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Moldavia
Moldavia was a principality, which evolved during the 13th
century and encompassed present day republic of Moldavia and the
north-eastern part of Romania. It was a vassal state during almost its
entire history, first to Hungary, then Poland and after 1513 to the Ottoman
Empire. When the native dynasty died out the Ottomans began to appoint
Greeks, so called fanariots, to rule Moldavia. The rulers used the title
Vojvod, which has the same meaning as the title duke. From 1711 the rulers
were called hospodar, which means master but can be translated to governor.
At that time Moldavia’s autonomy was severely weakened, especially because
the Ottoman sultan sold the post as Moldavia’s hospodar to the highest bidder
and usually dismissed the hospodar after a short reign, whereby a new
bidding occurred. To make their investment lucrative the newly appointed hospodars impoverished the people of Moldavia with high taxes. It was very
common that a hospodar who had been dismissed would latern return to the
office. The record holder is Constantin Mavrocordat who was hospodar over
Moldavia four times and also held the same office in Wallachia six times. The fanaroits rule in Moldavia ended 1821 when the Greeks rebelled against the
Ottoman Empire. Russia’s influence in Moldavia grew during the 18th
and 19th century whereby Moldavia became more or less a Russian
protectorate. Molodavia seized to exist as a separate state 1861 when it
together with Wallachia created the new state of Romania.
Vojvods of Moldavia
Moldavia unites with Wallachia and
create Romania 1861
The eastern half of Moldavia was conquered by Russia 1812 and became the Russian guberniya (province) of Moldavia and Bessarabia, later called just "Bessarabia".
Most of this territory was incorporated with Romania after the First World War.
But the east bank of the river Dniester was turned into the Moldavian ASSR
(Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic) and became a part of the Soviet Union.
The Romanian part of Bessarabia was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940 and
merged with the Moldavian ASSR, thus creating the Moldavian SSR (Soviet Socialist
Republic). This republic became independent in 1991 when the Soviet Union dissolved.
Eastern Moldavia
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1812-1918
1918-1940
1940-1991
1991- |
Part of Russia
(guberniya of Bessarabia)
Part of Romania
Part of the Soviet Union (Moldavian SSR)
Republic of Moldavia |
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