In November both Russia and Turkey sent secret envoys to BuCharest to bid for Rumanian support. Prince Charles and Bratianu temporized with both, and attempted to extract con cessions from Turkey; but when the Porte, in issuing Midhat Pasha's reform plan, disregarded Rumania's hopes and national vanity, she signed a secret convention with Russia (April 16, 1877) allowing free passage to the Russian armies—the details to be regulated in a special convention—while the tsar promised to maintain her political rights and respect her integrity. On April 23, Russia declared war against Turkey, and the grand duke Nicholas issued a proclamation to the Rumanian nation, announc ing his intention of entering their territory in the hope of finding the same welcome as in former wars. The Rumanian Government made a platonic protest against the crossing of the frontier, but actually acquiesced in and materially assisted the Russian ad vance. The Rumanian chambers were assembled on April 26, and the convention with Russia was sanctioned ; while on May ir the chambers passed a resolution that a state of war existed with Turkey. (For a detailed account of the subsequent campaign, see RUSSO-TURKISH WARS, and PLEVNA.) The fall of Plevna left the Russian army free to march on Constantinople, and on Jan. 31, 1878,the preliminaries of peace were signed at Adrianople. They stipulated that Rumania should be independent and receive an in crease of territory.
Berlin.—Peace between Russia and Turkey was signed at San Stefano on March 13. On Jan. 29 the Rumanian agent at St. Petersburg was officially informed of the intention of the Russian Government to regain possession of the Rumanian portion of Bessarabia, i.e., that portion which was ceded to Mol davia by Russia after the Crimean War, in return for the northern Dobruja (see BESSARABIA). This exchange Rumania, while deeply resentful, was unable to prevent. The Treaty of Berlin in 1878 (see BERLIN, CONGRESS AND TREATY OF) recognized the in dependence of Rumania conditional on the restoration to Russia of Bessarabia (Art. 45) and a guarantee of absolute freedom of worship without loss of political rights to all persons in Rumania (Art. 44). Art. 46 transferred to Rumania the northern Dobruja (q.v.) with the adjacent islands.
Article 44 of the treaty caused tremendous agitation through out the country, and almost provoked a revolution. Article 7 of the constitution of 1866 laid down that "only Christians can be come citizens of Rumania"—in other words, all Jews were ex cluded from the rights of citizenship; and as no foreigner could own land in Rumania outside the towns, no Jew could become a country proprietor. Public opinion in Rumania rendered it almost impossible for any government to carry out the wishes of the Berlin tribunal. To do so involved a change in the constitution, which could only be effected by a specially elected constituent as sembly. This body met on June 3, and sat through the entire summer. The irritation of the powers at the unexpected delay was so great that Great Britain proposed a collective Note on the subject, to be executed by the Austrian Cabinet ; while Prince Bismarck threatened, if the Berlin proposition were not carried out, to refer to the suzerain power at Constantinople. At last, however, on Oct. 18, Article 7 was repealed, and it thus became possible for Rumanian Jews to become naturalized and to hold land ; but this was hedged about by so many difficulties that, although the compromise was accepted by the powers, in actual fact few Rumanian Jews were naturalized during 1880 to 1884.
The independence of Rumania
was recognized by Italy in Dec. 1879, and by Great Britain, France and Germany on Feb. 2o, 1880. Following the assassination of the tsar Alexander II. (March 13, 1880 the Rumanian Liberal Gov ernment was accused of republican and anti-dynastic tendencies. To refute this charge, the ministry proposed the elevation of the principality into a kingdom. The proclamation and coronation took place on May 10-22, 1881. All the great Powers granted im mediate recognition.
During this eventful period, the liberal government had held office continually. In March 1883 the Government, largely at Bratianu's initiative, introduced vari ous important changes into the constitution. Three electoral col leges were formed instead of four, a considerable addition made to the numbers of the senate and chamber; and trial by jury intro duced for press offences. These measures estranged the second leader of the Liberal party, C. A. Rosetti, who had unsuccessfully advocated reforms of a far more sweeping character; and Bratianu was now left in sole control of the Liberal party. The chambers having fulfilled their special mandate, were dissolved in Sept. 1884 and a new parliament assembled in November, the Government, as usual, obtaining a large majority in both houses. Since 1876 Bratianu had exercised an almost dictatorial power, and anything like a powerful parliamentary opposition had ceased to exist. But he had been too long in power; the numerous State departments were exclusively filled with his nominees ; and some pecuniary scandals, in which the Minister of War and other high officials were implicated, helped to augment his fast-growing un popularity. New parties were formed in opposition, and the National Liberal and Liberal Conservative parties combined to attack him. The first of these maintained that the Government should be essentially Rumanian, and, while maintaining friendly relations with foreign Powers, should allow no interference in in ternal affairs. The Liberal Conservatives held very similar views, but desired a guaranteed neutrality for Rumania. The Junimists, or Young Conservatives, advocated in home affairs the ameliora tion of the position of the peasantry and artisan classes, whose progress they considered had been overlooked, while in foreign policy they strongly supported intimate and friendly relations with Austria-Hungary. On April 4, 1888, following the new elections of February, in which all the opposition leaders had been elected, Bratianu retired. In Oct. 1888, when a new Chamber was elected, only five of the party retained their seats. The most prominent statesman in the new Conservative-Junimist administration was P. Carp, who in the spring of 1889 succeeded in passing a bill which authorized the distribution of the state lands among the peasantry. Despite this admirable measure, he was unable to retain office, and three changes of ministry followed. The Conservative-Junimist parliament nevertheless restored tranquillity to the country. Mean while the gold standard had been introduced (1889), and the financial situation was regarded as satisfactory. In Dec. 1891 a stable cabinet was at last formed by Lascar Catargiu, whose Ministry passed several useful measures. The State credit was improved by the conversion of the public debt ; the sale of the State lands to the peasantry was actively continued; important judicial reforms were carried out ; a mining law was passed to attract foreign capital; and a State maritime service of passenger and cargo steamers was formed.