Reminiscences Of The King Of Roumania - free ebook by Mite Kremnitz

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Reminiscences Of The King Of Roumania

Mite Kremnitz

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REMINISCENCES OF THE KING OF ROUMANIA

REMINISCENCES OF THE KING OF ROUMANIA

F. Mándy Bucharest. Art Repro Co. London. Carol REMINISCENCES OF THE KING OF ROUMANIA EDITED FROM THE ORIGINAL WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY SIDNEY WHITMAN WITH PORTRAIT AUTHORIZED EDITION NEW YORK AND LONDON HARPER &amp; BROTHERS 1899 Goethe ( West-Oestlicher Divan ). It is said to have been a chance occasion which gave the first impetus towards the compilation of the German original [1] from which these "Reminiscences of the King of Roumania have been re-edited and abridged." One day an ent

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II

II

King Charles of Roumania is the second son of the late Prince Charles Anthony [2] of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen: the elder South German Roman Catholic branch of the House of Hohenzollern, of which the German Emperor is the chief. Until the year 1849 the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringens, whose dominions are situated between Württemberg and Baden, near the spot where the Danube rises in the Black Forest, possessed full sovereign rights as the head of one of the independent principalities of the German Conf

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III

III

In starting on his adventurous, not to say perilous, experiment, Prince Charles already possessed plenty of valuable capital to draw upon. In the first place, few princes to whose lot it has fallen to sway the destinies of a nation have received an early training so well adapted to their future vocation, or have been so auspiciously endowed by nature with qualities which in this instance may fairly be said to have been directly inherited from his parents. His early and most impressionable years

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IV

IV

One who for years has lived in close contact with the Roumanian royal family gives the following sympathetic and yet obviously sincere description of the personal impression the King creates: "King Charles had attained his fiftieth year when I saw him for the first time. There is, perhaps, no other stage of life at which a man is so truly his full self as just this particular age. The physical development of a man of fifty is long completed, whereas on the other hand he has not yet suffered any

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V

V

It is said to be King Charles's earnest conviction that the maxims he has striven to put into practice are the only possible ones upon which a monarchy on a democratic basis can hope to exist in our time. But here he is obviously attempting to award to principle what, in this instance at least, must be largely due to the intuitive gifts of an extraordinary personality. Maxims are all very well so far as they go, but they did not go the whole length of the way. Did not even Immanuel Kant himself

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VI

VI

King Charles is peculiarly German in his passionate love of nature. At Sinaja—his summer residence—he looks after his trees with the same solicitude which filled his great countryman, Prince Bismarck. He spends his holidays by preference amid romantic scenery—at Abbazia, on the blue Adriatic, or in Switzerland. He visits Ragatz nearly every year, and thoroughly enjoys his stay among the bluff Swiss burghers. It is impossible for him to conceal his identity there; but he does his best to avoid th

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THE PRINCIPALITIES OF MOLDAVIA AND WALLACHIA

THE PRINCIPALITIES OF MOLDAVIA AND WALLACHIA

After the conquest of the Balkan Peninsula by the Turks, who were intent on extending the Ottoman Empire even to the north of the Danube, there was little left for the Roumanian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, deserted and abandoned to their fate by the neighbouring Christian States, except to make the best possible terms with the victorious followers of the Crescent. Each Principality, therefore, concluded separate conventions with the Sublime Porte, by means of which they aimed at do

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THE SUMMONS TO THE THRONE

THE SUMMONS TO THE THRONE

The Roumanian delegate, Joan Bratianu, arrived at Düsseldorf on Good Friday 1866, to lay the offer of the Roumanian people before Prince Charles and his father. In an audience granted by the latter on the following day, March 31, Bratianu announced the intention of the Lieutenance Princière , inspired by Napoleon III., to advance Prince Charles Anthony's second son, Charles, as a candidate for the throne of the Principalities. Bratianu succeeded in obtaining a private interview with Prince Charl

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STORM AND STRESS

STORM AND STRESS

The first Roumanian Ministry under the new régime was composed of members of all political parties, Conservatives and Liberals, Moldavians and Wallachians, Right, Centre, and Left. Lascar Catargui was appointed President of the Ministry, which, amongst others, included Joan Bratianu (Finance), Petre Mavrogheni (Foreign Affairs), General Prince [9] Jon Ghika (War), and Demeter Sturdza (Public Works). The chief task of the new Government was to secure the recognition of their new ruler by the Powe

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MARRIAGE AND HOME LIFE

MARRIAGE AND HOME LIFE

Early in the summer of 1869 Prince Charles received a very cordial invitation to visit the Czar at Livadia in the Crimea. This mark of regard was the more welcome as a project was on foot in St. Petersburg for the abolition of consular jurisdiction in Roumania, a measure which Prince Charles was most eager to see adopted. In writing to his father he gratefully referred to this topic: "Russia has very wisely taken the initiative in this most important question, which will be unwelcome to France;

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FINANCIAL TROUBLES

FINANCIAL TROUBLES

Perhaps the chief amongst the many obstacles which beset the path of Prince Charles in his task of raising Roumania from the depth to which it had sunk was the very serious state of the national finances. The effect of the previous drains upon the country's resources, and the expense of keeping an army prepared to meet any emergency, caused by the hostile attitude of Turkey, were thus summed up by the Prince in July 1866. "The worst wound of the country is at present its finances. We have not a

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To Prince Charles Anthony, January 26th, 1875.

To Prince Charles Anthony, January 26th, 1875.

"Only a few days ago I was confidently looking to the immediate future, and hoped that the Roumanian railway system, which I had achieved for the country after such severe struggles, would soon be opened for traffic. I believed that this intolerable affair, which has cost me several years of my life, was finally settled, and looked forward to enjoying the fruits of my labour. But no! To-day the railways are again the disturbing element. After great effort I had achieved the stability and peace s

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To Prince Bismarck.

To Prince Bismarck.

"For several weeks we have been exclusively occupied with the difficulties which the new loan for the completion of our railway system causes both here and in Berlin. Animated with a lively wish to bring this important affair to a satisfactory conclusion, my Government has commissioned the Minister of Public Works, M. Th. Rosetti, to proceed to Berlin, and to place himself in personal communication with the railway company. "I cannot conceal from your Serene Highness that the proposals of the co

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From Prince Bismarck, March 1875.

From Prince Bismarck, March 1875.

"I return my humblest thanks to your Highness for the gracious letter which Minister Rosetti has handed to me. The knowledge and personal amiability of the latter has made a favourable impression on all circles here, and he has brought the negotiations to such a point that their conclusion may be expected, provided the result here gains the approbation of your Highness's Government. I myself entertain the hope that such may be the case, the more willingly since so large an amount of German capit

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To Prince Charles Anthony, April 26th, 1876.

To Prince Charles Anthony, April 26th, 1876.

"The excitement here is very great; there are rumours of conspiracies and revolutions; but all this cannot terrify me, for I go straight ahead and do my duty. The condition of our finances, and the serious situation in the East, does, however, make me anxious. The former is the consequence of the latter; for months no money has come into the country, and trade is completely at a standstill. All our securities have fallen, railway and customs returns have decreased, farmers cannot pay, and taxes

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To THE SAME, December 14th, 1876.

To THE SAME, December 14th, 1876.

"Neither the approach of the war, nor the probable passage of foreign troops makes me really anxious: I am troubled rather by the comfortless state of our finances, which have reached a stage impregnated with danger for the immediate future. The State can only maintain its credit at the greatest sacrifice, by paying the coupons of the foreign debt with the little money remaining in the country, and in addition it must raise sufficient to pay the army. "Under these circumstances only a well-assur

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To THE SAME, January 20th, 1877.

To THE SAME, January 20th, 1877.

"The money famine increases daily, and I cannot see how we are to be helped out of our difficulty. Only the most necessary payments are made. Even the Civil List has not been paid for months." The longed-for war, bringing with it the independence of Roumania, arrived at last, and with it came perhaps the lowest point touched by Roumanian finance. All payments were stopped both at home and abroad, every tax was doubled, and 30,000,000 francs of paper money were issued on the security of the Crown

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THE JEWISH QUESTION

THE JEWISH QUESTION

The first years of Prince Charles's rule were overcast by the shadow thrown by that source of constant trouble in Eastern Europe, the Jewish Question, and by the pro-Semitic agitation in the Western Press. The bulk of the Jewish population of Roumania was settled in the Province of Moldavia, where it held mortgages on the greater part of the estates. In addition to this, as "universal providers" they almost monopolised the trade in spirits, whilst the bulk of the retail trade also lay in their h

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PEACEFUL DEVELOPMENT

PEACEFUL DEVELOPMENT

The day selected by the Prince and Princess of Roumania for the commencement of their tour through Moldavia—April 20, 1871—was one of good omen for the result of that journey. Prince Charles was anxious to reinstate the close and intimate relations which had existed between him and his people before the recent agitation, as well as to give the lie to the calumny that he no longer took an interest in his subjects. The Princess, too, was eager to become more closely acquainted with the beauties of

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To Prince Charles Anthony.

To Prince Charles Anthony.

"My chief news to-day is that the condition of Elisabeth's health renders a journey to the South an absolute necessity; she has never quite recovered from the violent attacks of fever of last summer, and in spite of all precautions has recently been ill again; this might lead to serious consequences if often repeated. Since change of air is the only really effective remedy, she will go to Italy, and meet her Nassau relatives and Therese of Oldenburg in Rome before Easter. Should the climate ther

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From the German Crown Prince.

From the German Crown Prince.

"My best thanks for the photographs; your child must have charming and interesting features: she reminds one of both the families to which her parents belong! The surroundings amused us, and we greatly admired Elisabeth in the national costume. In spite of photographs, however, I can hardly imagine my old friend Charles as a married man and father with a child on his arm! It is an indescribable happiness to be a father, and I can only too readily imagine how you spend every free hour in the soci

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To Prince Charles Anthony, August 31st, 1872.

To Prince Charles Anthony, August 31st, 1872.

"Our stay at Sinaja, which, if the weather holds good, we shall prolong for another four weeks, suits us excellently. The life here is pleasant and unconstrained; every day brings fresh interests. A bevy of young girls adds much liveliness to our circle; in addition to the lately appointed maid of honour, Mlle. Valeanu, we recently had seven young ladies to dinner, with a dance and round games in the evening. Even nonsense refreshes the mind, and it was a real benefit to us all to let ourselves

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To the German Crown Prince, October 8th, 1872.

To the German Crown Prince, October 8th, 1872.

"We have been permitted, after many storms, to spend a quiet and happy summer, admiring nature and art, and visited by people of all kinds and of all nationalities—mutable and merry, despite the stillness of the cloister surrounded by giant mountains. Even a few Englishmen put in an appearance, and I gave them the heartier welcome for the hope that they will now spread healthier ideas about Oriental countries amongst their fellow countrymen. Unfortunately the shade of Palmerston still moves amon

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From the German Crown Prince, October 28th, 1872.

From the German Crown Prince, October 28th, 1872.

"We fared very well during the summer; my wife and I and our two youngest children enjoyed the Alps in Berchtesgaden and Salzburg, a region which we find extraordinarily attractive. "There, as in the whole of South Germany, where later on I inspected troops, a reception was prepared for me as hearty and brilliant as any in the old Mother Country. The feeling of cohesion amongst all German races since the re-establishment of the German Empire has spread in those parts extraordinarily, broadly, an

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From Prince Charles Anthony, November 26th, 1872.

From Prince Charles Anthony, November 26th, 1872.

"The burning question in the new German Empire is the Church. This question is making a great stir and embittering family life; it undoubtedly points to future danger, since the Ultramontane Party will use it as a lever to intrigue against the new German Empire and the Protestant Emperor. Simply to oppose Germany, France is highly in favour of Rome and everything connected with it, and so she is enlisting the sympathies of our Ultras, who believe, or wish to have it believed, that France is the

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From the German Crown Prince, March 21st, 1874.

From the German Crown Prince, March 21st, 1874.

"You will certainly have followed with sympathy the course of the lamentable religio-political struggle between our Government and the Papal Curia. I am sorry that it should have occurred; but I foresaw it, as the custom, established these thirty years, of giving way to the demands of Rome rather than maintaining a firm position could not possibly continue. I think, perhaps, a different sequence in the legislature might have been observed; but since the struggle has been undertaken we must carry

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To Prince Charles Anthony, April 7th, 1874.

To Prince Charles Anthony, April 7th, 1874.

"I write to you oppressed by care and anxiety on account of our dear child, who is suffering from scarlet fever. On Saturday she was quite well, and drove out with us in the warm spring weather; early on Sunday she complained of not being well. Her malady increased towards midday, and was accompanied by sickness. Towards evening she became very restless and feverish, and Dr. Theodori recognised the symptoms of a dangerous illness. The poor child passed a very bad night, moaning and sleepless, wh

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From the German Crown Prince.

From the German Crown Prince.

"We have just received the unexpected and afflicting news of the terrible misfortune that has befallen you. May God's grace be with you and grant you strength to bear the desperate sorrow, the burden of which we know from our own experience! In thought I put myself in your frame of mind, and realise that you must both be numbed with grief at seeing your sweet child lifeless before you, and at knowing that you can never again see a light in her dear eyes, never again a smile on her face! "These a

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From Prince Charles Anthony, April 15th, 1874.

From Prince Charles Anthony, April 15th, 1874.

"What terrible news! Though yesterday we awaited your telegram not without anxiety, still we were reassured towards evening. As long as I live I shall not forget to-day's awakening—I opened the telegram without agitation—speechless, and with the keenest heartache, I read it again and again. For a long time I could not believe in the possibility of the destruction of your domestic happiness. God's ways are inscrutable! He has for only too short a time entrusted to you a being whom He loved so muc

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To Prince Charles Anthony, May 5th.

To Prince Charles Anthony, May 5th.

"We established ourselves here (Cotroceni) yesterday, and we hope to find more peace and a little consolation for our sorrowing hearts, since we shall now be close to the resting-place of our loved child. The palace in the capital seemed so empty and melancholy to us that we awaited with impatience the day when we could leave it. But we shall feel our loss bitterly even here. Our daily walk is to her grave, where we sit and talk over the legacy of rich and manifold memories left us by our dear c

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To Prince Charles Anthony, May 26th, 1874.

To Prince Charles Anthony, May 26th, 1874.

"We are impatiently awaiting Leopold's arrival, which is promised for Monday. The Prince of Servia will have left us by then; he has truly Oriental ideas of hospitality! We hold aloof from all public entertainments in his honour, and only invite him now and again to dinner or tea. Every time he comes to Cotroceni he brings a wreath, which he places, either with his own hand or by another's, on the grave of our child. He is a very pleasant, bright, and handsome man, an excellent talker; he is by

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"To Prince Charles Anthony.

"To Prince Charles Anthony.

"We shall commemorate in quiet and grief the birthday of our dear daughter on the 8th of September. She was the light of our home life. Now this anniversary will only teach us, as each year comes round, that this earthly life, with all its pleasures and sorrows, is but the preparation for a better life, and that, therefore, we must not cling too much to the things of this world. England by no means seems full of this sentiment. I believe that in no other country has materialism gone to such a le

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From the German Emperor, September 26th, 1874.

From the German Emperor, September 26th, 1874.

"I was very pleased to make the acquaintance of the bearer of these lines (the Roumanian Minister of War) and to see him at our manœuvres, which appeared to interest him greatly. My best thanks to you for the letter he brought me. I think it most natural that your journey this time should have been undertaken solely on account of the health of both of you, and that, moreover, your mood was not such as to care to make any visits except in the narrowest family circle. Let us hope that another time

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To Prince Charles Anthony, November 28th.

To Prince Charles Anthony, November 28th.

"We quitted Sinaja three weeks ago with heavy hearts to return to Bucharest. The weather remained beautiful until a week ago, and our longing for the mountains was increased; the more so as the empty rooms of the Palace can never appear lively. We endeavour to distract ourselves as much as possible and invite people to dinner every day, but nothing can make us forget the dear voice of our child, which we miss everywhere and at all times. "I opened the Chamber yesterday. My speech was short, and

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From Professor Max Müller.

From Professor Max Müller.

"... I only now realise the magnitude of the work your Highness has undertaken, a work which demands the highest form of heroism, the heroism of patience! To sow without the hope of enjoying the harvest demands a degree of faith such as is not common in the present day. If I were younger, I would enthusiastically offer my services to the warden of European culture on the Danube, and would leave him no peace until the schools and universities had become the pride of his people and an example to t

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From Prince Charles Anthony.

From Prince Charles Anthony.

"One of the most ridiculous and narrow-minded of political interests is the unbounded importance attached to the Spanish notification to Bucharest, which is treated as seriously as though the whole Eastern Question depended upon it. The English papers, followed by those of Berlin, never tire of discussing this matter from every point of view. It is truly ridiculous, but, on the other hand, discloses the still prevailing aversion from your emancipation."...

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To Prince Charles Anthony, March 19th, 1875.

To Prince Charles Anthony, March 19th, 1875.

"We lost all communication with abroad and the interior for a whole month in consequence of heavy snowstorms. Many accidents and considerable losses have occurred which will be more severely felt here, where misfortunes, as well as prosperity, are ascribed to the Government, than elsewhere. It is hard to realise the sufferings of the poor peasants: famine and typhus raged in several villages; and it was impossible to send them help! No one dared to go out of doors on account of the multitude of

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From Prince Charles Anthony.

From Prince Charles Anthony.

"My life is so quiet and lonely that my connection with the outer world is actually based on confidential letters and the newspapers alone. "Nevertheless, I am very well posted, and am daily better able to appreciate that one sees, hears, and judges all the more clearly for being more concentrated and quiet. Unfortunately I cannot say that the policy of the young German Empire satisfies me at present. "The demand on the Italian Government about the Papal Guarantee law appears to me to be out of

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To Prince Charles Anthony, June 21st, 1875.

To Prince Charles Anthony, June 21st, 1875.

"I write to you to-day with painful emotion, after an escape from a great danger.... The railway journey to Giurgiu, when I was accompanied by a number of senators and deputies, as well as the return journey as far as Filaret, passed uneventfully; at the last-named station the train crossed over to the loop line. The engine had the tender in front. "I looked out of the window and noticed that the train was moving on to a line at Dealu-Spirei, where a ballast train was already standing. I sat dow

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From Prince Charles Anthony.

From Prince Charles Anthony.

"God has clearly protected you! You can imagine the tremendous play that imagination possesses when so great a distance divides us.... "I know from experience how tedious injuries to the shin bone are; on reckoning up my own threefold experiences of that kind I find that I spent a good six months' time on the chaise longue !... "I prefer to be silent about our policy—it is most unpleasant for us that the Czar of Russia should be hailed on all sides as the apostle of peace. Radowitz is said to ha

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From THE SAME.

From THE SAME.

"The excitement over the Church struggle is beginning to abate. "The blunders of the Government and the Ultramontane party mutually set each other off. It is a pity that they are not confined to one side, for then the crisis would be hastened to the general benefit. "I had an opportunity of going thoroughly into these questions with the Emperor during his visit here. He is inclined to a conciliatory attitude, but is not sufficiently informed. I have made him understand much, for which he was gra

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THREATENING CLOUDS

THREATENING CLOUDS

During the month of August 1875, the situation in Eastern Europe suddenly assumed a threatening aspect, through the outbreak of an armed insurrection against the Turkish rule in Herzegowina, actively supported by Servia, Montenegro, and Bosnia, and countenanced (at any rate in secret) by Russia. The Servians were foremost in clamouring for war, hoping by the prowess of their own army in the field of battle and the assistance of Austria and Russia to shake off finally the hated rule of the Sultan

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To Prince Charles Anthony, October 3rd, 1875.

To Prince Charles Anthony, October 3rd, 1875.

"The disturbances in the Balkan peninsula, though apparently quieted for the moment, are still far from settlement. The insurrection is making great secret progress and gathering force like an avalanche. As the original motive was neither a political nor a national one, but merely a rebellion against oppressive taxation from which the Christian peasant hoped to free himself by force of arms, peace will not be restored until radical reforms put an end to the misrule of the Pachas. Oriental Christ

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From the German Crown Prince.

From the German Crown Prince.

"Matters are progressing slowly but surely in the Empire. The German nation adheres to the Emperor and the Empire, whilst many Cabinets only yield to force of circumstances. In South Germany the Württemberg Army Corps has been able to assimilate our principles so thoroughly that it is almost on the level of a Prussian Corps. The Bavarians, too, are very industrious, and take great pains to bring their army organisation up to our standard, in spite of certain hostile elements whose aim it is to f

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To the German Crown Prince, October 22nd, 1875.

To the German Crown Prince, October 22nd, 1875.

"Your kind letter was a source of real joy to me. God's best gift to humanity is loyalty; and I think He must have given you a double measure. That we, who are separated from all our loved ones for life, are doubly rejoiced to find ourselves remembered, I need not tell you, nor that your sympathy with our eternal regret has comforted us. At this moment we are suffering an unexpected and uncommon trial; Elisabeth felt an ever increasing difficulty in walking this summer, which we attributed to ma

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To Prince Charles Anthony, November 27th, 1875.

To Prince Charles Anthony, November 27th, 1875.

"... So long as the suzerainty was merely an empty form, restricted to the payment of tribute or to impediments in affairs of treaties, mints, and orders, Europe was justified in declining to hear our complaints; but from the moment that our dependence on the Porte hinders our economical development, hampers our financial reforms, and damages our credit, we can reasonably demand that a sharp political line of demarcation be drawn between an Empire which is incapable of any reform and a flourishi

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From Prince Charles Anthony, December 1875.

From Prince Charles Anthony, December 1875.

"The Eastern Question will shortly be solved; what could only have been expected to happen in the course of years will have already come to pass. The chief point is that France and England have at length begun to realise that the 'sick man' can no longer be helped. Turkey perishes through the financial ruin she has brought upon herself! For the distant observer it is interesting to note that the eyes of all are turned towards Roumania, whose moderation is highly appreciated everywhere. This mode

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To Prince Charles Anthony, February 8th, 1876.

To Prince Charles Anthony, February 8th, 1876.

"The Austrian representative inquires what we shall do in the event of Russian troops occupying the country; the Russian sounds us to find out whether we repose any confidence in Austria-Hungary; but both adjure us not to act hastily. They desire peace, because they grudge each other the solution of the Eastern Question, and because neither is prepared for war. It cannot be denied that we are suffering from this indecision, and are exposed to every possible danger. So much is certain, that Russi

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To Prince Charles Anthony, April 26th, 1876.

To Prince Charles Anthony, April 26th, 1876.

"The greatest excitement prevails here, and there are rumours of conspiracies and revolutions, which do not, however, daunt me. I go straight ahead and do my duty. My chief anxieties are the condition of our finances and the serious situation in the East.... Servia is in a state of great agitation, and is driving with all sails set towards war. I warned Prince Milan not to expose his throne and country to danger by a hasty step; but he declared that he could no longer master the current, and had

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From the German Crown Prince, May 22nd, 1876.

From the German Crown Prince, May 22nd, 1876.

"Ever since your last letter reached my hands the rapt attention of Europe has been fixed on Stamboul and the seething Turkish provinces. This state of affairs reminds me of the time before 1864, when every conversation about the solution of the Schleswig-Holstein Question ended thus: 'Let us wish the Danish King long life, that the conflict may be delayed as long as possible.' But Frederick VII. died suddenly, and misfortune was at the doors. The situation to-day is the more favourable in that

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From Prince Charles Anthony, June 9th, 1876.

From Prince Charles Anthony, June 9th, 1876.

"The most noteworthy incident of the present day is the energetic awakening of England, which has suddenly assumed, so to speak, a position 'on guard,' and, relinquishing its passive attitude, is commencing an aggressive policy against Russia. Should this positive attitude of England secure the peace of the world, she will deserve the highest appreciation; but whether the future position of Roumania will be bettered by it is quite another question! The disclosure of the Russian aims, contained i

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To Prince Charles Anthony, June 24th, 1876.

To Prince Charles Anthony, June 24th, 1876.

"The situation in Constantinople remains unaltered by the change of rulers or the assassination [19] of the Ministers. The system of corruption is so deeply rooted in every branch of the Turkish administration that no Government will ever succeed in exterminating it. The proposed reforms are and will remain empty promises, which gain no credit either with Mohammedans or Christians. The insurrections will, therefore, even in the most favourable circumstances, continue to exist until the Ottoman E

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From Prince Charles Anthony, October 16th, 1876.

From Prince Charles Anthony, October 16th, 1876.

"I heard to-day of the mobilisation of the Roumanian army and its concentration in Northern Moldavia! What is to be understood by that? Is the march of the Russians through the country to be opposed; or will Roumania side with Russia? All this is not clear to me! The pusillanimous policy of England has completely entangled the whole Turkish-Christian Question. Austria-Hungary is crippled by its dualism, the German Empire is shrouded in aristocratic silence, and only Russia perseveres with an iro

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From the German Crown Prince, November 18th.

From the German Crown Prince, November 18th.

"... I received the following from Prince Bismarck: 'The situation of the Prince is serious, although I am not convinced that Russia will proceed to war, if nobody endeavours to restrain her from doing so. "'In the event of war, I do not think Prince Charles ought to resist the Russian proposals too seriously, nor throw himself into their arms. It would be best if he shielded himself behind his duty towards the Porte, and then yielded to force, which will probably be applied from the North long

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To Prince Charles Anthony, January 20th, 1877.

To Prince Charles Anthony, January 20th, 1877.

"The hour of danger is approaching, and Roumania will shortly be the scene of great political and military events, which Europe will follow not without agitation. In any case our position will be difficult, as we shall be drawn into the complication whether we wish it or no. Politicians here are much more anxious about the result of a Russo-Turkish conflict and the future of Roumania than I am, as I have marked out my path from the beginning: [20] to conclude a military convention with Russia, a

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From Prince Charles Anthony, January 22nd, 1877.

From Prince Charles Anthony, January 22nd, 1877.

"On looking back over recent events the conviction is borne in upon me that the fear which the Russian Colossus inspires in Europe, coupled with the natural differences in the interests of the Powers, have been the causes of the pitiful end of the Congresses which started with such a flourish of trumpets. Had Europe been united and less timorous, it might have intervened and begun those Conferences at the time of the Servian War, instead of a whole year later. Turkey could hardly have resisted i

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THE ARMY

THE ARMY

By no means the least of the Prince's tasks was the reorganisation and training of the Roumanian army, which at the time of his accession was in the most deplorable condition. Moulded on the pattern of the French army of 1859, and trained by a French mission militaire , it reproduced many of the defects of the army, which failed so utterly in 1870, and yet missed those qualities which saved the Imperial army of France from dishonour in the field. The young Prince was fully aware of the potent in

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THE WAR WITH TURKEY

THE WAR WITH TURKEY

The long-expected declaration of war between Russia and Turkey took place on April 23, 1877, accompanied by a proclamation to the Roumanian nation from the Grand Duke Nicholas, announcing his intention of entering their territory in the hope of finding the same welcome as in the former wars. A special sitting of the Chamber assembled on the 26th of the same month to confirm the Convention with Russia; and a council of war held the same evening decided to occupy the line of the Sabar, to reinforc

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"From Prince Charles Anthony, June 11th, 1877.

"From Prince Charles Anthony, June 11th, 1877.

"At last the situation has somewhat cleared, and the presence of the Czar under existing conditions may possibly be an important starting-point for future developments. The declaration of independence is perfectly justified; it is a fait accompli , which must, in any case, be reckoned with hereafter. At the time this declaration took place, four weeks ago, I feared a considerable increase of the complications already existing, and could hardly become reconciled to it. However, I always remembere

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THE BERLIN CONGRESS AND AFTER

THE BERLIN CONGRESS AND AFTER

The feelings of consternation and bitter resentment evoked by the publication of the Treaty of San Stefano soon found expression in the Roumanian Chamber, where the action of the Russian Government was criticised in scathing terms, and in the Press, whose comments on the situation were little calculated to restrain the popular indignation. The Minister of the Exterior telegraphed to the various Roumanian diplomatic agents abroad that the Government felt itself compelled to protest against a trea

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From the German Crown Prince, October 19th, 1878.

From the German Crown Prince, October 19th, 1878.

"You know that you were much in my thoughts during the Congress and afterwards, in the midst of that truly difficult period of negotiations about the cession of Bessarabia. But I purposely refrained from writing to you, because I did not know how I was to express myself in view of such events. "I was convinced that you would estimate the circumstances correctly, and be able to take matters as they are. The exchange of territory, however, hit you doubly hard, since only too many were anxious to t

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From Prince Alexander of Battenberg, October 20th, '78.

From Prince Alexander of Battenberg, October 20th, '78.

"You can imagine how I have followed the march of political events. The consequence of the unhappy Peace of Berlin will probably be that we, i.e. , the Russians, shall soon have to draw sword again. Should we then be comrades in arms once more? Probably not! "What do you think of Dondukow's doings? Here in Jugenheim I am too far away to be able to form an opinion, and the papers contain nothing but lies; the events in Bulgaria interest me greatly, as secret inquiries continue to reach me from ti

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To Prince Charles Anthony.

To Prince Charles Anthony.

"In the event of an unsatisfactory solution, they are determined in Berlin to intervene by means of a Collective Note which will dictate to us what rights we are to concede to the Jews. Such a step would, of course, arouse national excitement, and only further increase resistance; but this might become a great danger to the country apart from the humiliation which it includes. The question is whether execution would follow intervention, and what shape the execution would take? Italy contents its

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From Alexander Prince of Bulgaria, August 22nd, 1879.

From Alexander Prince of Bulgaria, August 22nd, 1879.

"A thousand thanks for your long and kind letter, the conferring of your Grand Cross, and the geniality with which you welcomed my Envoy. I have, it is true, never doubted your friendship, but to see it once more confirmed in this handsome fashion has nevertheless made me very happy. I shall reply to Elisabeth's kind letter direct. "Unfortunately I cannot pay you a visit before October, for I have so much to do that I cannot quit the country. All my Ministers are a little anxious, and I myself h

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From Prince Charles Anthony, July 24th, 1879.

From Prince Charles Anthony, July 24th, 1879.

"Only a few words to-day to tell you that we saw the Emperor (William) in the Mainau the day before yesterday. He asked me to come to his room after dinner, when I at last found an opportunity of discussing Roumanian affairs and of commending you to his care. I can now tell you that I was greatly surprised and pleased with the Emperor's opinions, even though I must regretfully limit this favourable impression by the fact that the Emperor has certainly not been kept au courant with the situation.

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To Prince Charles Anthony, February 11th, 1880.

To Prince Charles Anthony, February 11th, 1880.

"Sandro [22] is in despair about the doings of the Panslavists, who are making his task uncommonly difficult; had he only Bulgarians to deal with, he would get on easily enough.... He is determined to speak openly to the Czar Alexander about the Panslavonic and Nihilist agitation in Sofia. He returns to his capital at the end of March, when the newly elected National Assembly will be opened; it is not much better than the former. So long as the Czar Alexander lives he will personally exert a fav

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From the German Crown Prince.

From the German Crown Prince.

"Your relations towards Russia will grow exceptionally difficult; for, no matter how great the confidence one may place in the magnanimity of the Czar, the less can one trust his Government, looking impartially at the actions of their agents, who are actively propagating the views of the Panslavists in all directions, and are finally making it seem impossible for the Government to disavow and abandon their countrymen who have gone to such lengths. One would really think that Russia was large eno

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From the German Emperor, March 5th, 1880.[23]

From the German Emperor, March 5th, 1880.[23]

" My dear Cousin , "At last we have arrived at the goal of our long-cherished wishes. It has cost many a hard and bitter struggle before we could see you standing independent before the world! May the proverb come true which says, 'Slow but sure.' "I have never concealed the sympathy which I have always cherished for you alike personally and as a Hohenzollern; but when many are striving to the same goal and each goes his own way, time and sacrifices are required until they are at length all gath

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From Prince Bismarck, May 20th, 1880.

From Prince Bismarck, May 20th, 1880.

"I share your Royal Highness's regret that the acquisitions resulting from the peace, apart from the dissolution of the relations to the Porte, were not in proportion with the achievements and valour of your Royal Highness's army; but, having regard to the dignity and weight of the Powers by which Roumania is surrounded, and also to the difficulty of securing a modus vivendi amongst them, which would give us peace for the time being, I do not know of any possible means by which greater advantage

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EPILOGUE

EPILOGUE

Though the years which followed 1881 have lacked the laurels of the battlefield and the intensity of the struggle for independence which characterised the earlier portion of Roumanian history under King Charles, they are no less remarkable for continuous and patient progress in the development of the resources of the kingdom. Herein, as in sterner matters, the King has borne the heat and burden of the day; no one knew better that independence was but another milestone on the road to the ideal Ro

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