Aurel Onciul
Encyclopedia
Aurel, knight of Onciul, was a Romanian
moderate political leader in the Austrian
Bukovina
, prior to its union with the Kingdom of Romania
. He advocated a division of the province along ethnic lines, into a Romania
n-controlled southern Bukovina
, and a Ukrainian
-controlled northern Bukovina. The borders envisioned by Onciul and as his Ukrainian counterparts correspond roughly to the present Romanian-Ukrainian borders in Bukovina
.
He collaborated with Iancu Flondor
, a boyar
of Storozhynets (the other famous politician in Bukovina
), and tried to appeal to a social-democratic
oriented segment of rural population, clergy
, and rural teacher
s, as leader of the Democratic/Peasants' Party (Partidul Democratic/Ţărănesc). Accused of machiavellianism
, Onciul failed to attract the support of intellectual
s, who were more concerned with the national
question at the time, after the failure of the Ausgleich in 1909. Furthermore, in the Romanian parts of Bukovina
, he failed to win popular support as he often sided with Ruthenian
demands over lands in northern Bukovina. http://www.agero-stuttgart.de/REVISTA-AGERO/ISTORIE/recenzie%20Hrenciuc%20.htm
As the Austrian governor surrendered power to Onciul in 1918, he and the Ukrainians proceeded to divide the former province between themselves much as Onciul had previously envisioned. His rival Iancu Flondor
, leader of the National Party, denounced Onciul's intentions, and succeeded in convincing the delegates of all other ethnicities, except Ruthenian, in the General Congress of Bukovina to support union with the Kingdom of Romania
. After the vote on 28 November 1918, Flondor proceeded to demand the intervention of Romania
, which was answered a few days later, thus putting an end to the agreement by Onciul and the Ukrainians regarding Bukovina.
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
moderate political leader in the Austrian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
Bukovina
Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
, prior to its union with the Kingdom of Romania
Kingdom of Romania
The Kingdom of Romania was the Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
. He advocated a division of the province along ethnic lines, into a Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n-controlled southern Bukovina
Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
, and a Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
-controlled northern Bukovina. The borders envisioned by Onciul and as his Ukrainian counterparts correspond roughly to the present Romanian-Ukrainian borders in Bukovina
Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
.
He collaborated with Iancu Flondor
Iancu Flondor
Iancu Flondor was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian activist who advocated Bukovina's unifion with the Kingdom of Romania....
, a boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
of Storozhynets (the other famous politician in Bukovina
Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
), and tried to appeal to a social-democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
oriented segment of rural population, clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
, and rural teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s, as leader of the Democratic/Peasants' Party (Partidul Democratic/Ţărănesc). Accused of machiavellianism
Machiavellianism
Machiavellianism is, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, "the employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct", deriving from the Italian Renaissance diplomat and writer Niccolò Machiavelli, who wrote Il Principe and other works...
, Onciul failed to attract the support of intellectual
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
s, who were more concerned with the national
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
question at the time, after the failure of the Ausgleich in 1909. Furthermore, in the Romanian parts of Bukovina
Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
, he failed to win popular support as he often sided with Ruthenian
Ruthenians
The name Ruthenian |Rus']]) is a culturally loaded term and has different meanings according to the context in which it is used. Initially, it was the ethnonym used for the East Slavic peoples who lived in Rus'. Later it was used predominantly for Ukrainians...
demands over lands in northern Bukovina. http://www.agero-stuttgart.de/REVISTA-AGERO/ISTORIE/recenzie%20Hrenciuc%20.htm
As the Austrian governor surrendered power to Onciul in 1918, he and the Ukrainians proceeded to divide the former province between themselves much as Onciul had previously envisioned. His rival Iancu Flondor
Iancu Flondor
Iancu Flondor was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian activist who advocated Bukovina's unifion with the Kingdom of Romania....
, leader of the National Party, denounced Onciul's intentions, and succeeded in convincing the delegates of all other ethnicities, except Ruthenian, in the General Congress of Bukovina to support union with the Kingdom of Romania
Kingdom of Romania
The Kingdom of Romania was the Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
. After the vote on 28 November 1918, Flondor proceeded to demand the intervention of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, which was answered a few days later, thus putting an end to the agreement by Onciul and the Ukrainians regarding Bukovina.