The Romanians, 1774-1866

The Romanians, 1774-1866

Review"[T]his is an outstanding study of a much troubled but fascinating country."--Slavic Review"Hitchins has painted a canvas rich in ideas and detail. This is historical scholarship at its best. Through the book's clearly delineated thesis, crisp narrative, and superb bibliographic essay, the author accomplishes his purpose, telling the story of Romania and its people with aplomb."--American Historical Review"This admirable book is the very best kind of general history. Keith Hitchins is Romania's premier historian in the English-speaking world, and 'The Romanians' is a splendid addition to his corpus."--The HistorianThis original and ground-breaking work examines the building of the European nation which became Romania in 1859. The evolution of the Romanians in the century between the 1770s and the 1860s was marked by a transition from long-established agrarian economic and social structures, locked into an essentially medieval political system, to a society moulded by urban and industrial values and held together by allegiance to the nation-state. This fascinating analysis of the building of a European nation-state is the first detailedf account of the Romanians during this dramatic period.From the Back CoverThe century from the 1774 Treaty of Kuchuk Kainardji (between Russia and the Ottoman Empire) to the end of Prince Alexandru Cuza's reign in 1866 stands as a distinct era in the development of modern Romania. It marks the transition from long-established agrarian economic and social structures, and medieval political forms, to a society moulded by urban and industrial values and held together by allegiance to the nation-state. This initial period of nation-building was characterized by dramatic shifts of mentality and significant changes in economic and social life. The principal changes included: the freeing of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia from Ottoman Turkish dominion and their union to form the core of modern Romania; the cultivation of the idea of the ethnic nation as the foundation of community; the emergence of new ways of producing goods and doing business, notably the advance of capitalism in agriculture and industry; and the relentless advance of Western political forms, economic models and cultural achievements. This original and ground-breaking work is the first attempt to treat the period 1774-1866 as a distinct stage in the evolution of modern Romania and is a fascinating analysis of the building of a European nation-state.About the AuthorKeith Hitchins is Professor of History at the University of Illinois.