Suchergebnisse

Starting from historiographical disputes, this study aims at comparing the economic progress of the Romanian Principalities / Romania and Bessarabia, as part of the Russian Empire, based on an analysis of the evolution of commercial institutions. We ascertain that institutional advantages offered to Bessarabia, after its annexation to the Russian Empire in 1812, surpassed those existing in the Romanian Principalities only in the first half of the 19th century. With the Union of the Romanian Principalities and the formation of Modern Romania, and especially after the gaining of independence in 1878, no real institutional advantages in trade favoured Bessarabia, which, in many respects, even remained behind.

The article analyses the approach of the Russian press towards the Romanian territorial claims during the World War I. It is ascertained that the territorial issue was important in Romania's attitude towards war, as the unification of historical and ethnic Romanian territories was essential for the national affirmation of Romania as a state. In this regard, the Russian press pointed towards the territories under the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire as a major priority for the formation of Greater Romania. The goal was to attract Romania on its side against Austro-Hungarian and German offensive on the Eastern front. We scrutinize the Russian press's approach towards Romanian territorial claims based on three distinct periods: 1) during Romania's neutrality; 2) during Romania's participation in the war as Russia's ally; 3) After the Bolshevik revolution, when Russia withdrew unilaterally from the war. The emphasis on Romania's territorial claims is shown mostly in the first period, with one exception – the Bessarabian issue is little or not mentioned at all. Within the second period, the Russian press almost lost sight of the Romanian territorial claims. Finally, the Bolsheviks, who proclaimed self-determination as the main approach to territorial issues, were those who denied Romania any claim for "disputable territories", just because it opposed Bolshevization. During this latter period, the Bessarabian issue becomes the spear of Russian informational attacks against Romania, following the Union of this historical Moldavian territory with the Motherland.