Getting to know the history of a nation is a must if you are interested in understanding its people. The history of Romania is the history of the events that took place from ancient times, i.e. the third century B.C. to the present day, when the modern day nation state of Romania that you see on the map evolved after going through many turmoils, and its boundaries got redrawn a number of times. It is also the history of its people, the very people, who gave Romania national identity and distinct cultural flavor.
The Romania of today was inhabited by people of Dacia, a Thracian tribe, at about year 200 B.C. The first state was formed in Romania during the reign of Burebista (82 - 44 B.C.). The infant state became involved in a series of conflicts with the Roman Empire, the dominant power of the time. It was ultimately annexed by that empire in the year 106 A.D. during the rule of the Roman Emperor Trajan.
With the decline and fall of the Roman Empire Romania, like the rest of Central Europe, was ravaged by various tribes. From 10th to 12th centuries it was under the rule of the Hungarians. The rule passed on to the Ottoman Turks and till 1541 Romania remained under the Turkish Empire. In the year 1600, there were three distinct states of Moldavia, Transylvania and Walachia. Michael the Brave succeeded in unifying them, but only for a brief period. The next to to rule Romania were the Austrians till 1775, and in 1812 Romania came under Russian rule.
1848 was a year of revolutions in the history of Europe, and there was a great revolution for independence in Romania as well. In 1859, the modern nation state of Romania came into existence when the states of Moldavia and Walachia merged under the leadership of Alexander John Cuza.
In addition, in 1877 Romanians obtained their independence. Then Romania took part in the First World War and after that, in 1918, in Alba Iulia Transylvania was officially added to the rest of Romania.
The end of the First World War signified great changes in Europe. The Russian and the Austro-Hungarian empires existed no more, and Romania gained the provinces of Bessarabia and Bucovina.
From 1938 to 1944 Romania was involved in the Second World War. During this time a king, who was forced to leave his throne in 1940 out of political reasons, ruled Romania. At the end of the Second World War, Transylvania belonged to Romania, but they lost part of Bucovina, Bessarabia and Dobrogea.
Romania became a satellite state of the Soviet Union after the War, but followed more or less independent policies. However, with coming to power Nicolai Ceausescu, a dark period started in the history of the country. Romania was a socialist republic during his regime, with communism as the avowed policy of the state. Citizens of the country suffered from deprivation and hunger under his authoritarian rule. Countless restrictions were imposed, from television to freedom of worship. In fact, a number of churches were pulled down.
However, nowadays this period is controversial, as there are nostalgic people who believe that nowadays things are worse in Romania. So in December 1989, on Christmas day, Nicolai Ceausescu and his wife Elena Ceausescu were executed after a sort of made up trial.
Romania has become a democratic republic. Three presidents - Ion Iliescu, Emil Constantinescu and the present president, Trajan Basescu have governed the country from 1990 onwards. Romania became a member of NATO in 2004 and joined the European Union in 2007.
This brief Romanian history can help you get a picture of events in this small area of the world.
