1918. It is the year with the most anniversaries of events from Romania’s multi-millennia history. The Great Union in 1918 resulted in all the historical provinces inhabited by Romanians to get together, within one single country, Romania.
The end of World War I, the fall of the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires, as well as the determination of the Romanian nation to live in one country, have triggered a series of historical events.
On March 27, 1918, an official declaration gets public, stating that “Basarabia, within its boundaries which are the rivers Prut and Nistru, the Black Sea and the old borders […], by the historical law and the rights of the nation […], UNITES WITH ITS MOTHER, ROMANIA”. This was the beginning of forming Greater Romania.
Later, on November 15/28, 1918, the General Congress of Bucovina voted the unification of Bucovina and Romania. This was the second important moment on the way to the Great Union.
The eyes of all the Romanians were then turned toward Alba Iulia, and, on November 18 / December 1, 1918, in the Great National Assembly the “Resolution” was read, officially proclaiming the union of the rest of the Romanian provinces: Transylvania, Banat, Crișana and Maramureș with the Kingdom of Romania. This was the peak moment of the historical process that had led to forming Greater Romania.
Selecting the city of Alba Iulia for the event was also a homage to Michael the Brave who was the first to unite the Romanian provinces together, for a brief period of time, in 1600.
The Great Union was also possible due to the first union of the two main provinces Moldova and Țara Românească in 1859 and the independence acquired by the Romanian Principalities after the war in 1877-1878.
100 years have passed and we are all celebrating that moment now. Romania looks ahead but does not forget its past.
A people that does not know their history is like a child not knowing their parents.”
The Romanian historian Nicolae Iorga said.
December 1st is the National Day of Romania.
