The War and its Results.
Threatening clouds had arisen on the political horizon. The condition
of the Christian inhabitants of the tributary Turkish provinces had
become untenable. Servia and Montenegro had declared war with Turkey.
The rebellion had broken out in Bosnia, in Herzegovina, and in
Bulgaria. Russia had taken up the case in a warlike spirit which drove
her irresistibly forward. To free the Slavonic brothers from the yoke
of Turkey was the long desired object of Panslavistic thought. The
Emperor Alexander II. held it to be his sacred duty to go to the help
of the oppressed Christians who were one with him in name and in faith.
The decision of Russia to settle the Eastern Question by force of arms
decided the point. On the 13th of November 1876 the Emperor commanded
that six army corps in the south of Russia should be put in motion,
and he placed them under the command of his brother, the Grand Duke
Nicholas. On the 24th of April 1877 the Russian troops had crossed the
Pruth and were marching through Roumania.
On the 26th of April 1877 Prince Charles of Roumania opened the
extraordinary session of parliament in a solemn speech. He said--“War
is broken out: our efforts in regard to Turkey and the guaranteeing
powers that our neutrality should be accorded to us as our right have
been without success. We have borne many sacrifices for the upholding
of this neutrality, and it is required as a duty from us even by
foreign cabinets. The Porte has refused even to lay our requests before
the conference now assembled in Constantinople. Under these conditions
Roumania, no longer supported by other powers, must in future depend
upon its own exertions. It is our duty to prevent this land from
becoming the theatre of war at any price, and to make any sacrifices
required for this object. Such a war would reduce our towns and
villages to ashes, our people would be massacred, and our riches, the
fruits of the labours of a peace of twenty years, would be scattered by
this war, which we did not wish for, and which has not been declared by
any fault of ours.”
A few days later, on the 7th of May, the Prince had to address the
assembled Senate in the following words--
“Notwithstanding all our efforts to the contrary, the war that has
broken out between our two powerful neighbours has already led to
disastrous results in the part of our country that lies by the Danube.
Without a single bullet having fallen on our territory, our towns and
villages are beginning to be ruined and deserted, for the Ottoman
monitors, regardless of all international law, forced themselves into
our harbours and burned and destroyed the ships that lay at anchor
there, regardless of the flag under which they sailed. Unprotected
towns, as Braila, and particularly Reni, have been bombarded. Olteniza,
where not the smallest division of the Russian army is to be found,
shared the same fate. Marauding bands of Bashi-Bazouks have disturbed
the peace of the country in various places, have crossed the Danube,
and have burnt the ships lying at anchor in the river Jiul in the
harbour of Beket, and destroyed the dwellings of the people.”
Nothing more remained to be done but for Roumania to get rid of
the enemy by main force. On the 8th of May the Turks had opened a
bombardment on Kalafat from Widdin. Their cannon balls fell into the
Danube, and their firing was answered by the Roumanian forts. Thus
fell the first Roumanian shot against the Turks. The cannon had spoken,
and had settled the question. “Now the bands that connected us with
Turkey are broken,” said the Roumanians, “and may they be eternally
severed. The time of our guardianship by foreign powers and the times
of our servitude is over. Roumania is and will remain a free and
independent state.”
The declaration of the independence of Roumania was solemnly announced
to the people on the 22nd of May 1877. “From the day on which I
set foot on this ground I became a Roumanian,” said the Prince to
his subjects. “From the day on which I ascended this throne which
has become famous by many great and glorious Princes, the ideas of
those Princes have become the dominant idea of my reign--namely, the
resurrection of Roumania and the fulfilment of her mission in the
mouths of the Danube.” Prince Charles had already signed a convention
with Russia, and a Russo-Roumanian alliance followed soon after.
The war was now in full swing! On the 27th of May a cannonade had taken
place between Kalafat and Widdin. The battery of Carol I., with which
were the Prince and his suite, and the officers of the staff, fired the
first shot. After the second shot, all the Turkish batteries began
to open fire, and a lively cannonade was continued on both sides. The
first bombshell flew over the battery of Carol I., and burst quite
close to where the Prince was standing, but without doing him any harm.
“Charles has brought me the bombshell which burst at his side,” writes
the Princess. “They told me that he stood on the ramparts surrounded
by shot and shell. Some of the people crossed themselves, and Greciano
fell on his knees, for he thought his Prince was wounded. But Charles
waved his cap and cried ‘Hurrah! Bravo! Je suis habitué à cette
musique-là!’ Then a loud hurrah! resounded from all the batteries,
and was taken up by the whole camp, from whence it extended to the
town, and all the military bands began to play the National Anthem.
It must have been a thrilling moment! Three bombshells burst later in
the battery where Charles stood. In Craiova they wished to unharness
the horses and drag the carriage themselves, and threw wreaths and
bouquets, doves, and even small loaves of bread into his carriage.”
Carmen Sylva’s enthusiastic poem, entitled “Kalafat,” was written in
honour of this memorable day.