Alexandru Ioan Cuza was the first ruler of the united principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia.
Colonel Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the first ruling prince of the united principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, was born on the 20th of March, 1820 in Barlad, the eastern part of today's Romania. Cuza was the right man at the right time, and just like the Romanian elite of that time, he was well aware of the fact that his 7-year rule was temporary, in keeping with the documents signed by the Great Powers who had agreed to the union of the two Romanian principalities.
On January 24, 1859, Moldavia and Wallachia united to form Romania and, through the election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as ruling prince of Moldova and Wallachia, the union became centralised. Supported by most political actors and by the elites who fought for national emancipation and modernisation, Cuza carried out reforms that were vital for the Romanian state, such as the secularisation of monastic estates, the fiscal reform and the agricultural reform. Historian Alin Ciupala, a professor with the University of Bucharest, believes that Cuza was the man whose courage Romania badly needed during the transition period that followed after the union of Moldavia and Wallachia:
"Alexandru Ioan Cuza was, first of all, a very brave man. He had the courage to be a leader and carry out a mission at a very delicate time in history, a time of uncertainty and of high hopes. He had the courage to coordinate a coherent project to modernise Romanian society, the Romanian Principalities. It was he who introduced a modern institution system that set Romanian society on a path towards Europe."
Over 1859-1863 Cuza introduced a wide range of reforms, helping build a new state, pattern on the European modern nation-state. 1863 marks a milestone in Cuza's reign, as his rule turned towards authoritarianism, fueled by a profit-making camarilla which endangered everything he had achieved that far. Alin Ciupala:
"At the same time, Cuza's rule has a dark chapter. At a certain point Alexandru Ioan Cuza decided to oversee the modernisation process himself. After the coup of May 2, 1864, Cuza becomes isolated, all alone. He distances himself of all his associates, first and foremost 1848 revolutionaries, who had gone to great lengths to have him elected as ruling prince. His entire administration can be seen in balance - we have to acknowledge Cuza's achievements while at the same time recognise his failures. His removal from the throne was supported by the entire political class, for Cuza had gradually turned from a moderniser into an obstacle to modernisation. Cuza's political mistake was that he did not understand that modernisation was not possible without liberalism."
The Romanian elite was quick to react to Cuza's new way of doing politics. On 11th February 1866, seven years since he was elected, on 24th January 1859, Cuza was removed from power by the army and former supporters. He was followed on the throne by Carol of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, the future King Carol I, during whose reign Romania would lay down firm foundations. Alin Ciupală believes the reigns of Cuza and Carol I should not be viewed in competition with each other:
"The continuity is important because, after the ousting of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, prince Carol and his political supporters did absolutely nothing to repeal the measures adopted during Cuza's reign. On the contrary, all initiatives and projects begun by Cuza would be continued throughout the course of the second half of the 19th century. In fact, we need to say that after 1866, the ruling prince who was to become King Carol I later did not make any efforts to obliterate the public image of his predecessor, on the contrary. To a certain extent, Carol built his own image as an outgrowth of Cuza's image. If we read the mainstream history textbooks, if we take a look at everything that meant Alexandru Iona Cuza's entering posterity, we will discover, until World War One, a great many facts and events having Cuza at the centre. There were political interests attached to that, that's for sure. King Carol placing himself, chronologically, among Romanians' great voivodes, somehow including Cuza in his dynastic discourse, all that revealed obvious political interests, undoubtedly foreseeable, in the long run. During the reign of Carol I as well as during the inter-war period, the image of Alexandru Ioan Cuza was not banned, it was not taken out of the history of Romanians. So we can see how, gradually, mainly the historians, but also other important actors, forgot about the flaws of Cuza's reign, taking into account only his accomplishments."
200 years ago, Alexandru Ioan Cuza emerged as one of the most promising political leaders in the history of the Romanian people. He accomplished his mission, despite his flaws and vices, which were all too human. Cuza succeeded in placing the new Romania on a modern and European path.
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