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| * ]: Railway mileage was only 657 miles, the main lines converged on Russia and were broad gauge. Rolling stock and right of way were in bad shape. There were about 400 locomotives, with only about 100 fit for use. There were 290 passenger coaches and 33 more out for repair. Finally, out of 4530 freight cars and 187 tank cars, only 1389 and 103 were usable. The Romanians reduced the gauge to a standard 4ft 8-1/2in, so that cars could be run to the rest of Europe. Also, there were only a few inefficient bridges of boats. Romanian highway engineers decided to build 10 bridges: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Of these, only four were finished: Cuzlau, Targ-Falciu, Lipcani and Sarata. | * ]: Railway mileage was only 657 miles, the main lines converged on Russia and were broad gauge. Rolling stock and right of way were in bad shape. There were about 400 locomotives, with only about 100 fit for use. There were 290 passenger coaches and 33 more out for repair. Finally, out of 4530 freight cars and 187 tank cars, only 1389 and 103 were usable. The Romanians reduced the gauge to a standard 4ft 8-1/2in, so that cars could be run to the rest of Europe. Also, there were only a few inefficient bridges of boats. Romanian highway engineers decided to build 10 bridges: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Of these, only four were finished: Cuzlau, Targ-Falciu, Lipcani and Sarata. | ||
| ==Jewish community== | |||
| * ]: There were 180,918 ]s of a total population of 1,628,867 in Bessarabia. | |||
| * ]: The Jewish population had grown to 225,637 of a total of 1,936,392 | |||
| * ]: ] in ]n Bessarabia had a Jewish population of 50,000, or 46%, of a total of about 110,000 in the city. While almost non-existent in the coutryside, Jews had been present in all major towns since the end of the 18th century and the begining of the 19th. Jewish life flourished with 16 Jewish schools and over 2,000 pupils in Chisinau alone. | |||
| * ], ]:: A young ] Russian boy, Michael Ribalenko, was found murdered in the town of Dabossary (Dubasari in ]), about 25 miles north-east of Kishinev; the town is situated on the left bank of the river ], and formally was not a part of Bessarabia. Although it was clear that the boy had been killed by a relative (who was later found), the government chose to call it a ritual murder plot by the Jews. The mobs were incited by Pavolachi Krusheven, the editor of the ] newspaper "Bessarabetz", and the vice-governor Ustrugov. They used the age-old ] against the Jews (that the boy had been killed to use his blood in preparation of ]). ], the Minister of Interior, supposedly gave orders not to stop the rioters. During three days of rioting, the government-organized ] against the Jews took place. Forty seven (some say 49) Jews were killed, 92 severely wounded, 500 slightly wounded and over 700 houses destroyed. This pogrom is considered the first state-inspired action against Jews in the ]. Despite a world outcry, only two men were sentenced to seven and five years and twenty-two were sentenced for one or two years. This ] was instrumental in convincing tens of thousands of Russian Jews to leave to the West and to Palestine. | |||
| *]: The Jewish population had grown to 267,000. | |||
| *]: The ], ] mobile killing units drawn from the ] ] and commanded by ] entered Bessarabia. They were instrumental in the massacre of many Jews in Bessarabia, who did not flee in face of the German advancement. In 1941 up to 75,000 Jews from Bessarabia, northern Bukovina (Bucovina) and present day districts of Suceava and Botosani in Romania were deported to ], where they were locked in gettos under Romanian control. Under 20% of these people survived, many have died of poor conditions, and many have been killed by the retreating German mobile units in 1944. | |||
| *], ]: ], Romania's ruler at the time, made a declaration in front of the Ministers' Council: ''"....With the risk of not being understood by some traditionalists which may be between you, I am in favour of the forced migration of the entire Jew element from Bessarabia and Bukovina, which must be thrown over the border. Also, I am in favor of the forced migration of the Ukrainian element, which does not belong here at this time. I don't care if we appear in history as barbarians. The Roman Empire has made a series of barbaric acts from a contemporary point of view and, still, was the greatest political settlement. There has never been a more suitable moment. If necessary, shoot with the machine gun."'' This quote can be found in "The Stenograms of the Ministers' Council, Ion Antonescu's Government", vol. IV, July-September 1941 period, Bucharest, year 2000, page 57 ("Stenogramele şedinţelor Consiliului de Miniştri, Guvernarea Ion Antonescu", vol. IV, perioada iulie-septembrie 1941, Bucureşti, anul 2000, pagina 57). | |||
| *]: By the end of this year, there were an estimated 15,000 Jews in the Republic of Moldova. 2,173 Jews immigrated to Israel. There were two Jewish periodical publications, both published in Kishinev (Chisinau). The one most widely circulated was Nash golos — Unzer kol (Our Voice), in Yiddish and Russian. | |||
| ==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||
Revision as of 19:17, 3 February 2005
Bessarabia or Bessarabiya (Basarabia in Romanian, Besarabya in Turkish) was the name used by Russia to designate the eastern part of the territory known as Moldova (Moldavia in English), which was occupied by Russia in 1812. Bessarabia united with Romania in 1918 at the end of World War I.
Geography
Bessarabia was in the Russian Empire administration a region of Central Europe comprising most of current-day Moldova and additional districts that are now in Ukraine. It was bounded by the Dniester river to the north and east, the Prut to the west and the lower Danube river and the Black Sea to the south. It had approximately 17,600 sq mi (45,600 km²). The area has mostly hilly plains with flat steppes, it is very fertile for agriculture, and it also has some lignite deposits and stone quarries. People living in the area grow sugar beets, sunflowers, wheat, corn, tobacco, wine grapes and fruits. They also raise sheep and cattle. Currently, the main industry in the region is agricultural processing.
The region's main cities are Chişinău (Kisinev in Russian), the capital of Moldova, Ismail (Izmayil or Izmail in Russian), Tiraspol, Cetatea Alba (Bilhorod-Dnistrovs'kyi in Ukrainian, Belgorod-Dnestrovsky in Russian). Other towns of administrative or historical importance include: Hotin, Lipcani (Lipkany in Russian), Briceni, Soroca (Soroki in Russian), Balti, Orhei, Ungheni, Tighina (Bender in Turkish, Bendery in Russian),Cahul, Reni and Chilia.
History
The name Bessarabia (Basarabia in Romanian) probably derives from the Wallachian family of Basarab, once rulers over the southern part of the area. The name originally applied only to the southern part of the territory.
From the 15th to the 20th centuries, the region passed successively to: Moldavia, the Ottoman Empire (the Budjak region), Russia, Romania, the Soviet Union, and Ukraine and Moldova.
Ancient times
The teritory of Bessarabia was inhabited by people for thousands of years. The Indo-European invasion occured around the year 2000 BC, the people that settled in this place would later become the Dacians, a Thracian tribe. In the 7th century BC, Greek settlers established colonies in the region, mostly along the Black Sea coast and trade with the locals.
The first state that included the whole Bessarabia was the Dacian kingdom of Burebista, contemporary of Julius Caesar, in the 1st century BC. After his death, the state was divided into smaller pieces and was only unified in the Dacian kingdom of Decebalus in the 1st century AD. Although this kingdom was defeated by the Roman Empire in 106, Bessarabia was never part of it, and the Free Dacians resisted to the Roman conquerers. The Romans built defensive earthen walls in Southern Bessarabia to defend the Scythia Minor province against invasions.
The Roman Empire 'romanized' parts of Dacia (via colonization and cultural influence) and the local people adopted the Latin language and customs. The Latin culture and the Romance language (Romanian), would later spread to encompass the cultural area of the ancient Dacians, including in the area of Bessarabia.
In 270, the Roman authorities began to withdraw their forces from Dacia, due to the invading Goths and Carps, but they left behind the Romanians, who were primarily shepherds and farmers and lived mainly in the areas inaccesible to the mounted warriors (mountains, forests). The Roman influence however did not die until 567.
The Age of the migrations
From the 3rd century until the 11th century, the region was frequently invaded by Goths, Huns, Avars, Slavs, Magyars, Pechenegs, Cumans and Mongols. The territory of Bessarabia was encompased in dosens of efemerous kingdoms, which were disbanded when another wave of migrants came. Those centuries were characterized by a terrible state of insecurity and mass movement of people. The period was later known as the "Dark Ages" of Europe.
In 561, the Avars captured Bessarabia and executed the local ruler Mesamer. Then, in 582 Kuturgur Hun Bulgars settle in southern Bessarabia and northern Dobrogea, from which they move to Moesia under pressure from Magyars, and make it Bulgaria. By the 6th Century, Slavs started to come to the region and establish settlements. It is noteworthy that most of these peoples had small, but well organized and efficient armies of mounted warriors and did not leave notable traces after they were driven out by the following invasion.
After the invasions began to diminish, it was possible to be created larger states. Between the 9th and 13th centuries, Bessarabia was part of the Bolohoveni (north) and Brodnici (south) voevodates, which were Vlach (Romanian) early middle-age formations. A specific group, which did not retreat to mountain regions at the time of the Tatar invasions, was called in some late middle-age chronics the Tigheci "republic". It was situated near the modern town of Cahul in the southwest of Bessarabia.
The last great scale invasions wer those of the Mongols and Tatars of 1241, 1290 and 1343, a small group of which settled around the present day town of Orhei until they were pushed in 1390s.
Principality of Moldavia
After the 1343 and the defeat of Mongols, the region was included in the principality of Moldavia, which by 1392, establishes control over the fortresses of Cetatea Albă and Chilia, its eastern border becoming the river Dnister (Nistru in Romanian).
In the later part of the 14th century, the southern part of the region was for several decades part of Wallachia. The main dynasty of Walachia was called Basarab, from where the current name of the region originated.
In the 15th century, the entire region as a part principality of Moldavia. Stefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great) ruled between 1457 and 1504 a period of nearly 50 years during which he won 32 wars trying to defend his country against the Ottomans and Tatars and lost only 2. During this period, after each victory, he raises a monastery or a church close to the battlefiled honoring Christianity. Many of these battlefields, churches, as well as old fortresses are situated in Bessarabia.
In 1484, the Turks invaded and captured Chilia and Cetatea Albă (Akkerman in Turkish), and annexed the shoreline southern part of Bessarabia, which was then divided into two sancaks (districts) of the Ottoman Empire. In 1538. Bessarabia, as part of the principality of Moldavia was formally a vassal of the Ottoman Empire.
Between 1711 and 1812, Russia occupied the region five times during wars between Ottoman Empire, Russia, and Austria. Between 1820 and 1846, the Gagauz tribes migrated to Russia via the Danube, after living many oppressive years under Ottoman rule, and settled in southern Bessarabia. Turkic-speaking tribes of the Nogai Horde also inhabited the Budjak Region of southern Bessarabia from the 16th to 18th centuries, but were totally driven out prior to 1812.
Russian occupation
The Treaty of Bucharest of May 28, 1812 gave the Eastern half of the (Romanian) Principality of Moldavia to Russia. That region was then called Bessarabia. Prior to this year, the name was used only for approximately its southern one quarter. In 1814, the First German settlers arrive and mainly settle in the southern parts.
At the end of the Crimean War, in 1856, by the Treaty of Paris, to districts of southern Bessarabia were returned to Moldova, so as Russia no longer had access to the Danube river. Many localities, including Chişinău (Kishinev in Russian), now fell in the border area.
In 1859, Moldova (Moldavia) and Walachia were united to form Romania, which became Kingdom in 1866, including the Southern part of Bessarabia.
The Romanian War of Independence was fought in 1877-1878, with the help of the Russian allies. Although the treaty of alliance between Romania and Russia specified that Russia would respect the territorial integrity of Romanian and not claim any part of Romania at the end of the war, by the Treaty of Berlin, the Southern part of Bessarabia reverted to Russian rule.
Incited by the Russian authorities, the Kishinev pogrom took place in Bessarabia in February, 1903. It was the first state-inspired action against Jews in the 20th century; 47 or 49 Jews were killed, 92 severely wonded and 700 houses destroyed.
After the Russian Revolution, a Romanian nationalist movement started to develop in Bessarabia. In the chaos resulted by after the Russian revolution of October 1917, a National Council (Sfatul Ţării) was established in Bessarabia, with 120 members elected from Bessarabia and 10 elected from Transnistria (the left shore of the river Dnister, inhabited by ethnic Moldavians/Romanians.
On January 14, 1918, during the unorderly retreat of two Russian divisions from the Romanian front, Chişinău is sacked, tens (by some sourses hundreds) of people are killed or raped. The Front Committee of "Rumcherod" (Central Executive Committee of Councils of Workers, Soldiers and Sailors Deputations of Romanian Front, Black-sea Navy and Odessa Region) proclaimed itself the supreme power in Bessarabia. The Sfatul Ţării, unable to put up any armed forces, calls upon the Romanian government for help. On 16 January a Romanian division clears Chişinău, and the following day Tighina on the shore of the river Dnister. The three-day Soviet power in Bessarabia ends.
Ten days later, on January 24, 1918, Sfatul Ţării declared Bessarabia's independence as the Moldavian Democratic Republic.
On April 9, 1918 (old style March 27, 1918): the Bessarabian legislature (Sfatul Ţării) voted in favor of unification with Romania with 86 votes in favor, 3 against and 36 abstentions. The union was confirmed by Romania's Western allies in the Treaty of Paris (1920).
Part of Romania
A Provisional Workers' & Peasants' Government of Bessarabia was founded on May 5, 1919, in exile at Odessa, by the bolsheviks.
On May 11, 1919, the Bessarabian Socialist Soviet Republic was proclaimed at Tiraspol as an autonomous part of Russian S.F.S.R., but was abolished by the White Russian military forces, in September 1919. However, after the victory of the Communists, in 1924, a strip of Ukrainian land on the left bank of the Dnister river was declared as the "Moldovan Autonomous Sovient Socialist Republic" by the Ukrainian SSR.
At the Paris Peace Conference of 1920, the union with Romania was officially recognized by the United States, France, the United Kingdom and other Western countries. The USSR did not accept the union.
(parts missing)
World War II
The Soviet-German Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact nonaggression Pact was signed on August 23, 1939. By Article 4 of the secret Annex to the Treaty, Bessarabia falls within the Soviet interest zone.
On June 26, 1940, The USSR demanded that Romania cede Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, and evacuate in 4 days. The Romanian government complied. The two ceded provinces had an area of 20,000 square miles (51,000 km²) and they were inhabited by about 3.75 million people, mostly Romanians.
Two days later, on June 28, 1940, as a consequence of the terms of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, Romania ceded the region to the Soviet Union. Soviet troops entered Bessarabia and incorporated it into the USSR, which divided it between the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Ukrainian SSR. Bessarabia's northern and southern districts (largely inhabited by Romanians and some Ukrainians and Germans) were exchanged with parts of Transnistria (the districts on the left or eastern bank of the Dniestr, largely inhabited today by Ukrainians and Russians). Following the Soviet takeover, many Moldavians/Romanians were deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan.
On August 2, 1940, a Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic was established on the teritorries not given to Ukrainian SSR.
The Germans of Bessarabia are offered resettlement to Germany, in accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in September 1940. Fearing Soviet oppression, almost all Germans (93,000) agree. Most of them, among them the parents of the current German President Horst Köhler are resettled to the newly annexed Polish territories.
(parts missing)
Part of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union reannexed the region in 1944, military occupied Romania until 1958 and imposed a communist government in Bucharest by 1947, which was friendly and obedient towards Moscow. The Romanian communist regime did not raise the matter of Bessarabia and Bukovina (which was also occupied by the Soviet Union) in its diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union.
Between 1969 and 1971, a clandestine National Patriotic Front is established by several young intellectuals in Chişinău, totalling over 100 members, vowing to fight for the establishment of a Moldavian Democratic Republic, its scision from the Soviet Union and union with Romania.
In December 1971, following an informative note from Ion Stănescu, the President of the Council of State Security of the Romanian Scialist Republic, to Yuri Andropov, thechief of KGB, three of the leaders of the National Patriotic Front, Alexandru Usatiuc-Bulgar, Gheorghe Ghimpu and Valeriu Graur, as well as a forth person, Alexandru Soltoianu, the leader of a similar clandestine movement in northern Bukovina (Bucovina), were arrested and later sentenced to long prison time.
Rise of the Independent Moldova
With the weakening of the Soviet Union, on February 1988, the first non-sanctioned demonstrasions are held in Chişinău. At first pro-Perestroika, they soon turn anti-government, and demand an official status for the Moldavian (Romanian) language instead of the Russian language.
On August 31, 1989, following a 600,000-strong demonstration in Chisinau 4 days earlier, Moldavian (Romanian) became the official language of Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, yet this was largely not implemented for many years.
In 1990, the first free elections were held for the Parliament, with the opposition Frontul Popular (People's Front) all but winning them. A government led by Mircea Druc, one of the leaders of Frontul Popular, was formed. The Moldavian SSR becomes SSR Moldova, and later the Republic of Moldova.
The Republic of Moldova became independent in 1991 and its boundaries (those established on August 2, 1940) remained unchanged.
In 2004, the Romanians in the Republic of Moldova belonging to the Metropolitan Church of Bessarabia, having resisted Russification for 192 years (after the annexation of Bessarabia by the Czarist Empire in 1812), are 2 million strong in 2004.
Population
The population before World War II consisted of Moldavians(Romanians), Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Germans, Gagauz, Ruthenians and Jews. Over two-thirds of the population were Moldavians/Romanians.
- 1889:1,628,867.
- 1897:1,936,392.
- 1970: 69% of Moldavia's population were Romanians and 98% of them declared Moldavian (Romanian) as their native language.
- 1992: 4,305 immigrants to Israel from the Republic of Moldova constituted 7.1 percent of all the immigrants to Israel from the former U.S.S.R. in this year.
Economy
- 1911: There were 165 loan societies, 117 savings Banks, 43 professional savings and loan societies, and 8 Zemstvo loan offices; all these had total assets of about 10,000,000 rubles. There were also 89 government savings banks, with deposits of about 9,000,000 rubles.
- 1918: Railway mileage was only 657 miles, the main lines converged on Russia and were broad gauge. Rolling stock and right of way were in bad shape. There were about 400 locomotives, with only about 100 fit for use. There were 290 passenger coaches and 33 more out for repair. Finally, out of 4530 freight cars and 187 tank cars, only 1389 and 103 were usable. The Romanians reduced the gauge to a standard 4ft 8-1/2in, so that cars could be run to the rest of Europe. Also, there were only a few inefficient bridges of boats. Romanian highway engineers decided to build 10 bridges: Cuzlau, Tzutzora, Lipcani, Sherpenitza, Shtefaneshti-Branishte, Cahul-Oancea, Badarai-Moara Domneasea, Sarata, Bumbala-Leova, Badragi and Targ-Falciu. Of these, only four were finished: Cuzlau, Targ-Falciu, Lipcani and Sarata.
External Links
- Bessarabia Germans from Russia Web Site
- Camps, Ghettos and Massacre sites in Romania-Bessarabia 1941-1942
- Jews in Bessarabia on the eve of WWII
- Massacres, deportations & death marches from Bessarabia, from July 1941
- Scholtoi - a village in the north of Bessarabia (website in German)
- Hannowka - a German village in Bessarabia 1896-19490 (website in German)
Historical regions in Romania | |
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Banat  (1918–) |
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Dobruja  (1878–) |
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Moldavia  (1859–) |
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Transylvania  (1918–) | |
Wallachia  (1859–) | |
| |