Romanian Campaign of 1916.The Invasion

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The revolution in 1905 in Basarabia

The Ruso -Japanese war showed the cangren of the Tzarist political and administrativ system,and gave new strengths of fight to the revolutionary parties ,which were waging a concealed fight against the absolutist regime and samavolnic.The great popular moves and especially the one in the "red sunday" at 22 nd of January 1905 ,when the population of the Russian Capital ,lead by priest Gapon ,have been masacred at the Neva Bridge ,the atentates that followed amongst which the murder of great Duke Serghei at Moscow ,have determined the Tzar to give tp the Russian people a beginning of parliamentary life ,summoning a legislative gathering ,called Duma.

The Russian revolution of 1905 has had echo also in Basarabia.

The character of this movement has been here also ,as in entire Russia ,social -politic.Its aim was conquering of the public freedoms ,replacing of the absolutist regime by the constitutional one.That is why ,the provokers of the extension Basarabean movement of the Russian revolution can only be the intelectuals ,adepts of the revolutionary ideeas socialisto-poporanist(to peopel).The movement cannot emancipate by the influence of local circumstances ;it begins to get a national color.The people start to be awoken and their rights begin to be object of discussion.There are held meetings ,are organized societies ,in the churches starts to be used Romanian language ,there are remade the desks of Romanian Language at the theologic seminary(priest school) and at the Eparhial school of girls in Chisinau,it is reopened the parohial tipography ,which has been closed by the Russificator archbishop Pavel.

The elections for the Empire Duma have been the signal of calling of Basarabia to politic life.Three tendencies have been manifested even from the beginning ,starting points of three political directions.The Romanian students in Russian Universities have gone back to their homes and started working with all their youth strngth,and power of ideeas which spirited them.They have released "Basarabia"the first Romanian national-democratic newspaper over Prut River.The leaders of the movement were lawyer Gavrilita,Pelivan and Halippa ;arround them have gathered most of the intelectuals in Basarabia which grew from the ranks of Razesi and cler(church)*.A lively propaganda starts within the Romanian population for th e languge ,school and Romanian Church ,parallel with a strong current against Russification ,of the Russificators and of renegates.All kinds of written things,liflets ,proclamations with historical content ,national and agrar ,are avidly read and with faith by peasants ,like some holly books,as the books arriving in packages by illegal means over Prut River.From the bosom of the people appears a wave of new young poets .It is a strong and enthusiastic unleash of national activity.

In the opposition with the movement of the youth,it was the group of old Moldavians gathered around Pavel V.Dicescu ,the marshal of Basarabean aristocracy,which has made the "Moldavian Cultural Society ";these ones were having a more moderate movement ,in which predominated cultural revindications ,having as organ the "Moldavian".Ine a written request addressed to the government in Petersburg,Dicescu shows that the Basarabian population is majoritary Romanian and asks the rising of it from the state of ignorrance in which it has been dived by the politic of Russification ,by the only way possible:calling at culture by national language .Dicescu conclusioned by asking the creation of Romanian schools.

The boyard Russificated group was making a reactionary politic, extremist one ;it had as leaders Krupenski and the celeber Purischievici,and as portflag Crusevan,the director of "Drug" newspaper,the organiser of very famous programes against the Jews.

With this face,the electoral cmpaign for the first Imperial Duma has been the beginning of reawakening of spirits;it has looked up the consciences and made to reborn the hopes in the power of a better future.The practic result has not been very bright ;the first Dumas have been disolved one after the other and it has arrived again at the overpowerful regime of intollerance,under the influence of the "League of the Real Russians".The Russificators has started to work again.The Romanian newspapers have been closed down ,the chiefs and the news men have scattered in Russian universities ,most of them at Kiev ,losing themselves in the mass of politic organizations of Russia ,others have crossed to Iasi ,few have remained in Basarabia,keeping the fighting front.The fall of the revolutionary movement in Basarabia of 1905 -1906 has produced great dissapointment in the Basarabean intelectuality.The failure is explained by two causes :firstly her superficial character :started from up ,down ,it could not look the masses of a population completely unprepared by an anterior culture;secondly ,reduced,mostly,at vague formulaes of international socialism ,did not find in the spirits of people the necessary echo.

Still,the seed throwed by the first pioneers of the movement in Basarabia was not entirely lost.On the unweeded terrain of the spirit ,it has provoked a movement to cultivate in the ancestors language(Romanian) ,which could not be alltogether stopped.New Romanian publications appear:"Viata Basarabiei"(Basarabia's life),"Moldoveanu"(the Moldavian),"Glasul Basarabiei"(Voice of Basarabia),they are looked up by the people and maintain the interest for the national things.The priests in Basarabia take a leading role.In the "eparhial tipography" are printed numerous church books ,small books of moral propaganda ,and a very good monthly magazine"Luminatorul"(the one that brings light),publication voluminous enaugh ,which had christian literature ,predics,poetry,advices, and is spread to the public touched by church ,and also to the peasants with wit.The activity of priests of Basarabia has been very praised on cultural ground ,but has had the course of being unilateral ,looking religion as the unique factor of the spiritual life of the people and neglecting his inertia and national education.

This role ,important and decissive has been assumed by the important publication "Cuvint Moldovenesc" (Moldavian word),appeared in 1913 by the initiative of a group of young people of Basarabia from the old guard of 1905,ahead with pantelimon Halippa.The publication has evolved a cultural Romanian activity of the most replenishing ,giving to the people knowledge from the field of moral ,literature,of history and economy.So decissive has been the Romanian cultural influence ,that even the Russian newspapers of Basarabia ,supported by strong subventions of the Russian Interior Ministry ,have seen themselves forced to appear with Romanian text,to combat the increasing influence of the Romanian newspapers.

The centenary of kidnapping of Basarabia has been celebrated in 1912 with a provocator pomp of Russian clerks and foreigners ,but in all the absence of the local intelectuality.It was a sign that the national ideea has caught roots ,and this thing did not escape to the attention of the governors and of the "Russian adversaries",which were showing in heavy words their indignation towards the "indifference,ingratitude and lack of patriotism" of these moldavians "savage and incult"The spirit of the Russification campaign and of the persecution of the Romanian element is archbishoop Serafim Ciciagov,former Colnel ,expelled from the Army for infamous deeds ,having as accomplices the powerful Krupenski family ,moldavian boyards of Polish origin ,which became the most ferocious patriots for Russians.The invent the phantom "of Moldavian separatism in Basarabia" ,which becomes a very replenishing field of exploatation from which some have material profits ,and others political ones.This "separatism" was surely a legend .It could not enter in to the intentions of the youth in Basarabia ,in that time,the organization of an iredentist movement.The perspective of a fall of the Russian colloss seemed so far away and nebulous ,that not even a man with judgement could think to go against the terror of Russian absolutism to plan a move with such bad odds.It was nevertheless true that it had to be prepared the terrain ,by the awakening of the national conscience of the people ,seriously threatened by the Russification wave .It had to be maintained the burning candle of Romanianism ;who knows what twist of fate will haste the arrival of the unexpected ?And that is how it has happened .The Mondial War and the great Russian revolution has put the matter of Basarabia ,at once,by those who needed a quick solution.

The volunteers fromm Ardeal in the prisoncamp at Darnita ,coming to Kiev ,have discovered the Romanian students from Basarabia ,which they invited at Darnita.As a follow up ,it has been made at Kiev at 24th March 1917 ,under the ideeas and the concur of Ardeleni(men of Ardeal) the "circle of Romanian students in Basarabia and over Nistru",having as goal the cultivation of the Romanian language and literature ,the political awakening of the people of Basarabia ,propagation of the democratic ideeas in the Romanian circles .The benefactor influence of the people from Ardeal is noticed even from the second meeting ,in 26th of March in which is decided as the verbal -processes of the circles to be written down for the understanding of everyone ,only in Romanian language .This circle has been the seed of propaganda action for organizing of the Basarabian Romanians from Russia ,on the national-politic terrain.

*"Basarabia"started to appear at 24th of May 1906 ,as national democratic magazine under the direction of Emanoil Gavrilita ,former Judge .Among the colaborators have been Pantelimon Halippa,Sergiu Cujba,M. Vintu ,Alexis Nour ,Ion Pelivan,Pof. Iulian Friptu ,Ion and Th. Inculet ,Alexe Mateevici,Gh Starcea a.s.o. with no.78th of 1907 ,when the reaction returned in RUssia ,the magazine had to close down and made it publishing in the last apparition the song"Desteapta-te Romane"(Romanian national anthem)

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The revolution of 1917 and Basarabia

The separation of Basarabia of Russia has been made in the meetings of the soldiers.The Russian revolution has opened up the clenched mouths for so many centuries of despotic governing .The entire Russia has been taken by the feever of meetings and speeches.The Russian Army from Galitia to the Black Sea had a big proportion of Basarabians -some 200 000 men.During the discussions of these soldiers ,next to the commune ideals to all the Russians -freedom ,autodetermination and republic -started also to be heard the nationalist note ,awoken from the unconscious of the soul by the contact with the brothers of the same blood,with which they have lived and fought together in the beautiful Mountains of Bucovina. and of Moldavia.Here,the Basarabian soldiers got the conscience of the importance of the Romanian hood ;from the fighting camarads from the Kingdom they found out by the existence of some flourishing Romanin countries,with driveways and rilways as they did not had in Basarabia,with Romanian schools ,with Romanian administration and Romanian judges ,with superiority of civilisation which filled their soul with amazement first and of pride at last.In Kiev ,the students of Basarabia have come into contact with the prisoners from Ardeal and Bucovina,gathered here to constitute themselves in Romanian legions.This meeting has been decissive for the Romanian life in Basarabia.The university youth has received the national coscience;they have become the most fierce and active propagandiststs of the national current of basarabians**.Such, the War has prepared spiritualy the unification of Basarabia with Romania,as decades of propaganda could not have acomplished it.The Basarabians start to separate from the other camarads and to group in a separate camp with own interests.

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Outside the movement on the military fronts and from Kiev ,another movement started at Chisinau.A handful of Romanian intelectuals ,grouped around the newspapers "Cuvintul moldovenesc"(the Moldavian word) and"Luminatorul"(the one that brings the light) ,retakes the reel of the cultural national activities of 1905.Under the impulse of Ardeal refugees and the ones from Bucovina ,sheltered in Chisinau ,the movement was taking a pronounced political character .Escaped from the chains of Tzarist oppession ,it evolved now unbothered.

Over the enslaved land o Basarabia has unfolded the flag of national revendications ;the officers of the Army and almost the entire blanket of Romanian inelectuality have organized themselves into a national democratic party.The national party emancipated from the social patterns of Petrograd revolution ,which they replaced with the national Romanian ideea.The newspaper "Moldavian word" has become the organ of the party and was read ,as the propaganda leaflets edited by the newspaper,in all corners of the country .On the flag of the party was written as program the autonomy of Basarabia.

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The group of enthusiast of Transilvania and of Bucovina ,refugeed in the old kingdom since the beginning of the European War have brought in to the fight next to their flamed sentiment ,and their expression of fighters of national cause.Real missionaries of Romanianism they evolve a variety of intelectual activity and replenishing one:they bring tipographies with Latin letters ,they prrint ABC-er books(basic Romanian learning book) ,and books and make a newspaper -"Ardeleanu"-hold summer courses to the Basarabians ,which they teach writing ,reading ,literature ,history ,geography and the Romanian song.A real change to Romanianism is produced in the Basarabian learners.The filo-Russian menthality dissappears.The teachers are won by Romanian national ideals and become apostols of reawakening of the national conscience of the Romanians in Basarabia .

A first effect of the freedom made by the revolution has been the starting towards meetings and congresses.One after the other the intelectuals of Basarabia ,grouped in professional corporations ,feel the need to gather and discuss their problems and preocupations.The first, gather the "cooperators" ,then the students.At 19th and 20th of April is held the congress of the delegations of cooperatives of villages from Chisinau.At 1s t of May is held at Odessa -from the initiative of Major Em.Catley ,seconded by the hearted student Anton Crihan-a huge Basarabian meeting ,the most grandious manifestation ever held in Odessa ;there were over 10 000 Basarabians ;officers ,soldiers ,students.priests,teachers,owners.In the same day ,as on the streets of Bucharest of the refuge,the Russian soldiers were unfolding the red flag ,freeing rakovski and were preparing the hit against the Romanian state burghez(aristocracy) at Odessa ,the Basarabian soldiers of the Russian Army were parading under the Romanian flag ,afirming with this gesture the pride to be Romanians and the will to be considered as such.At 2nd and 3rd of May has took place at Chisinau the congress of Basarabian priests ,followed soon at 28th by the congress of the teachers.Numerous otther meetings and congresses have been held in all cities of Basarabia.

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The national propaganda shows now its effects .From the speeches at these congresses was surfacing ,next to the special professional interests,a common and superior interest :the national interest.In all congresses has been proclamed with strength the being of the Romanian hood,as the ancestral hood of this province,the one that has the uncontested wright to its mastering.The word "moldavian"sarted to be replaced by "romanian" which implied an unitary pan-Romanian conscience.As an effect of practical order ,Basarabia had to have her being in revolutionar Russia:The autonomy of Basarabia f.t.p.o.w. administrativ ,ecleziastic(church) ,intelectual and economic ,with the use of Romanian language in all institutions of the country.Some big institutions were drew : a Supreme Council or Administrative Divan,a legislative organ:the Council of the Country a.s.o.

The action collided from the beginning by resistance and difficulties.A"Commitee of the Revolutionar Activity for Basarabia " made by russificated Jews and Russians ,has installed at Chisinau and improvised in dictatorial government ,starting the fight against Romanians revendications.The movement had ,apart from these ones also many other enemies ,and the masses were not yet clear and prepared for the great changes ,national.A great campaig of organising of the national fight imposed to Romanian leaders;it was given ,in principle,on two fronts : on the Army one and on the national-cultural one.

The trials to seek help at central govenment at Petrograd had no success whatsoever.A delegation of the "peasant party" from Basarabia ,lead by Halippa ,visited Cernov ,the Agriculture Minister ,to which he asked to give back the fonds of gubernial Zemstvei from Basarabia,from the lands of Moldavian monasteries ,retained by Basarabia -under the justification of using them in cultural purposes in Moldavia-but taken "as loan" by the Russian general.Cernov promissed the restitution but it was word in the wind.

The delegation asked audience also at lenin ,obtained by trotki's intervention.lenin was at that time in opposition to kerenski government.lenin listened the delegation and replaied:"they will not be given back to you.The government does not have enaugh money for maintaining the Army and to continue the War;how will I give back the money?And about the Moldavian culturlal action ,put in connection with Iasi.It is more normal and practical".

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Unification of Basarabia

Who took part in this grandious Romanian acomplishment ,the unification of Basarabia with the mother country(Romania) in the day of 27th of March 1918 (old style) ,may realize the greatness of this making :the begining of fulfilling the right of the nation.In that memorable day ,the Romanian people from everywhere has lived for real very touching moments and filled with happiness ,moment which cannot be described.Some of these moments of happiness will be wellcomed by the readers"of the Universe",in remembering this greandious deed.

The Russian Army entering in desintegration ,has unleashed the chaos in Moldavia and Basarabia .Face with this unfortunate sitution ,the leaders of the Romanian people of Basaabia have taken measures to free Basarabia ,and unite it with the Country.To reestablish the order ,has been asked for the help of King Ferdinand The I-st of Romania Army.

There have been formed several columns.One of the columns has entered in Basarabia by Cahul , and followed direction of Bolgrad-Ismail-Chilia Noua until Tatar-Bunar.At Vulcanesti has been an incident which cost the life of several soldiers of 5th Calarasi Regiment.

The Commander of the Detachment ,second in Command of 47th Regiment and other soldiers have escaped death thanks to Filonov,university teacher and chief of soviets at Ismail.With this ocassion ,Mr. Filonov held many speeches to the camarads ,speeches wich have a great meaning for the Romanian hood.In short,this was the fraid of Mr.Filonov:"Tovarasi,we have no bussiness here in the land of Basarabia.The land of Basarabia is not Russian land,is Moldavian land from ancestral times.We have enaugh land in Russia .We do not have enaugh arms to work it.We need no foreign land.Let's go home and leave the Moldavians to master it in peace their ancestral land".

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During the whole time of the march from Bolgrad -Ismail Chilia Noua -Caramet-Jibrieni-Tatar Bunar ,the delegates of the villaes were coming from tens of kilometers ,fell on their knees and beged the Romanian Commanders to help them with however they can to defend their lives and ownings.It has been done everything possible that in the destined region to the Deachment life and property of the inhabitants to be safe.

Towards the end of February ,the Detachment was occupying zone Chilia Noua-Vilcov-Ibriceni till Tatar

Bunar.In this situation we were on the day of 27th of March 1918 ,memorable day when it was made the definitive Unification of Basarabia.In this day ,at Chilia Noua ,had took place an impressing solemnity.As in Chilia Noua was the Command of 47th Regiment Infantry ,one Battalion of the 47th Regient and two batteries of artillery ,has been organized a celebration in Chilia Fortress,there where it poured blood from the wound of Stefan Voda(Stefan cel Mare).In the fortress took place a religious moment really moving and hallowed.A sobor of priests rose prayers to The Overpowerful ,crossing with hollyness to the power of God ,which helped to come true the unification of Basarabia with the mother patria.

With this occassion ,the Commander of the Detachment held the following speech:"All Mighty of our parents ,great is Your power ,and wonderfull are Your makings .Lord,you had help the Romanian hood as the brave soldiers of the nation ,under the leadership of great King Ferdinand the I-st ,to crush the power of the enemies,in memorable fights at Blehani ,Namoloasa ,Marasesti,Marasti and Oituz.Now ,you had help ,God ,the people of Basarabia to shake off the chain of slavery and attach by free will to the sweet bosom of Mother Patria.

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Stefan(about Stefan cel Mare),Your Highness,pained and bitter has been your soul ,as Bucovina and Basarabia have endured and suffered the heavy of slavery.Today ,Your Highness ,look from the high of the Sky and bless the masterpiece of Unification made by free will and with whole spirit of the Moldavian people ,helped to this deed by brrave soldiers of King Ferdinand the I-st.

Holly Mucenic of the Nation,watch over ,from the high of the Sky further to the fate of Romanian Nation .Ask Good God to help us ,that the beginning of the justice of the Nation to be made through ,one by one to come to the sweet bosom of the mother ,Bucovina and Transilvania much wished for ,because there has been born the Romanian kind.Ardeal is the cradle of Romanianism .Loved soldiers ,up the hearts and the entire breath to go towards God and the Mucenics of the nation which have died for the existence of the Romanian Nation.To rise prayers ,to help us acomplish the entire masterpiece of Unification.In this way God help us!"

Grandious moments ,moments filled by enthusiasm and foretelling of a bright futer to Romanian hood.And that is how it was.The justice have been made .Pride,honour and gratitude is to all the heroes sacrificed on the altar of Unification ,and during these difficult moments ,their example to guide us always,and for the followers of the nation ,the say must be:"By sacrifice ,to victory",because only in this way we can keep the holly ancestral inherritance.

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The role of the Army in Basarabian revolution

The most important amongst the movements of organization of Basarabia was the one happening in the bosom of the Army.The initiator and soul of the movement has been EM.Catley,Major of General Staff in the Russian Army ,and the center of it has been at Odessa.In the huge soldier's meeting held a Odessa in the day of 5th of May 1917,at which has been represented also the National Moldovian Party by Halippa and Herta ,have been put in to writing the revendications of the Basarabian Romanians ,for which it has been sworn to fight till death ,and has been adopted as program the autonomy of Basarabia,having own Army,school and justice system.

Even the next day ,starts the formation of national units at the bosom of the Russian Army ;these units ,for which it has been adopted the Roman name of Cohorte,were made of 100 men ,under the Comamand of an officer ;a number of Cohorts made a Battalion .With the inspection of the Romanian units has been tasked "praporcicul"Crihan.The first unit has been the Battalion of 40th Regiment of Infantry of Reserve,with the garrison on Odessa .The Russian Commander of the military circumscription in Odessa had ,after long opposition and threats to give up and admit the constitution of the said Battalion.

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One after the other are formed the comittes and military units in the neighbour region with Odessa:at Ekaterinoslav ,at Sevastopol ,at Novo-Gherghievsk ,at Roman a.s.o.

In May ,the situation in Basrabia starts to inspire concerns ,because of disorders deeds of the soldiers in the Russian units,in which the discipline was lowering as a resultt of the revolution.As Basarabia,because of her geographical situation ,behind the Romanian front ,was always roved through by Russian Armies ,bands of desertors were mugging the villages and maltratated the population .The Moldavian soldiers told this to tthe Russian Commander ,General Serbacev ,which saw himself without choice but to authorise the formation of 16 Cohortes formed up by indigeneous soldiers ,distributed two for each county.They were tasked with maintaining the order in the country and breaking the anarchy .It is true that they formed a first seed of national Army.The conduct of all military organizations and of the Cohortes has been,towards the summer,centralized in the hand of a Moldavian central Committe of th esoldiers and officers ,in Chisinau,having in the temple Sub-Lieutenant Gherman Pintea.Establishing the connection with the gubernial commissary C.Mimi,the Moldavian Committe started the fight with the all mighty Russian revolutionar committe.,has revendicated the complete autonomy of the Moldavian Committe and,step by step ,succeded to influence this one all together.Still,the soul of the national movement of Moldavia within the Russian Army was not Chisinau,where the military forces of Moldavia were to weak faced to the great number of the Russian units ,concentraed there ,but remained Odessa.

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A delegation of the Central Committe ,formed by officcers Pintea ,Terziman and Furtuna ,went to the Russian General Staff at Moghilev where made contact with kerenski and general Dohonin ,to which they asked the aprobation to make national units.Received at the beginning with hostility ,the delegation managed by its determined attitude to obtain fro kerenski the aprobation to form national units;Cijevski ,member of the Central Committe ,has been tasked with the organization and leading of this Army ,of which nucleus has been the 40th Regiment in Odessa,made out of Romanians ;it has been completely nationalized by replacing the soldiers of other nationalities with Romanians .The operation has been then continued step by step in other localities ,as well ,in entire Basarabia.For the soldiers started to appear the paper "Soldatul moldovean"(the Moldavian Soldier) in Romanian lnguage ,under the direction of Iorgu Tudor.

To enlight the masses ,the Central Committe has instituted a section of "cultural propagandists" under the leadership of officer T. Cojocaru.The program was the forming and sending of emissaries in all corners of Basarabia ,to replace the Russian propagandists , making the action of enlightening the inhabitants for the liberation of Basarabia and their rights ,as well as for gathering of the Basarabian soldiers in armed units ;these propagandists were recruted within the officers and soldiers with education and were supported by the commanders of Cohortes by their inspector Crihan.A committe identical has been formed at Iasi ;its action was weaker though,because of the direct influence of the Russian Commandment of the Romanian Front.

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The antagonism has manifested especially in publications.Have been translated from Russian and printed in Romanian a great number of liflets of propaganda ,Russian revolutionary,meant to gain Basarabians to the ideeas of the revolution ,social international of Petrograd.Against this literature ,heads of the National Party have printed liflets,in which is told about the autonomy of Basarabia on national bases.

A dificulty in national Basarabian movement started to be seen from the side of Ucraine ,which has constituted as state in June 1917 with a government ,general secreariat and a parliament-Ucrainian Rada.The Ucrainian government was manifesting tendency to take Basarabia in its circle of activity and revendicates it as one of the 10 Gubernies which were supposed to make Ucraine.The chief of Ucrainian govenment ,Vinicenko ,invites even the Basarabian leaders to participate as the power of one of the Ucrainian province ,at a congress which was to be held at Kiev.The gatherings of all delegations of political organisations ,admministrative ,professional and national of Basarabia ,no matter the nationality ,took position ,energic against this pretention .At this protest atached also Rumcerod of Odessa ,the revolutionary committe made out of representatives of the Russian Army on the Romanian Front ,of war ,Marine in the Black Sea and of the working organizations and peasants from Basarabia and Cherson ,at the bosom which the Basarabians had a great number of members .Rumcerod qualifies the pretention of Ucrainians as"imperialist and anty democratic ".kerenski government has been invited in a decissive way to recognize to the Romaninas in Basarabia the right to lead by themselves in their historic lands .At "Congress of nationalities "held in september at Kiev ,the Romanian delegate of Basarabia,Ioncu ,shows clearly the situation of Basarabia and her revendications .The government in Petrograd and Rada from Kiev had to admit their pretention of unification ,of Basarabia as not founded and to give up to it.

The proclamation of the independent Russian state has separated Basaraabia by Russia ;the ideea of constituting of the province in an autonom state has lost decissive support.

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**The volunteers fromm Ardeal in the camp at Darnita ,coming to Kiev ,have discovered the Romanian students from Basarabia ,which they invited at Darnita.As a follow up ,it has been made at Kiev at 24th March 1917 ,under the ideeas and the concur of Ardeleni(people of Ardeal) the "circle of Romanian students in Basarabia and over Nistru",having as goal the cultivation of the Romanian language and literature ,the political awakening of the people of Basarabia ,propagation of the democratic ideeas in the Romanian circles .The benefactor influence of the people from Ardeal is noticed even from the second meeting ,in 26th of March in which is decided as the verbal -processes of the circles to be written down for the understanding of everyone ,only in Romanian language .This circle has been the seed of propaganda action for organizing of the Basarabian Romanians from Russia ,on the national-politic terrain.

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The role played by the school in preparation of the unification

One of the characteristic notes of the fight of Romanians from Basarabia for preparing the Unification ,was the importance given to the national school .The problem of the culture has been set even ahead everything else ,as an esential condition of national life ,thing that has given a high spiritual value of the national movement between Prut River and Nistru River .The problem brought up in this way ,it had an outstanding price ,as a fond matter ,as well as ability because,as the Russians could oppose resistance to the political autonomist revendications and to the military ones ,they could not oppose no argument against the legitimity of the cultural revendications of a nation ,to its ilumination and learning in maternal language.

Even forom the beginning of the revolution ,in April,the National Moldavian Party has written in its program the teaching in Romanian ,remaining as Russian language to be a facultative object of study.As entiring this base revendication ,it allowed that also the administration ,justice ,the church ,military service to be made in Romanian ,the Russian language remaining only for the central administration, and some high functions, connections.It had to be begun the preparation of a serious work to adapt he new state mechanism to its new use.By the efforts of intelectual Pavel Gore ,the representative of the National Party in Zemstva gubernial,this one had to aprobe the helding of a Congress of Moldavian teachers and organizing of some courses in Romanian language for teachers .These changes ,from the peasant masses to the students of the universities ,are made with great enthusiasm :pupils,students,soldiers everybody wears the Romanian flag at smal bows at their chests and speaks ostentatively only in Romanian.

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There are taken lessons in Romanian language from the refugees ,appear newspapers and leaflets in Romanian,there are made cultural circles in Romanian.It takes place a great awakening of the national conscience .What is moving though and characteristic is is tthat at these manifestations take part with elan the peasant blankets :the Basarabian peasantry ,considered as inert and lacking conscience of origin and national afinities ,helds gatherings and congresses ,in which assumes dicissive position against Russification and asks the getting out of the Russificators from school ,church,administration.The principal revendication of the peasantry ,the one dominating all others,is "Romanian school!".At the first Conress of Peasants and Teachers of Basarabia ,held in Chisinau at 20-29th of May ,Russian elements and Ucrainian ones ,coming in majority ,wanted to to impose Russian language as main language of discussion ,but the peasants go out with their revendication and ask noisily that the talks to be made in Romanian ,the indigeneous language of the country ,of the great majority of the inhabitants.The Russian try to oppose ,but the Moldavians are protesting and retreat from the Congress ,going in "corpore" in hall Zemstvei gubernial,where they constitute in a congress.The Russificators see themselves obliged to give up ,capitulate ,accept the Basarabian's conditions ,which by this return triumfant and the Congress may take place.Against the Russificators and the Russified ,the Moldavians leaders -Arhim,Gurie,P.Gore.Alexei Malcevici,St.Ciobanu ,Murafa ,P.Halippa ,Ion Codreanu a.s.o.-have asked and obtained the nationalization of the teaching system.The first preparing measure was the one of helding of courses for the teachers ,so these ones to study the gramatic ,literature,the methodology of the language and the history of the hood .It has been the decissive step on the way of affirmation of Romanian life in Basarabia.

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If on other terrains ,social,politic ,there were divergences between the Romanian formations ,there was though full understanding in the commune action pretaining the culturalization and nationalization of the school.It enjoyed,apart from the world of school and culture ,of the most strongest support from the part of the military committes of the Moldavian soldiers on Fronts ,especially of the organizations in Odessa ,Iasi and Chisinau .The delegat of the latter one -Cazacliu ,has asked that ,for the courses of Romanian language for teachers ,for nationalization purpose,to be used also the Romanian refugees from the Old Kingdom ,Bucovina and Ardeal,situated in Basarabia .It has been made appeal to the Old Kingdom to be send Romanian books ;the intelectuals and cultural institutions have given entire libraries.

At the open fight for organizing the school has taken part also the clergy and the cooperatives ;it stretched at all categories of schools.One of the most active factors have been the Basarabian students ,the one from Romania universities ,as well as from the ones in Russia.The signall has been given even from March 1917 ,from the students in Kiev ,which have made contact with the Romanain prisoners from Ardeal in Darnita Camp.The students have held also a congress of theirs ,in Chisinau ,at 20th of May ,in the local of the newspaper "Cuvint moldovenesc"(Moldavian word),under the presidency of Teofil Ioncu ;the principal orators have been the students Cazacliu and Bogos .The principal revendications have been :Romanian university at Chisinau ,nationalization of the school ,Latine alphabet.

To take the Basarabian school from the Russificator influence of Odessa county ,the committe in Chisinau has decided ,based on autonomy ,that the school to be taken out from Odessa authority and passed in the attribution of Zemstva gubernial in Chisinau.The school committe from Zemstva ,under the direction of St.Ciobanu has taken judicious measures ,on administrative terrain and pedagogic one,that the reform in school to become a reality.In the autumn it has been obtained even that in the University of Odessa to function two Romanian departments:I.Nistor for History of Romanians and N.Banescu for language and Romanian literature.

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A great importance have had the courses for Basarabian teachers ,started at Chisinau at 17th of June ,at which took part 418 trainees ;the courses have been taught ,next to the Basarabian intelectuals ,as Ciobanu,Popovschi,Scodihor,Fratiman a.s.o. ;director has been T.Neaga .At the beginning of the courses the poet prist Mateevici has read his well known poetry "Our Language ",and at his firt history lesson ,Tofan has repeated the celeber speech introductory of Mihail Kogilniceanu at th ecourse of National History from the Mihailean Academy of Iasi[3].The Russian agitators have seeked this time as well to put stiks in the wheels .The trial to stop the courses did not suceed ;they have ended at 15th of August with a rising national manifestation.New courses have been held in the autumn at Chisinau ,at Balti ,at Soroca ,giving 400 more prepared elements .Once the introduction of the Latin alphabet has been decreted ,has started the printing also of books for school.

Outside the school ,the cultural activity takes elan :the old Moldavian Cultural Society is reborn;opens ,at 8th of September ,a tipography with latin letters ,brought to Iasi :the first spins of wheel have been given by the local leaders together with the refugeed Romanians ,and the first papers have been written by a lady teacher in national dress.People from Ardeal have brought during the summer another tipography .There are brought books from Moldavia and Suceava ,are organised choruses ,the courses in Romanian are multiplied ;it is organised a popula university in Chisinau .Appear liflets of national propaganda and social in Romanian.Pelivan ,Bogos ,Ioncu publishes leaflets destined to paralise the Russian propaganda ,made by numerous leaflets and volants.

Are multiplied periodical publications .In this way ,the magazine of the Teachers Associations ,Moldavian from Basarabia ,with the title "Moldavian School ",the church magazine "Luminatorul" made first time in 1906.The people from Ardeal O.Ghibu and Matei print the newspaper "Ardealul"(Ardeal region) of which title is changed then in "Romania Noua"(new Romania) which corresponds better with the tendencies and the program of national fight ."Soldatul Moldovean"(Moldavian Soldier) is a special newspaper for soldiers on the Front.At Odessa ,the Romanian refugees print "Depesa"(the Depeche),"Lupta"(the Fight);at Kiev ,people from Ardeal ,War prisoners print "Romania Mare"(Great Romania).The most important publicationis "Cuvint Moldovenesc"(Moldavian Word),which appears as magazine since 1913 ,edited at the beginning by N.Alecsandri ,then by Murafa ;at the beginning the attitude of the paper was shy ,as the circumstances were in 1917,when Halippa entered ,it has been passed without any hiding any more to national atitude;it has beeen the most useful publication of Romanians of Basarabia in their epoch of national awakening .

The spirits are elevated by spreading the poetry of Mateevici :"Our language".By the circumstances inspireing it ,the depth and sweetness of the inspiration ,the beautifulness of the lyrics ,may be compared with French Marsilieza ,with the difference that the weight point is on to the love of spoken language ,and not on the blows of guns:

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"Our Language is a treasure

In the depths dived deep

A chain of rare stone

On the overflown land

Our Language is burning fire

In a nation whithout news

Woke from fire of the death

As the brave from the tale"

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(The Oath of the volunteers from Transilvania,Banat and Bucovina ,in Iasi 1917)

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(Deputies from the Country Council at Chisinau)

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(The members of the Romanian National Council of Bucovina ,leaving the building in Cernauti after the Unification with Romania has been voted,November 1918)

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The autonomy and Basarabian Republic

As the time was passing,face with the progresses of the disociation spirit of the components of the Russian state ,the Basarabian matter was passing as well from the pahase of preparations to the one of realizations on the political plane.

It was needed a strong organization of state to end the haotic situation in which the country was diving .Different committes were made ,revendicating each one for itself the right to take part in the leading of the public things .Bands of desertors ,more and more daring ,were terrorizing the country ,plundering and assasinating.Among the victims fell also two of the leaders ,energic and enthusiast of the national Romanian movement ,lawyer Murafa and engineer Hodorogea.On the other hand ,the representatives of the Russian partiees ,most part of them centralist and imperialists,incorigible,clerks send to Basarabia by the former Tzarist Governement to Russify the province ,started to agitate against Romania and to make opposition ,in the open,to national Romanian movement.In the summer of 1917 they started a lively agitation against the Latin alphabet and of the books of pedagogy Romanian,saying that they would be a means of bringing in Basarabia the "savage culture of Romania".The principal theme of their agitation was that Basarabia did not need autonomy ,because in the autumn of 1917 will be convoked the Supreme Council ,which will elaborate the Constitution of Whole Russia ;it will take care also about Basarabia organization.There had been made trials of ellections for the Russian Constitution ,which had to set the bases of the new Russian federative state ;because of the chaos from Basarabia and from entire Russia ,they could not be made in time.

To rip in fact Basarabia from the Russian state ,as well as end the inconvenient that the national movement to be led by two formations :The Central Soldiers Committe and the National Party ,it has been decided to be created an independent organ of administration of autonom Basarabia.From the discussions of the delegations of the soldiers committes of Basarabia from the Romanian Front of hthe committe of odessa and with the delegats of the National Party ,has been born the ideea of invoking the Great Congress of Soldiers.Its taking place has been refuzed by Russian Stavka ,but the Committe ,going over this refuse ,has asked to the units Commanders on the Front to send delegats to the Congress.This congress has been the most decissive event for the fate of Basarabia ;it has been held at Chisinau ,at "Casa Eparhiala"(eparhial house) ,at 2-9th of November with the participation of 989 deputies ,soldiers,officers ,representing over 250 000 Basarabians mobilised from all Fronts.

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The congress has been held ina elevated atmosphere of emotion and national enthusiasm .Over the great crowd of delegats arrived there from all sectors of the Front ,were waving national flags .The delegats were the representatives most authentic of Basarabia;most of them wounded two three times ;their conduct was full of pride and dignity,well aware of their historic mission.The President of the Congress has been Cijevski,assisted by Pantea ,Pascaluta and Braga.The congresists have been slauted by the leaders of the national movemenbt :Inculet,Halippa ,Missis Alistar ,Ioncu etc.Crihan,Pintea and Cijevski have explained the meaning of the word "autonomy",equivalent with freeing Basarabia from under the Tzarist secular harness and have demonstrated the need of an own Army .In the middle of the aclamations which did not stop for a moment and in the presence of gubernial Commissary Vladimir Christi ,the Congress has proclaimed the autonomy,political and territorial of Basarabia as the only way to "unite a Moldavian hood and guarantee its rights ,naional,and its evolution,economic and cultural";the province will continue to remain in the Russian Federative Democratic Republic having next to the "short while masstering" an empowered of the people.During the lively discussions between the representatives of the current said ,separatist,with the ones of the current arrived in the Congress ,officers and soldiers of a Battalion of the Ardeal Legions ,in passing from Kiev to iasi.An enthisiast manifestation has been occassioned by the arriving of these esquiers of other branch of the Romanian Nation.The Congress transformed into a celebration of the Romanian hood from everywhere.The Ardeleans have unfolded in the hall of the congress their threecolor (red ,yellow and blue) flags ,on which was written "Live Great Romania!","Live the Romanian Nation !"."To arms!" and other patriotic things.In this way,the proclamation of the autonomy in Basarabai has been made in an atmosphere which gave to this act its real semnification :it was the first step to acomplishing the realization of the unification of Romanians from all territories inhabited by them.

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It has been decided the convokation of the Country Council ,the national gathering ellected of Basarabia ,the true and legitime representative of national soverignity .A bureau of organization ,ellected by the Congress ,would elaborate the sketch of organizing the Country Council ,such that it comprises ,without the Moldavian representatives ,indigeneous,also those of the national minorities of Basarabia ,the representatives of peasantry and other gangs.

The ellection for the Country Council could not be made by direct vote ,because almost the entire population of men of the country was scattered on different fighting Fronts ,but by indirect ellections ,made by diverse committes and organizations.With this face ,the Country Council was made out of 120 members of which :41 deputies ellected by the Soldiers Congress ,as representatives of the nation of Army of Moldavia on whole Fronts ,31 deputies of the peasants ,ellected by "gubernial soviet of the peasant deputies",a congress of the entire peasantry of Basarabia ,invoked for this purpose at 12th of November ,four deputies of the National Party of Moldavia ,eight Ucrainians ,seven Jews ,four Gagauzi and Bulgarians ,two Nemti(from Germanian origin),seven delegats of few Zemsteve and Duma etc.According to the numeric rapport between the populations of different nationalities from Basarabia ,84 deputies were Romanian from Basarabia,and the rest of 36 were from the other nationalities :Russians ,Ruteni,Jews,Bulgarians ,Germans,Polish etc.There were also ten places for Moldavians from over Nistru River ,if they wish to attend.

At 4th of December 1917 ,has been made the epochal event of opening the Country Council.In the cathedre has been officiated for the first time the divine service in Romanian language by Bishop Gavril al Ackermanului and by the Arhimandrit Gurie ,surrounded by twenty priests and diacons of Moldavia.Has been hollyed the first national flag ,under which has paraded the first Moldavian Regiment .In the local of the 3rd Highschool has been opened the Country Council ,saluted with the accents of the Romanian anthem"Desteapta-te Romae"(Wake up Romanian!) and by the speeches of some 40 orators ,among which the representatives of all state authorities ,communal,of all nationalities and cooperations.

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President of the Country Council has been elected Ion Inculet ,Basarabian as birth ,he has lived long in Petersburg ,where he was Professor of Academy.Arrived in May in Basarabia as chief of a group of propagandists which had the mission to deepen the revolution in Basarabia ,has been invested after a short while with the quality of aid of gubernial commissary .Professing in the beginning principles purely socialist he has been won step by step by the national current ,which he belonged to by origin and by its political starts in adolescence epoch,becoming one of the leaders of the freedom movement of Basarabia .Inculet has taken with this face place next to Halippa and Pelivan ,the two pioneers of the Romanian national movement ,which were not making any secret of their sentiments and wish of uniting Basarabia with mother country(Romania).The flamed speeches of these two curageous and enthusiast fighterss of the Romanian national cause have made an outstanding impression ,as the speech of Ardelean,Onisifor Ghibu ,the redactor of newspaper "Ardealul"(Ardeal ) which,in this day ,in which were shining shy the dawns of the first Unification ,has evoked the vission of the great celebration of Unification of the entire Romanian hood,at Alba Iulia.All dlegates have been unanim in recognizing in the Country Council the supreme organ ,the first leguitor(law) organ of Basarabia ;he will now to create to the province the necessary conditions to escape it from anarchy ,which was "threatening to swallow all the intelectual and moral values created by the work of the nation for centuries".

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The passing of the mastering from the Russian State to the Country Council was made in the following way:before the revolution the head of each Russian gubernia was named from the center:in the head of each county (judet) was the "ispravnic",named also by the center.As ellective organs ,each county had a Zemstva ,for economics matters and cultural ones .Gubernia had as organ effective Zemstva Gubernial ,composed of delegations of the Zemsteve of counties.The clorks named were usually hated by the population .More trust had the ellecive organs,though more cenzitary.

After revolution ,the Russian Provisory Government ,ahead witth Prince G.E. Lvov ,to give satisfaction to the population ,has replaced by a ucaz every chief of gubernies by the presidents of Zemstevelor guberniale ,and all ispravnics with the presidents of county Zemsteve,as ellective elements ,changing in the same time the name became odios of governor in that of commissary of gubernia ,and the name of ispravnic -more odios-in the one of county commissary .In this way ,also in Basarabia ,which had the structure of a Russian gubernia ,imediately after the revolution ,has become by minissterial ucaz gubernial comissary ,in the place of the leader taken down,the president of gubernial Zemstevei of Basarabia,at the time C.Mimi,and ahead of all the counties of Basarabia ,in the place of the ispravnics ,has been put county commissaries ,in the person o f the president of counties Zemstevelor(plural) .As the revolution was advancing ,the gubernial comissary Mimi was facing harder the new situation .A peasnt congress from entire Basarabia ,held in July 1917 ,assignes as gubernial commissary Ion Inculet .yhis one,to not break deffinitively with the former leading class ,is thankful with the role of aid of commissary of gubernia ,and as gubernial commissary he recomends Vladimir Christi .The nominations have been made by the Interior Ministry of Petrograd .Have been produced some changes among the county commissaries.

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