Moldavian Democratic Republic
Encyclopedia
The Moldavian Democratic Republic , a.k.a. Moldavian Republic, was the state proclaimed on by Sfatul Ţării
(the National Council) of Bessarabia
, elected in October-November 1917 in the wake of the February Revolution
and disintegration of the political power in the Russian Empire
.
Sfatul Ţării was its legislative body, while the Council of Directors General, renamed Council of Ministers after the Declaration of Independence, was its government.
happened in Petrograd in 1917, the governor of the Bessarabia Governorate
stepped down and passed his legal powers to Constantin Mimi
, the President of the Gubernial Zemstvo, which was named the Commissar of the Provisional Government in Bessarabia, with Vladimir Criste his deputy. Similar procedures took place in all regions of the Russian Empire
: the chiefs of the Tsarist administrations passed their legal powers to the chiefs of the County and Governorate Zemstvos, which were then called County/Governorate Commissars.
The Peasants' Congress, which took place in October 1917, voted Mimi out and Ion Inculeţ
in as the new Commissar. This move was planned by Alexander Kerenski, who sent Inculeţ, an associate professor at the University of Petrograd, to Bessarabia to take hold of the situation. As soon as the Peasants' Congress, which had no legal power, voted, Kerenski formally replaced Mimi with Inculeţ. When Inculeţ arrived in Chişinău to take power, he faced the quiet opposition of the nobility, so he agreed to take the position of deputy commissar to Vladimir Criste. When the republic was proclaimed, Criste stepped down and passed his legal powers to Inculeţ.
The Sfatul Ţării
(National Council) of Bessarabia
was elected in October-November 1917, and started to work in December 1917. It proclaimed the Moldavian Democratic Republic as a federal subject (autonomous republic
) of the Russian Democratic Federative Republic
.
In the wake of an unsuccessful Bolshevik
takeover attempt on –, and prompted by the declaration of independence of Ukraine
, which effectively cut Bessarabia off from Russia, the Sfatul Ţării proclaimed the independence of the Moldavian Republic on .
In the wake of the signing of separate peace armistices by Imperial Germany with Romania
, Ukraine, and Bolshevik Russia, and prompted by the strong internal sentiment of the population, on , the Sfatul Ţării, with 86 votes in favor, 3 against and 36 abstentions, proclaimed the Union of Bessarabia with the Kingdom of Romania
, with the condition of local autonomy and the continuation of Bessarabian legislative and executive bodies, legally ending the Moldavian Democratic Republic.
The union was confirmed in the Treaty of Paris (1920)
. Of the three people who voted against, Arcadie Osmolovschi
emigrated to the Soviet Union
, Ştefan Balmez
became a successful local politician, and Mihail Starenki
continued his job as a teacher.
, the president of Sfatul Ţării and President of the Republic, Pantelimon Erhan
, the President of the Council of Directors General, followed when the country declared independence by Daniil Ciugureanu, as President of the Council of Ministers
. Sfatul Ţării was initially composed of 120 elected members, a number which was latter increased to 135 and 150. Due to different circumstances, on 9 April, there were 138 legislators, of which 125 took part in the vote, and 13 were absent.
On , Sfatul Ţării elected the government of the Moldavian Democratic Republic - the Council of Directors General, with nine members, seven Moldavians, one Ukrainian, and one Jew:
In his thirst decree, the Council set forward the aim to "introduce order in all the aspects of life of the country, to eliminate anarchy and disaster, to organize all the aspects of state administration". An Executive Clerk Office (Cancelarie) of the Council of Directors General was set, and all state, public and private institutions were required to communicate through the Executive Clerk Office to the corresponding Director General for all questions regarding the government of the country. All acts in the domain of public administration made without the previous consent of the respective Directors General were declared legally void, while the director freed from responsibility for such acts.
Sfatul Tarii
Sfatul Țării was, in 1917-1918, the National Assembly of the Governorate of Bessarabia of the disintegrating Russian Empire, which proclaimed the independent Moldavian Democratic Republic in December 1917, and then union with Romania in April 1918.-Russian participation in World War I:In August...
(the National Council) of Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
, elected in October-November 1917 in the wake of the February Revolution
February Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
and disintegration of the political power in the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
.
Sfatul Ţării was its legislative body, while the Council of Directors General, renamed Council of Ministers after the Declaration of Independence, was its government.
History
When the February RevolutionFebruary Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
happened in Petrograd in 1917, the governor of the Bessarabia Governorate
Bessarabia Governorate
Bessarabia was an oblast and later a guberniya in the Russian Empire. It was the eastern part of the Principality of Moldavia annexed by Russia by the Treaty of Bucharest following the Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812...
stepped down and passed his legal powers to Constantin Mimi
Constantin Mimi
Constantin A. Mimi was a Bessarabian politician and winemaker.- Biography :He graduated from Odessa State University and SupAgro ....
, the President of the Gubernial Zemstvo, which was named the Commissar of the Provisional Government in Bessarabia, with Vladimir Criste his deputy. Similar procedures took place in all regions of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
: the chiefs of the Tsarist administrations passed their legal powers to the chiefs of the County and Governorate Zemstvos, which were then called County/Governorate Commissars.
The Peasants' Congress, which took place in October 1917, voted Mimi out and Ion Inculeţ
Ion Inculet
Ion C. Inculeț was a Bessarabian politician and the president of the Moldavian Democratic Republic. Also, he was a minister in Romania.-Early career:...
in as the new Commissar. This move was planned by Alexander Kerenski, who sent Inculeţ, an associate professor at the University of Petrograd, to Bessarabia to take hold of the situation. As soon as the Peasants' Congress, which had no legal power, voted, Kerenski formally replaced Mimi with Inculeţ. When Inculeţ arrived in Chişinău to take power, he faced the quiet opposition of the nobility, so he agreed to take the position of deputy commissar to Vladimir Criste. When the republic was proclaimed, Criste stepped down and passed his legal powers to Inculeţ.
The Sfatul Ţării
Sfatul Tarii
Sfatul Țării was, in 1917-1918, the National Assembly of the Governorate of Bessarabia of the disintegrating Russian Empire, which proclaimed the independent Moldavian Democratic Republic in December 1917, and then union with Romania in April 1918.-Russian participation in World War I:In August...
(National Council) of Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
was elected in October-November 1917, and started to work in December 1917. It proclaimed the Moldavian Democratic Republic as a federal subject (autonomous republic
Autonomous republic
An autonomous republic is a type of administrative division similar to a province. A significant number of autonomous republics can be found within the successor states of the Soviet Union, but the majority are located within Russia. Many of these republics were established during the Soviet...
) of the Russian Democratic Federative Republic
Russian Democratic Federative Republic
Russian Democratic Federative Republic , was a proposed federal form of government of Russia during the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was formally declared on January 19, when the democratically elected Russian Constituent Assembly drafted and adopted the Resolution on the form of government of...
.
In the wake of an unsuccessful Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
takeover attempt on –, and prompted by the declaration of independence of Ukraine
Ukrainian People's Republic
The Ukrainian People's Republic or Ukrainian National Republic was a republic that was declared in part of the territory of modern Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, eventually headed by Symon Petliura.-Revolutionary Wave:...
, which effectively cut Bessarabia off from Russia, the Sfatul Ţării proclaimed the independence of the Moldavian Republic on .
In the wake of the signing of separate peace armistices by Imperial Germany with 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...
, Ukraine, and Bolshevik Russia, and prompted by the strong internal sentiment of the population, on , the Sfatul Ţării, with 86 votes in favor, 3 against and 36 abstentions, proclaimed the Union of Bessarabia with the Kingdom of Romania
Union of Bessarabia with Romania
On , the Sfatul Ţării, or National Council, of Bessarabia proclaimed union with the Kingdom of Romania.-Governorate of Bessarabia:The 1812 Treaty of Bucharest between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empires provided for Russian annexation of the eastern half of the territory of the Principality...
, with the condition of local autonomy and the continuation of Bessarabian legislative and executive bodies, legally ending the Moldavian Democratic Republic.
The union was confirmed in the Treaty of Paris (1920)
Treaty of Paris (1920)
The 1920 Treaty of Paris was an act signed by Romania and the principal Allied Powers of the time whose purpose was the recognition of Romanian sovereignty over Bessarabia...
. Of the three people who voted against, Arcadie Osmolovschi
Arcadie Osmolovschi
- Bibliography :*Gheorghe E. Cojocaru, Sfatul ţării: itinerar, Civitas, Chişinău, 1998, ISBN 9975-936-20-2*Mihai Taşcă, Sfatul Ţării şi actualele autorităţi locale, "Timpul de dimineaţă", no. 114 , June 27, 2008 - External links :* *...
emigrated to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Ştefan Balmez
Ştefan Balmez
- Biography :Before the World War I, although working as Armaments Minister, Ştefan Balamez was in civil service. He served as Member of the Moldovan Parliament ....
became a successful local politician, and Mihail Starenki
Mihail Starenki
Mihail Starenki was a Bessarabian politician.- Bibliography :*Gheorghe E. Cojocaru, Sfatul ţării: itinerar, Civitas, Chişinău, 1998, ISBN 9975-936-20-2...
continued his job as a teacher.
Leadership
The leadership of the Moldavian Republic was composed of Ion InculeţIon Inculet
Ion C. Inculeț was a Bessarabian politician and the president of the Moldavian Democratic Republic. Also, he was a minister in Romania.-Early career:...
, the president of Sfatul Ţării and President of the Republic, Pantelimon Erhan
Pantelimon Erhan
Pantelimon Erhan was a Moldovan politician and prime minister of the Moldavian Democratic Republic .-Biography:Pantelimon Erhan was born in 1884 in Tănătari, Căuşeni District...
, the President of the Council of Directors General, followed when the country declared independence by Daniil Ciugureanu, as President of the Council of Ministers
Prime Minister of Moldova
The Prime Minister of Moldova is Moldova's head of government. The prime minister is formally appointed by the President and exercises executive power along with the cabinet subject to parliamentary support.-Moldavian Democratic Republic :...
. Sfatul Ţării was initially composed of 120 elected members, a number which was latter increased to 135 and 150. Due to different circumstances, on 9 April, there were 138 legislators, of which 125 took part in the vote, and 13 were absent.
On , Sfatul Ţării elected the government of the Moldavian Democratic Republic - the Council of Directors General, with nine members, seven Moldavians, one Ukrainian, and one Jew:
- Pantelimon ErhanPantelimon ErhanPantelimon Erhan was a Moldovan politician and prime minister of the Moldavian Democratic Republic .-Biography:Pantelimon Erhan was born in 1884 in Tănătari, Căuşeni District...
, President of the Council, and Director General for Agriculture - Vladimir Criste, Director General for Internal Affairs
- Ştefan CiobanuŞtefan Ciobanu (politician)Ştefan Ciobanu was a Bessarabian politician and historian. He served as Minister of Education .- Biography :...
, Director General for Education - Teofil IoncuTeofil IoncuTeofil Ioncu was a Bessarabian politician.- Bibliography :*Gheorghe E. Cojocaru, Sfatul ţării: itinerar, Civitas, Chişinău, 1998, ISBN 9975-936-20-2...
, Director General for Finance - Nicolae N. Codreanu, Director General for Railroads
- major Teodor CojocaruTeodor CojocaruTeodor Cojocaru was a Moldovan mylitary and politician.- Biography :He served as Director General for Armed Forces in Pantelimon Erhan Cabinet. Also he served as member of the Sfatul Ţării and Romanian Parliament, and mayor of Chişinău .- External links :* -Notes:...
, Director General for Armed Forces - Mihail SavencoMihail SavencoMihail Savenco was a Moldovan politician. He was a high official of the Moldavian Democratic Republic.- Biography :He served as Director General for Justice in Pantelimon Erhan Cabinet. Also he served as member of the Parliament of Moldova ....
, Director General for Justice - E. Grinfeld, Director General for Industry and Trade
- Ion PelivanIon PelivanIon Gheorghe Pelivan was a Moldovan politician.- Biography :In 1898, Ion Pelivan graduated from the Teological Seminary in Chişinău and in 1903 he graduated from Dorpat University...
, Director General for Foreign Affairs
In his thirst decree, the Council set forward the aim to "introduce order in all the aspects of life of the country, to eliminate anarchy and disaster, to organize all the aspects of state administration". An Executive Clerk Office (Cancelarie) of the Council of Directors General was set, and all state, public and private institutions were required to communicate through the Executive Clerk Office to the corresponding Director General for all questions regarding the government of the country. All acts in the domain of public administration made without the previous consent of the respective Directors General were declared legally void, while the director freed from responsibility for such acts.
See also
- Sfatul ŢăriiSfatul TariiSfatul Țării was, in 1917-1918, the National Assembly of the Governorate of Bessarabia of the disintegrating Russian Empire, which proclaimed the independent Moldavian Democratic Republic in December 1917, and then union with Romania in April 1918.-Russian participation in World War I:In August...
- Union of Bessarabia with RomaniaUnion of Bessarabia with RomaniaOn , the Sfatul Ţării, or National Council, of Bessarabia proclaimed union with the Kingdom of Romania.-Governorate of Bessarabia:The 1812 Treaty of Bucharest between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empires provided for Russian annexation of the eastern half of the territory of the Principality...
- Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina
- Russian Revolution of 1917Russian Revolution of 1917The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
- Odessa Soviet RepublicOdessa Soviet RepublicOdessa Soviet Republic was a short-lived Soviet republic formed out of parts the Kherson and Bessarabia Governorates of the former Russian Empire....
- Iona YakirIona YakirIona Emmanuilovich Yakir was the Red Army commander and one of the world's major military reformers between World War I and World War II.-Early years:...