River and the politics of chaining and sufocationg of the Romanian conscience ,which followed,has been the consequence of the events of 1878,of bittering the relations between Russia and Romania because of the Berlin Treaty,when Sothern Basarabia has been returned,Romanian Kingdom has been attached to the political system of the Central Powers ,and because of the conviction that progresses made by ther Romanian Kingdom had to ,in a fatal way ,open up the hopes towards a politic of territorial and national revindications.The political circumstances in Russia were making worse the dendencies of supressing of any national veleity .After the regime of "iluminated absolutism" of the Tzar Aleksander the III-rd and the unconscient one of Nicolae the II-nd ,despotic and intolerant regime,following the brutal desnationalization of the other nations,especially of Romanians in Basarabia.

Paralel with the worsening of political rapports with Romania ,is accentuated the cultural separation .The Latine Alphabet,introduced in the independent Romanian State (Romania),makes from now on inaccessible the Romanian culture to the Romanians in Basarabia ,which maintain the Chiliric Alphabet ,until even this one,not corresponding anymore to a need of expressing of a culture -inexistent-is abandoned and replaced with the Russian one.A step further ,and the language and the culture ,Russian,master from now on,without rival the Romanian soul in Basarabia.The only kind of veleity against the Russian ideology overpowerful ,manifested to intelectuals ,was dressing the shape of Russian revolutionarism:social-democracy and nihilism ,in which the special national problem of Basarabia disaappears alltogether.Some of the Basarabian revolutionars ,looked up by the Russian mastering ,crossed Prut River in Romania,setting up here the bases ,or contributing to widen the socialist movement in Romania.

*The population of Basarabia at 1918 was of 2 725 000 souls,separated by nationalities in the following way:

Romanians..........1 810 000 or 66%

Russians and Ucrainians ..........338 000 or 12%

Jews..............................270 000 or 9,8%

Bulgarians and Gagauzi.............210 000 or 7, %

Germans................75 000 or 2,5%

Greeks ,Armenians a.s.o..................30 000 or 1,3%

........

[razu]

To the forum moderator;

Note my original post does not have the phrase "and tidy up your mailbox" attached, yet when Andrei quotes the post the line is there. I'd like to know what happened to change my original post.

Dr. Richard H. L. Verdun

Rich,

Terribly sorry,my writing mistake.

Andrei

[RHLV]

Rich,

Terribly sorry,my writing mistake.

Andrei

not a problem, merely curious.

Rich