The day when the Romanians were stolen one of the most beautiful regions. How did the Austrians put their hands on the “Country of the Beech”

Two and a half centuries ago, the territory known today as Bucovina was fraudulently occupied by corruption, assassination and blackmail. The principality of Moldova remained without a territory of 10,441 square kilometers. It was recovered only in 1918.

Landscape of Bucovina Photo Archive

On May 7, 1775, the Principality of Moldova lost a territory of 10,441 square kilometers with over 70,000 inhabitants. Including the former great capital of Moldova, Suceava, but also the sacred places of the Moldovan voivodes. Today, this territory bears the name of Bucovina and has been part of 143 years of the Habsburg Empire, being recovered by the Kingdom of Romania in 1918. It is one of the most infamous territorial kidnappings suffered by Romanians, marked by corruption and crime.

Imperialist geopolitical games on the account of Romanians

For two centuries, the Romanian Principalities were trapped in the cross fire of the Russo-Austro-Turkish wars. From 1683 until 1829 there were no less than seven conflicts between three great powers that disputed their domination in the Eastern European area and Balkans. The Ottoman Empire, a giant paralyzed by its own conservatism, was trying to survive and maintain its Balkan hegemony, while the Russian Empire, an emerging force, was striving to give him a grace.

Throughout this equation, the Habsburg Empire sought, on the one hand, to limit the increasing influence of Russia in European politics, and on the other side to get into the body of the High Gate. The Romanian Principalities, the vassals of the Ottomans, were transformed into the battlefield, but also the exchange currency in the conflict of empires. In this context, the tragic story of the Rapture of Bukovina was written. The 5th Russian-Turkish war (1768-1774) ended with the crushing victory of the people, established by the Peace of Kuciu-Kainargi, concluded on July 21, 1774. Among other things, the Romanian Principalities woke up, under the Russian protectorate. In this context, you are scared that the Russians will give the pardon to the Ottoman Empire and acquire a huge influence in the Eurasian geopolitics, the Habsburgs are positioned on the part of the Turks, although they were their enemies. On this occasion, the Austrian Chancellor Kaunitz saw a good opportunity to obtain the territories without military effort, on account of the Ottoman weakness.

The Turks, glad to have a powerful ally, promised the Austrians with salt. Obviously, on the account of the vassals. For example, from the war, the High Gate has been hired, by secret treaty, that in exchange for support it will give the Habsburg empire an important amount of money, but also Oltenia. The Turks were ready to break Wallachia in two and put it out of reach of the Austrians. The Habsburg ally did not help the Ottomans too much. They lost the war. Even under these conditions, the Austrians asked for the promised benefits. Without allowing a new conflict, the Turks had to please them. “Seeing the Austrians on the Turks so much, I propose a secret treaty, by which the Turks give themselves to give Austria 10,000,000 for war preparations. Turkish and will be forced to conclude a peace between both empires, based on the one in Belgrade ”wrote ad xenopol in his work “History of Romanians from Dacia Trajan”.

Romanian land that was worth 21 million florins

The Austrians were not satisfied, however, with Oltenia. As the documents of the time, Emperor Joseph II, associated with Maria Tereza, complained that Oltenia was too poor. He had made an icognito visit to the region and confessed that he was an agricultural land populated with villages, without the development possibilities desired by the Austrians. In addition, he was in the way of the Turks. The irregular regiments of Balkan robbers arrived in the service of the Ottoman steps from the south of the Danube made frequent incursions in the area. In contrast, the Austrians asked the Ottomans to the northern part of the Principality of Moldova, Bucovina today.

The Habsburgs sent Colonel Carol Enzenberg in this area. It visited the territory long and wide. Evaluated at 21 million florins, a real fortune. Bucovina had mountains full of minerals, forests, flowing waters, rich villages and a possibility of extraordinary development. He was the most beautiful and rich in the upper country of Moldova. In addition, it was an area with a special resonance for the history and spirituality of Moldova. In this territory were the great monasteries with the voivodal graves, including that of the great Stephen III Musat, from Putna, but also the former capital of Moldova, Suceava.

Blackmail, corruption and crime for the “Country of Beech”

Since September 1744, the Austrian Chancellor Kaunitz asked the Northern Moldova to the Ottomans. He ordered him, imperative, to the Baron Thugut, the Habsburg envy at the High Gate, to press the great vizier to solve this exchange. The Austrians justified their desire to change Oltenia with Bucovina through all kinds of inventions and lies. Thus, the Habsburg envoys falsely argued that Bucovina was part of the Poc of the Poc, a territory between Poland and Moldova. And, after the division of Poland, the Poc of the Habsburg Empire returned.

On the thread of this reasoning, Bucovina belonged to them as part of the Poc of the Poc. Later, the Austrians stated to the Ottomans that Bucovina would create a connection corridor between Galicia (provincial acquired by the Austrians also by dividing Poland) and Transylvania (at that time compared to the Habsburg Empire). Grigore II Ghica along with the patriots from the “National Party”, however, dismantled all the Austrian arguments in front of the officials of the High Gate, demonstrating with the ancient Christ that Bucovina was never part of the Poc. Moreover, the ruler of Moldova threatened the Turks that the Ottoman suzerainty will be renounced and will be subjected to the Russian Empire. For the boldness of opposing it, Gregory III Ghica was killed in the way. The Austrians asked the Ottomans to the head of the ruler of Moldova. The Turks sent the head of Ahmed Cara Hisarli-Aga to Moldova. He lured the ruler in a race at the Beilic Inn. There, Grigore III Ghica was caught by the people of the head and beheaded. The assassination made a vain at all the European courts. Using bribery and blackmail, the Austrians obtained what they wanted: northern Moldova.

“By corruption, blackmail and military pressures (band concentrations in the area of ​​Belgrade), on May 7, 1775, the Austro-Ottoman Convention, composed of four points, was signed, through which the northern Moldova (Bucovina), with the old capital, Suceava, and the tomb of the great Stefan, from Putna, enters the Habsburg Empire. In charge of delimiting the border, it facilitated the annexation, in addition, of another 30 villages ”the historian Nicolae Chiachir said in his work “in the history of Bukovina”. The new territory received the name of Bucovina from the German word Buchenland, which in translation means “the country of the beech”.