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Remembered Today:

Romanian Campaign of 1916.The Invasion


razu

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At the opening of the Country Council in the day of 21st of November 1917 ,Ion Inculet has been ellected as president ,with unaniity of votes .Gubernial commissary Christi ,in the same day ,sworn faith to the Country Council ,setting to its dispozition all his empowerments .The same thing was maade by all comissaries of counties .

In this way ,all legal carriers of the Russian sovereignity in Basarabia have transmitted this sovereignity to the newly created organ-the Country Councul- which was leading effectively Basrabia and which in this was could have her fate in her hands.

Once installed ,the Country Council understood to pass to deeds.

Ten days after constituting of the Country Council ,the Gathering proclaims in the memorable day of 15th of December 1917 the Democratic Republic of Moldavia .Incuelet has been proclaimed president of the Republic ,and the executive power has been given toa council of directors ,ahead with P.Erhan.

Under the impression of this considerable event ,Romanians over Nistru River gather at Tiraspol ,at 30th of December ,in a meeting very numerous,and spirited ask for their attachment to the Moldavian Republic of Basarabia.

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(Romanian officers of the Volunteers Legions from Italy,in their middle being Nicolae Titulescu ,Vasile Lucaciu,Simion Mindresu)

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The independence of Basarabia

The creation of the Country Council at 21st of November ,followed by the proclamattion of the Moldavian Republic of Basarabia and by its autonomy ,has been the first stage on the road leading to the definitive solution .The second stage would be the declaration of independence of the new republic ;it will ease the road towards the third stage ,the final one:Unification.

After the proclamation of the republic ,the Basarabian leaders realized of the new situation ,created by the circumstances .The Basarabian republic has been conceived ,at the beginning ,as belonging to the sovietic Russian state ,in the frame of the great national movement of freeing the nations in the Russian conglomerate.As ,however,in the mean time,Ucraine declared its independentcy,Basarabia had no contact with Russia whatsoever.That is why,the Basarabian leaders have reached the conclusion that there is no other possible solution ,but proclaiming of the independence of the republic ;it has been decided to take place at 24th of January ,the day of the Unification of the old Romanian Principates ,to give to the act its real political meaning

In the preparing gathering of 22nd of Janauary ,has been noticed that the ideea of proclaming the independence is unanimous shared by all members of the Council ;even the representatives of the minorities have rallied to this ideea ,as for Basarabia ,isolated ,to not remain res nullius,as the Romanian majority was seeing the breaking from Russia the paving of the way for the Unification with Romania.

In the solemne meetinng of the Country Council(or Country Advice Gathering),held after midnight towards 24th of January 1918 ,hthe president of the Advice ,Inculet ,has given reading to the Declaration of independence ,which has been voted in unanimity in an atmosphere of warm enthusiasm.

The declaration was addressing at:" Moldavians and brotherhoods people of the Moldavian Republic!"Starting from the event of the great revolution of Russia which"took us from the darkness of slavery" and from the noticing that "times are changing and the political circumstances ask for new roads/ways",the Declaration proclaimed that "with the will of the people":the Democratic Moldavian Republic ,free,by herself and unhanged,having she alone the right to decide her fate in the future ".the declaration continues ,affirming the will to maintain peaceful relations with all neighbours ,to guarantee full rights to all nationalities and to make the agrar reform ,such that"the land to pass into the hands of ploughers...".

The proclamation of the independence has been celebrated with great fast in the day of 24h of January :great religious act at Sobori ,on a beautiful winter day ,with frost and sun ,a military revist to which have defilated ,next to the troops of the republic ,Romanian troops from Romania;the party at the former "Club of Nobility",and in front of the club,in the street an imense hora(popular Romanian dance) of Unification ,played /danced by the population in the sounds of Romanian military fanfare ,which sang joyfuly the old song of Romanians unification :"Let's give hand in hand ,those with Romanian heart".

Only the next day ,the mayor of Chisinau ,Smidt,half aware ,addressed a question to Inculet over the semnification of the events and manifestatins in the eve ,if they are not meant to unite Basarabia with Romania by any chance?The events which will follow ,will precipitate the passing to the third stage ,the definitive one.

History was unfolding with quick steps...

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2.Basarabia After Proclaiming Its Independence

The hardships of Basarabian Republic

The young moldavian republic was aquainted even from the very beginning with the hardest things.The first one and most considerable was establishing and maintaining the order ,turmoiled by the waves more amd more increasing as strength ,of the divergent currents.To establish the order and for basing its authority ,the government of the republic needed a military force ,in the same time strong and disciplined.The Basarabian Cohortes were weakly bounded,dubious elements introduced in them ,instigating to anarchy .Without discipline ,they could not have been a sure instrument in the hand of the government ,to guarantee the good order in the country.

The proclamation of the autonomy and of the republic coincided with the closing of the truce on the Romanian Front .This event has been the signal of general debandade of the Russian Army.Moldavia and Basarabia were drowned in the waves of the bands of soldiers which have left the Front and started in disorder towards home,plundering everything in their way.Bad elements of the population in Basarabia started to associate to the bands of soldiers .Armed bands rove through the country ,setting fire to properties ,assasinating owners and administrators and spreading terror.Have been devastated and arsoned almost all conacs(land owner's mansion) and the instalations of the landowners in counties Hotin,Balti and Isamail.The burning fire was spreading towards the center of Basarabia.

Unhappy with the stealing of the privae properties ,the bands started now to endanger the most vital intersts of the Romanian State.In Basarabia were the big Romaniann deposits ,meant to ensure the replenishment of the country and of the Army,until the next crop.Many of them were constituted by the buyings made by Romanian Government over Prut River ,by contracts closed with the Russian authorities ,on the acount of the debt of over 10 000 carriages which we gave to the Russian Armies in Moldavia in the winter of 1916-1917.This being the case,the drying anarchy in Basarabia was threatening us with starvation ,and the local authorities did not have any power to end it.At 14th of December ,in small city Leova,on the shore of Prut ,the Romanian Guard of Militia ,called by the preident himself ,of the local Upravei[4], for the guard the great deposit ,which contained almost 500 carriages of cereals ,has been drifted away with gun shots by these bands.

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Captain Popilian ,the Commander of the Guard ,has been murdered.The murderous atentate has provoked the intervention of a Romanian Detachment which has occupiedd the small city , arrested ,trialed and executed(shot) the criminals.As the own forces were not capable to maintain order ,it was obvious that it was needed to appeal for outside help.Who could defend Basarabia?In which direction could go the eyes of the leaders of Basarabia?Of an intervention of the Russian Army could not be talk.The Russian Army ,prey of decomposing ,was herself the most active ferment of the anarchy.The Russian Army Commander on the Romanian Front ,General Scerbacev ,was living in hiding at Iasi ,defended by the Romanian Guard against his own soldiers .No onder if,at the repeated requests of the Council of directors ,addressed to General Scerbacev as to General Berthelot , to send in Basarabia troops"disciplined and safe",these ones could not satisfy the requests.Saint-Anulaire and Berthelot promissed to the delegats of the Council of directors to send in Basarabia a Cehoslovak Division and a Serb Division ,situated at Kiev ,but their intentions do not give any result whatsoever.Some are trying to make appeal to Ucrainians.But the situation of Ucraine was no better.Same plunders and devastations from the bands part,the same powerless to stop them.The principal stabiliments and military deposits were set under the Guard of the Legionaires ,Volunteers from Ardeal ,the only military formations inspireing any trust.Such that,the chief of the Ucrainean government Vinicenko and the foreign minister Sulghin answered to the Basarabian delegate :"We cannot do anything.Address to Romania!".In fact ,the Romanian Army ,well organized ,disciplined and steelled in battle ,was the only serrious force which could be appealed.In the Country Council(or Country Advice) has formed a Moldavian block ,of which target was preparation of unification with Romania .In the critical circumstances lived by Basarabia ,the oppinion of the Moldavian block was that the young Moldavian republic has no hopes for life ,but only if she will find a support ,armed and financial at a good and fateful friend.And this one could only be the mother country:Romania .The ones against the Moldavians ,aware of the meaning of this act,were asking for any kind of Army from those bounding on the outter parts of Russia of the former Austro-Hungarian prisoners ,or from the Russian Army in decomposition:Cehoslovak,Serb Polish,Ucrainian;anything ,but not Romanian Army!

The power of the circumstances has been thogh greater.

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The Romanian intervention

The point of Moldavian view triumphs as the only one acomplisable.At 6th of Februari 1918 ,the Basarabian Governent ask to the Romanian Government to set at hand the military aid needed for defending the railways and of the deposits of replenishment.The request has been forwarded through General Scerbacev ,the Commander of the Russian Army on the Rmanian Front.The Romanian War Minister gave order to the Detachments of Ardeleni from Kiev ,which were ready to come in the country ,to stop at Chsinau ,to set themselves at the dispozition of the Country Council.Another Detachment ,made out of Graniceri and Ardeleni ,in force of four Battalions with weak effectives ,has been expedited from Iasi towards Chisinau,to strengthen the Ardeal men and bring them the weaponry and ammunition necessary.In this time,though,the anarchy took very grave proportions.The Russian troops disorganized retreated from the Romanian Front, in greater and increasing number ,were establishing in Basarabia mixing more and more in the affairs of the country.Soon they took the advance towards the Basarabian troops which were listening to the Country Council.At Chisinau has installed a central organ of these troops ,under the name of "Front otdel"(the sucursal of the front),having as president the soldier shoemaker worker Perper,as chief of General Staff Kaabak ,and as members Spult,Katowski,Lewinson a.s.o.The conflict between the two authorities declared imediately and increased."Front Otdel" considered itself the legitime government of Basarabia as province of Russia ,representing the bolsevic goverment from Petrograd ,denying any right to the Government of the Country Council,which was the expression of the national will of the free country.The bolsevics have started the propaganda amongst the Moldavian troops .The conflicts have went agravating.The Moldavian troops have seized the cannons send from Odessa to the bolsevic Army and confiscated the manifests by which the bolsevics were trying to convince the Moldavian Army and population against the Country Council(or Country Advice),accuzing it of accomplicing with the Royal Romanian Army and of selling the interests of Basarabian peasantry to the Romanian burghessy and capitalism.

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At 19th of January arrives by train in Chisinau Train Station ,the Legioneers Battalion from Ardeal-850 men -left from Kiev by the order of Romanian Government.The arriving of the Battalion is announced telegraphic from Tighina to the bolsevic chiefs ,such that at the arrival the station and surroundings were occupied by bolsevic forces under the command of Kaabak.There were here the 60th Russian battery ,the 4th Cossacks Regiment of Cavalry and the companies of bolsevic red guard ,between which scattered few moldavians.The cannons of the batteries and the machineguns ,installed on the roof of the station and at windows ,started to fire in Ardeleni which were entering in the station.It has produced in the darkness of the night a moment of panic and overcrowding.Awoken sudden from their sleep ,not having the rifles at hand ,not realizing the situation and identity of the attackers ,thinking they have to deal with Moldavians ,victims of a confussion ,the Ardeal men ,put down their weapons and surrender.The Detachment is disorganized and disarmed.The soldiers are arrested ,beaten to the blood and carried with broken uniforms ,mocked and spit ,on to the streets of he city.Some of them have been freed with force by Moldavian troops ,which sheltered them in their barracks.

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In the eve of the same day ,the Graniceri Detachment and Ardeal men started from Iasi,organized on three Esalons.The Russian General Kanzerov was accompanying the first esalon,as representative of Scerbacev ,to impose to the Russians by his presence.The two first esalons has arrived at Ghidighici ,last station before Chisinau ,where they have disembarked and started to move in Chisinau direction ,at 6 in the evening .The third esalon ,which was the fighting train ,left behind the other two ,have been stopped by bolsevics at Ungheni ,on the right side of Prut River ,and could not follow the troops.Newsed by the arrival of the Romanian troops ,the bolsevics have concentrated at Ghidighici important forces of the troops from Chisinau :two cavalry divisions with a lot of infantry and artillery ,which attacks the Romanians ,at their train disembarking ,overwhelming them with their number.Rmaians are trying to organise resistance ,but they have no ammo ,left in the train, and the Commandment is announced that behind him ,at a distance of 4-5 Km ,the railway has been cut by a cossacks troop.Romanians are fighting with desperation till night fall ,when they retreat in Durlestilor Wood ,and there they follow in the next days the reteat through Truseni ,Scoreni ,Ulmu ,Nemteni ,towards Prut River.

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The fighting esalon of the Detachment cannot leave Ungheni ,but only after a Company of Romanian Graniceri occupies the locality.In Cornesti train station ,the train is attacked ,General Nekrasov ,the Commander of the IX-th Russian Army and Colonel Sokolov ,which were in the train ,are murdered in a bestial way ;their dead bodies ,undressed and cut in to pieces ,are thrown on a pile of dry grass ,behind the station.

In Straseni train station ,in the day of 9th of January ,the train is attacked with shots by the bolsevic troops which are in an overwhwlming force and disorganised.

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Now the bolsevic Basarabian government considers itself in War with Romania and with the "separatist"Moldavians.Romanian members of Interallied Committe for Provisioning of the Army are arrested and expedited to Odessa ;the funds of the committe ,in a vaalue of some millios ,are confiscated.The members of the director Council and of the Country Council(or Country Advice) ,compromised as nationalists,are called to answer in front of the bolsevic comitet ,are forced to write a protest towards the Romanian Govenment against the sending of Romanian troops in Basarabia.In Chisinau masters now the terror ;the Moldavian troops are too weak to resist.

Face with this urgy ,the Moldavian block of the Country Advice has met clandestine in the building of Zamstava of Chisinau County and decided to send to Iasi ,on different roads ,several delegations ,to convince and ask the Romanian Government to let aside any hesitation and set to the dispozition of the Government of Basarabian Republic military forces enaugh for reesstablishing the order.The moment was of an extraordinary importance .The Romanian Government was aware that he is at a great turn of history.

Basarabia,only just escaped by the secular harness of Russian Tzarism ,was threatened in her existence of independent national state.She was streching ,by her legitime government ,the asking arms towards Romania.What considerations of political prudence ,what fraid of complications coud obstacle the mother country to stretch her arms,in her turn,to take to her bosom the loved daughter, and threatened?We were in truth,ourselves in a situation almost desperate.On one side ,the enemy,stopped with great difficulty by a barriere barely holding,was preparing to take advantage by the luky circumstances out in his way and force us with the knife at throat to recieve a ruining peace and humiliating .On the other side was rising the new enemy ,the ally of until now.Inside was the terror unleashed by the decomposition of the Russian Amy ,drowning the country.And our Army,only just out from two blood baths ,was to held chest to the old and powerful enemy,in the face which she was alone now,to assume position against the one starting to rise threateing ,to make guard around the plundering bands roving the country.Where would the country find more help implored by the Basarabian brothers ?

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And still,the miracle has to happen .Because in the darkness and chaos veiling us from all parts ,the appeal of Basarabia was the ray bringing a glimmer of hope ;it was the first augur of a turning more happy of fate .In the midst of collapsing of everything we thought and hoped for,on the edge of the abbis which seemed to open to swallow the being of the Romanian State itself,was seen all of the sudden appearing again the aurora of an ideal,of which coming true even the stongest started to doubt.

The Ministers Council at 17th of January ,discussing all hypotesis and risks ,decided:Basarabia must be aided and saved to ensure her future ,for the guarding of Romanian interests.

At 20th of January ,the Great Romanian Headquarter send to the troops the order of operations.Two Divisions of Infntry and two of Cavalry will imediately start to move to cross Prut River.The 11th Division received order to enter in Basarabia between Ungheni and Leova and to advance with direction Chisinau.The 13th Division had to cross by Cahul ,to occupy Southern Basarabia .Between the two Divisions ,the connection will be made by 2nd Cavalry Division.In Southern Basarabia Sector ,the 1st Division of Cavalry will operate in direction Balti-Soroca ,till the edge of the region occupied by Austrians ,in Hotin County.General Prezan ,the Chief o fthe Great Romanian Headquarter ,gives light to a manifest by which he explains th e inhabitants in Basarabia the purpose of the Romanian Army intervention.In words full of prudence and ability and tact ,the Romanian Generalisim shows that the Romanian Army has been called through the Russian military Commander ,to bring order and peace in the villages and hamlets of Basarabia and to guarantee the transport of the necessaries for the living of the Russian and Romanian Armies.The manifest warns the inhabitants to not give belief to the enemies,which want to bring trouble between brothers ,telling them that Romanians are coming to steal the lands of people and bring back the old masters ,to kidnap their national and political rights ,earned by revolution.The Romanian Army will not touch any inhabitant of the Moldavian Republic ,whatever the origin and faith;she will bring order and quiet ,and will guarantee that plunderings ,muggings and murders will not start again and then,the Romanian soldiers will return home.

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On the road of voievods

The Romanian Army crossed Prut River and set foot on Basarabia land.The fast step of the soldiers was sounding on this land of brother,and the echo of the sky carries it to the most hidden corners of the country.The very old Moldavian ground shivers and wakes up to the sweet touch .The dust ,spilled over the centuries with Romanian blood ,rises,looked up by horses's foot in the cloud of powder start to show silouethes of braves.The trumpet sounds joyful ,the Army steps forward on the unslaving road ,and in the old places of blood and victory runs to gather under Moldavian flags the crowd without number of the shadows which were sleeping the sleep fermented by pains in this estranged and enslaved land.From the fords of Nistru River ,from the proud fortresses which mirrors the walls in waters of the old river ,from Orheiului Woods and of Tigheciului ,comes the crowd of fighters of Alexandru ,of Stefan ,of Rares,of Ioan Voda ,braves,Razesi and Mazili Hotineni ,Soroceni ,Orheieni and Codreni ,servants from the sides ,watchers of fords ,guardians of lands and frontiers.

Bring down the dust of your clothes and shields ,stretch in the wind your stuck arches,clean the old rusted steels;Moldavia needs again your arm!Run like in the old times ,when at the calling of buciumasilor of the Voievod,you gathered around your Vornics and woods Captains ,which carried you to the danger spot ,where the enemy has stepped the frontier!Whoever he was,if he was the Leah greedy climbing down from the North ,or the fierce Turk climbing from the South,or the Cossack or the plundering Tatar ,coming from the East ,from sleciurile zaprojene or from the deserts of Crimului ,you made unconquered wall ;in full you would strike and many death and perishing in them you did.Or if you,with the power of number they chase ,there,in your land,guardians for eternity remained your lifless bodies.

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From the sleep of centuries ,a new sound of trumpet awoke you .But is not the scream of pain out of the chest of the crushed ones ;is the trumpet of awakening which comes to away the nightmare.And the horizon which reds is not the arsoning of the villages stepped by Tatari ;its aurora of new times which lightens the sky from the mother country .After centuries of pain ,of humiliation and forgetting ,a Moldavian Army has set foot once more on Basarabian land.Listen to the crafted word of the Captain of the Army and what his mouth cannot yet tell,understand your souls.No,the Romanian soldiers will not return home ,in such hurry.Because your home and theirs is one,and you will open the brother heart and will stretch the helping hand ,to away the enmy which kept you kneeled of almost to forget your hood and sense.The Moldavian country will whole ,the land taken back and holly by your blood ,of your followers will be ,and your gratitude to God ,in old tongues will be say.

It is celebration in Basarabia .Stormy roll the waves of Nistru ,to dig deeper and wider the abbys which will guard again the country towards East.Shy gather the waters of Prut ,to not barrier between brothers anymore.Whispering histories long forgotten ,of genovese boats passing filled at Caffa[5] towards the heart of Moldavia ,by the the plundering bands of Tatari ,by groups of Cossacks ,by Orheieni horsemen ,resting one by one their tired horses in unentered woods.

A shiver rise up in the whole country stretch ,from Hotin to Chilia .The asleep spirit of old Moldavia has caught life again.With a sound of relief rise up from their old armchairs the Pircalabi of the Voievods to order to their servants to guard with care the fords of Nistru.Run through the hamlets Soltuzii,bringing their Pirgari [6] to send word of wellcome and brotherly hospitality to the ones arriving.Like owls at the arriving of dawns ,run over Nistru the groups of Nacialnici and Cinovnicilor[7] of the dead crown and of the ravines eating their rotten ...And from the Prut arrive the flags of brother's Armies ,in sound of trumpets newsing the awakening and of the chains that broke and collaps to the ground.

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The entering of Romanian Army in Chisinau

The 11th Division ,crossing Prut at 23rd of January ,was advancing towards Chisinau on two columns .The Southern Column was made out of the troops of the 22nd Brigade ,which was walking by foot the road Leova-Galbena-Hincesti-Cisinau.The Northern Column was made out by the troops of the 21st Brigade ,going part with the train.part on foot ,on the road along line Ungheni-Chisinau.The Commander of the Division ,General Brosteanu ,together with his General Staff ,was with this Column,accompanied by the delegation of Country Advice ,lead by Pelivan.The Commander of te Division had precise instuructions from the Great Romanian Headquarter ,to give to the dlegation all concur to reestablish of good order ,political and economic in Basarabia .The Capital of Basrabia was te union point of the two Columns.

The untrust seeded within the Moldavian population of Basarabia by agitators ,which filled the villages with the news that the Romanian Army arrives to kidnap the lands from the peasants of the boyards,with which they have been equiped by the revolution ,dissappeared at the first explanations.The villagers ,terrified by anarchy and muggers ,saluted with joy this Army of brothers which come to bring them the much wanted order and escape them of spigonii(provoking agents),which pig themselves with holera(alcohol) and keep of muggings...

At 25th of January ,in Calarasi trainstation,Geeneral Brosteanu makes the first contact with the authorities of the republic ,in the person of Inculet,the president of Country Advice,which is accompanied by the representatives of the circumstances:a delegate of the city ,one of the soldiers and one of the sailors.The General explains to the delegats the officisl purpose of the arriving of the Romanian Army in their interest,not only of Moldavians ,but also the population in general ,of any nationality ,to salute with gladness the presence of our troops,which bring ,next to the order ,also the guarantee of lifes of the inhabitants..etc.The General also asked the delegats to take all measures to not be produced any resistance ,because otherwise,Chisinau and its populaion ,with all the wish of spearing them ,will not be without bombardments and street fights.The bolsevic troops have to,in any case ,retreat over Nistru .It has been given time,until the day of 26th of january ,12 o'clock ,to bring the result of the trataives with the bolsevics ,to fulfill the aboves.

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The next day has arived early in the morning ,at the Quarter of the Romanian Commander a new delegation ,lead by Erhan and Pantea ,asking new explanations over the intentions of Romanian Army and over the entering in Chisinau .Brosteanu has repeated the explanation given to Inculet ,and gave the order of advance,with the mention to not fire ,but only if the Romanian Army would be attacked.

And around 7 in the evening ,as overloaded trains with troops bolsevic were running with full speed to Nistru ,the troops of the 21st Brigade Romanian were entering Chisinau with music ahead and with the unfolded flags ,and by another barrier was entering the 22nd Brigade .At the light of the electric lamps on the wide street Aleksandrovskaia ,between the sidewalks filled with crowds ,pass the two Columns parallel of the Romanian Brigades ,united.It was one of those events which happens at centuries intervals.From the days of Vasile Voda Lupu and of Istrati Dabija ,the one that established Chisinau ,have not been seen on the city streets flags of Moldavian Army.

The imposant unfolding of this military force ,with the shine of thousands of bayonets ,with the rithmic steps of the soldiers and horses sounding on the pavement of the street,with the roar of wheels of cannons ,mixing with the sounds of the trumpets and with the accents of military music,provokes the enthusiasm of the population .In the middle of the street ,in the most lighted spot ,in front of the office and tipography of Ardealul newspaper ,an imense flag ,threecolor,was fluttering joyfully.The numerous group of the redactors and cultural missionaries of Ardeal ,Bucovina and the old Kingdom ,salutes with uncovered heads and with tears in their eyes the first apparition of a great dream ,at which noone gave up.The shouts of:live Great Romania!,live Basarabia !,live Ardeal and Bucovina !,started from the public to the troops and from the troops to the public,sounded like a foretelling of a happy future.

At 27th of January ,General Brosteanu and his General Staff of the DIvision make the official entering in the city ,and in the evening of 28th ,he is envited by hthe official government to take part to a meeting of Country Advice ,where he is wellcomed in ovations .The representatives of the Basarabian government and of the Country Advice express sentiments of gratitude of the Moldavian Republic to the King,government and the Army of the country ,for the haste whith which they answered to their calling ,escaping Basarabia from the hands of those terrorising it and wanted to destroy its independence.In the middle of a deep emotion ,Pelivan declares,for the first time officialy,that the fight for national unity is opened.

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Freeing Bender

If the occupation,military of Chisinau went without incidents,for liberating Bender there had to be given fierce battles ,and pour a lot of blood.

Placed in the frontier of the country,in direct touch with the centers of over Nistru River ,having also a strengthened fortress ,Bender has been organized by bolsevics for a some resistance ,and had numerous troops with strong artillery.At 28th of January our troops ,closing in to Bender ,hit at the hills of North-West of the city ,enemy troops which they repel after a lively fight .In the interest of safety ,the troops remain at night on the elevations where they fought.The enemy has concentrated strong forces in the city.

The Commander of the 22nd Romanian Brigade ,which was leading the operations against Bender,waits reinforcements and only at 4th of February ,after an extended bombardment gives a concentric attack with six Battalions of Infantry ,three batteries and an Escadron of Cavalry.At 5 ,Bender is conquered together with the fortress an the bridge over Nistru .An imense material of railways and war has fallen in Romanian hands,amongst which a great deposit of artillery -800 cannons -sheltered in the fortress.The bolsevics had great losses in dead and wounded and run over Nisttru ,at Tiraspol.

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But the things did not end so easily at Bender.The Commander of te Romanian Brigade retreated the great part of the troops ,separating them as garrisons for the guarding of the localities,neighbour,of the train stations and of materials.Watching the city is neglected and weakened.Taking advantage of this situation ,with which was newesed by the population of the city ,in majority Jews which were bolsevic simpathisers ,the bolsevic troops from Tiraspol ,having also armoured cars with machineguns and small cannons ,have crossed the bridge whichh was intact over Nistru ,attacked by surprise the Romanian troops in the night of 4-5th of February and forced them to reteat.

The Romaian Commander decides the evacuation of the city and general retreat at Berizovca .A Detachment which was in the fortress has remained on place.A Company of 57th Mehedinti Regiment ,made out of 62 soldiers and three officers ,under the Command of invalid Major Ciuciu Anghel ,closed in a quarter of houses ,edged by four streets ,and strengthened there ,posting the machineguns of Lt.Iliescu Gh.at the four corners of street ,the rifle men at the windows of the houses and the grenadiers in the attics of the tall houses.Somated to surrender ,the Romanian Detachents have refused ,and although they were surrounded by superior forces ,they continued the fight ,sustaining with success ,for three days ,a real siege.

The retreated troops have reconstitued and concentrated around the village Bulboca .They have been strengthened with Regiments 3rd and 10h Hunters ,with a divizion of the 21st Regiment of artillery and with cavalry.At 7th of February the Romanians retake the fight and after a violent bombarment of artillery ,the infantry fighting with an irezistible elan ,reconqueres the city at 11 in th e morning ,saving also the two Detachment which resisted heroicly within the city.

Now,the Romanian flag fluttures on the old fortress of Bender ,build by sultan Soliman[8] as a gate in front of Tighina ford where passed the oldest road of trade ,connecting Moldavia with the Country of Tatars.The Olteni(men from Olt county) of the 11th Romanian Division gave back to Moldavia ,together with the fortress ,also the old frontier of Nistru River .After 380 years ,turkish Bender and moscowit, becomes again Romanian Tighina.

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In Southern Basarabia

The mission of the 13th Romanian Division was smaller.She woud not have to operate as the 11th Romanian Division and as the Cavalry Divisions ,in regions with Moldavian population ,but in Southern Basarabia ,the former Tatar Buceag ,estranged region ,lived by a very mixed population:Bulgarians ,Gagauzi Germans,Russians Cossacks ,Ucrainians .It was ,in the same time ,the region filled with soldiers from the decomposing VI-th Russian Army in retreat from Southern Moldavia ,and so the most hostile to us.At 8th of January ,the Army deposits in Cahul have been attacked by bands ,which have tried to rob them.The small Russina Garrison has resisted with great difficulty ;one soldier has been killed .Bands of soldiers ,run away from the Front , and of armed inhabitants and set on robings ,spread terror all around .A delegation of citizens from Cahul ,amongst which even a representative of the Revolutionar Committe,presents to the Commander of the II Battalion of the 47th Romanian Regiment ,at Odessa ,asking him to intervene with Romanian troops to take over the guard of the city ,of the deposits of aliments and ensure the life of the citizens.At 10th of January ,following the understanding with Basarabian Captain Craciunescu of the Russian Army ,at Cahul,a Romanian Detachment ,made out by an Escadron of Cavalry of three Plattons ,two Companies of Infnatry with a section of machineguns ,crossed Prut River and entered in Cahul.This event provokes diverse sentiments.The Ucrainian representatives are glad to offer their services to the Russian Commander and the revolutionar soldiers are counterattacked .The bands of desertors agitate and push the population ,but the ferm attitude of Romanian troops keep them in respect for a while.

The hidden instigations of the desertors are making their effects .At 21st of January Colonel Dragu ,the Commander of te 47th Regiment ,entering in Vulcanesti Village ,lived by Bulgarian colonists and Gagauzi ,to make a reconnoitring ,has been arrested by the bolsevic soldiers and condemned by them to death ;the Colonel has escaped with life only by a concur ,happy of circumstances :the university Professor Filanov ,the chieff of soviets in Ismail ,has intervened in the aid of Romanians helding to his camarads speeches in this way:"Tovarasi,this land of Basarabia is Moldavian land from old to very olds.We have no bussiness here.We have enaugh land in Russia ;we do not have enaugh arms to work it.We do not need other foreign land.Let's go to our home and let the Moldavians master in peace their ancestor's land".The hearted speeches of the luminated professor have had the wished effect and the weak Detachment ,Romanian,has been saved ,together with its Commander.

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The Romanina Cavalry Escadron has been attacked with rifle fires by the Russian soldiers and by the population of the village .The Commander of the Escadron ,Captain Vaasilescu,has been murdered together with several soldiers ,and the rest has been scattered.The Russian soldiers arrest at Bolgrad General Kotzebue ,the Commander of the VI-th Russian Army and attack all Romanian Detachments on the left shore of Prut ,the courier's relee and the border Army(Graniceri) pickets.The whole region is now pray to anarchy and terror,unleashed by desertor soldiers.

In these circumstances ,the 13th Romanian Division has received ,at 21st of January ,the important task of crossing Prut irver ,to end the disorders ,make safe the deposits of the Army and pacify the region by military occupation of Southern Basarabia.With troops of the 13th Romanian Division are formed two Detachments .Prut Detachment ,made out of a Battalion of the 48th Regiment with artillery and cavalry ,crossses Prut in the day of 24th of January by Vadu lui Isac and descends towards South ,on the Eastern shore of the River ,occupying the villages and setting to safety the bridges and fords;at 27th of January ,the Detachment has occupied Reni.The lower Prut is now solid in Romanian hands.Bolgrad Detachment is constituted of three Battalions of the 47th Regiment of Infantry ,with artillery and cavalry ,crosses Prut by Oancea and enters Cahul at 24th of January ,going then towards Bolgrad .The villages are occupied one by one, the arms and munitions are confiscated and the Russian soldiers ,nested in to them are set on the run.At Vulcanesti have been captured two batteries of howitzers of 120 mm and a column of 23 waggons with munition ,which was trying to run to Bolgrad.At 25th of January ,the city of Bolgrad has been occupied ,after the Romanian artillery have fired a few blind shots .The popiulation has been disarmed and the city hs been set into defence position against eventual attacks.The Romanians install as Commander of the VI-th Russian Army General Pergshailo,named in this post by General Scerbacev ,in the place of the former Comander ,arrested and transported by soldiers.The authority of the new Commander remains nominal though,so he has no connectio with the scattered units and bolsevized of his Army.

For a week ,the Romanian troops have pacified the region .Occupying military the villages and confiscating the weapons and ammo ,hidden through villages in great quantites ,the region quiet down,without needing more severe measures.

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On the Danube River

The results of the military operations in Southern Basarabia,in the neighbour region with the Danube ,had to bring the Romanian troops in contact with the Russian Fleet and was makingin in this way indispenssable the concur of the Romanian fleet.That is why ,the continuation of these operations will have from now on a mixt character:on land and water.

The arms of Danube (which are three;Chilia ,Sulina and Sf.Gheorghe) and the Delta of Danube have remained in the mastering of the Romanian-Russian fleet and of the troops of Marine.In the summer of 1917 the echo of the grea battles ,given at Marasesti ,has reached until the Delta of Danube.The fleet of Romanian monitors ,helped by aeroplanes and by a captive baloon ,has bombarded Tulcea and the Germano-Bulgarian batteries on the Southern shore of Danube.The german batteries have riposted with violence at 13th of July ,in Patlageanca Channel ,monitor "Kogilniceanu" has been hit by a shell ,and the monitor "Lahovari" framed from close by;still they have continued the fight ,till they silenced the batteries.With this operation,the fleet has followed and acomplished several goals .Firstly ,has made a strong demonstration ,a diversion,by retaining the attention of the enemy from within that sector ,has contributed in to some extent ,to ease the situation of the troops fighting on Siret Front.A direct result was taking out of service of a heavy enemy battery at Tulcea,which were bombing Ismail ,and was making difficult by this the service of provissioning of the Russian-Romanian Fleet.It has been proven with this occassion that our monitors may fight with effect against 105 mm coast batteries.Especially,this operation ,executed by the initiative and on the responsibility of the Romanian Commander ,without the concur of the Russian ships and against the avis of the Russian Commandment,was an exam which have increased the self esteme of the Romanian Fleet.During Noveber and December ,the Russian revolutionary action has won also Russian troops from Danube Front ,from the Delta of Danube and the sailors on the Russians war ships.Some of the troops have left the Front ,the officers have been assasinated;the Russian sailors started to insult and attack the Romanians ,but have been set quick to respect.Because it could not be counted on a Russian defence anymore ,the Romanians seen themsselves forced to take over them the organization of defending the Danube and the Delta of Danube ,against the enemy as against the Russians.The most difficult to organize was the defence of Chilia Arm ,at South-West of Vilcov ,has been strongly occupied by Romanians.In the purpose of organizing a bridgehead at Chilia Veche(Old Chilia) ,the two Divisions of Romanian Monitors have assumed position:the I-st Division ("Lahovari","Kogilniceanu" ,with four vedettes)on Tataru Channel and the II-nd Division ("Bratianu","Catargiu",with vedettes) on Babina Channel.The entire Delta have been covered with avanposts given by disembarkation Battalion of Marine and by the Detachment of Pontooneers.In Lascar Catargi Village,in front of Ismail ,has been installed a telegraphic post ,without wire.

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At the inerent difficulties of the state of War with two enemies-the old ones,Germans,and the new one,Russians-are added also the difficulties provoked by the spirit of mutiny ,propagated by the bolsevic agitators amongst tthe Romanian sailors in the waters of the Delta and from the harbours of the Black Sea.Influenced by the communist propaganda ,some sailors try to form up on their vessels ,as in the principal ports ,nucleus of organizations which adopt the shouts of the sovietic revolution and unsubordination to the orders of the chiefs.They could not win though in surface;the movement has been rapidly suffocated,such that the Danube Romanian Fleet ,as the land Detachments ,which colaborated ,continued to execute with faith and discipline the missions given to them by the Romanian Commandment.

The two fleets ,former allied,were now in camps,if not yet enemy ,but hating eachother already.The Russian Fleet of Danube was anchored at Ismail the Romanian one at Chilia Noua(New Chilia),watching one over the other.Behind the Romanian Fleet ,at Sulina and Vilcov were other Russian vessels.The eventual retreat of the Russians from Ismail towards Sulina and the sea ,passing near the Romanian Fleet ,could give birth at frightening complications.

In this time ,the provokations of the Russian sailors were multiplying more and more.At 26th of January arrive at Sulina two Russian countertorpedo boats ,which bring and give revolutionary manifests ,in Romanian,from Odessa,pushing to revolt the soldiers and sailors ,Romanians.The next day,three superior officers from the Romanian Marine are arrested at Ismail by bolsevics ,but they manage to run over the night.At 29th of January ,a vessel with red flag(Russian communist flag),somates a Romanian vedette to take down the Romanian flag and arbor the red flag.Romanians do not take into consideration the provokations,not even those of Romanian desertors ,sheltered under Russian pavilion and avoid conflicts ,withdrawing and taking safety measures.

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At the end of January ,the Comander of the Russian fleet from Ismaol presents to Commandor Scodrea ,the Romanian Commander of the operations fleet at Chilia Veche,to which he communicates such that the Russian Fleet on the Danube ,do not wish to fight anymore and would leave ,after the evacuation of all materials .In the same time ,he asks to be answered to him which would be the attitude of the Romanian Fleet,in case of War declaration between Romania and Russiaa and if the Romanian Fleet would not be prepared to close separate peace with the Russian Fleet;in this case to show under what conditions.The Russins ask further clarifications over the "revolution within th e Romanian Fleet".The answer transmitted to the Russians by the Great Romanian Headquarter ,through the Commander of the Romanian operations fleet,leaves nothing to be desired as precission and clarity.The Romanian Fleet will repress with the last availabe energy any trials of aggression from the Rusisian units ,surpressisng any revolted vessel or aggressive.She will stop the Romanian vessels ,which have been previously given to he Russians for transports ,to leave the Danube;they cannot open in up stream of Chilia and will be obstacled by force.Orders have been given to the Sea Division ,which was at Sulina ,to retreat in the channel and to shelter at a baraje,and the Disembarkation Battalion to move for the eminent cooperation with the troops of the 13th Romanian Division in Southern Basarabia.

The Russians begin the hostility acts .In Babina river arm a Russian towingboat boards and breaks "Grivita" canoniere ,which managed to run away from Odessa.The Romanian vessel has to wreck on shore .

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Freeing Ismail and Chilia

During this efervescence ,the Romanian operation fleet on Danube ,has been called to colaborate with the troops of the 13th Division.

At 3rd of Februari ,Dragu Detachment(Romanian) started the advance from Bolgrad towards Ismail .The reconnoitrings of officers and our patrools have been received with fires and attacked by the Russian soldiers from the neighbour villages and as from the edge of the city ,and at tthe closing of the bulk of the column ,few cannon shots have been fired from the center of the city.

On her side,the fleet has taken the following measures :at Periprava have concentrated three cannoniers of the type "Oltu";at Chilia Veche was "Kogilniceanu" monitor,few floating batteries ,three vedettes ,a torpedoboat and three motorboats;close to Ismail were monitors "Bratianu","Catargiu" ,"Lahovari" and a vedette in firing position over the Russian vessels of war from Ismail harbour.

Face to this unfolding of forces ,the Russian Commander presents to the Romanian Commander and announces that the Russian cannoniers will not fire ,but will retreat to get out to sea(Black Sea).And in truth ,the Russian vessels ,leaving Ismail ,descend the Danube defilating in front of Chilia ,by the front of Romanian fleet,without taking an aggressive attitude .It was thought now that all will end well .But instead of following the road to get out to sea ,to take the road to Odessa ,the Russian fleet stops at Vilcov .At 4,30 in the afternoon ,two platoons of the Romanian Battalion disembarked in Ismail and occupied the harbour,and over the night ,the city itself has been occupied by the troops of Dragu Detachment ,which defeated easily the resistance tried by the bolsevics.It have been captured in Ismail great deposits of weapons.Here was a dangerous center of agitation .The cief of the bilsevics have shot ,in the moment of his capturing,the Commissary of the Romanian Government attached to the XLVII-th Rusian Corps.

For occupying Chilia city,has been organized ,as well a cooperation of the water troops with the land ones .Romanians send from Sulina ,by Periprava ,two Companies with a section of machineguns of the disembarkation Detachments.From Ismail is send by water also a Marine Battalion,and from the land advance Detachments Dragu and Rotaru (three Infantry Battalios four Artillery Batteries and Cavalry).It is foreseen a serious resistance of the Russians ,because it is signalled the leaving from Vilcov of a Rusian fleet composed of three cannonieres and four barges*,which take position in front of Chilia.The Russian cannonieres have renounced at the defense of the city and retreated again to Vilcov.The I-st Division of Romanian monitors anchors at 7 of february in front of Chilia and disembark a Detachment of sailors which occupy the city without any resistance.

Chilia was back in Moldavian mastering after more than four centuries of foreign domination.There were 433 years since Stefan cel Mare has lost Chilia ,"key and gate to the whole Moldavian Country and of the Country at the Danube".Baiazid have conquered it after a memorable siege in which the Turks ,surrounding the fortress "about the land and about the water ",have beaten with the cannons for eight days and eight nights .The defence of Moldavians ,under the leadership of Pircalab(commander of army) Maxim and Pircalab Ivanco,has been heroic and at 14th of July 1484 fell in the hands of the Turks but a pile of ruins ,which buried the bodies of the brave Moldavians ,dead for the defence of the country and the honour of their hood.

*Pontoons carrying cannons.

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