aici - Asociatia Tinerilor Istorici din Moldova

SUMMARY
POSITION OF THE ROMANIAN PRINCIPALITIES DURING THE WAR OF 1806-1812
In the article is mentioned the perspective of an
the economic situation of Principalities in 1806-
1812, on the basis of contemporary records, a number
of the sources published untill 1917, and also the
latest monographs about the military occupation of
the Romanian Principalities during Russian-Turkish
war of 1806-1812. This perspective is considered in
a context of expansionist aspirations of tsarism on
the relation to economic capacity of Principalities.
In this regard the role of administrative structures in
the Principalities which have been directly created by
official Petersburg is shined.
It is emphasized the role of the prince Constantin
Іpsilanti in administration of Рrincipalities after
restoration on thrones of Moldova and Walachia
in January, 1807, his plans on strengthening of the
independent status of Principalities. Among the
reasons which led to Constantin Ipsilanti’s removal
in August, 1807 were: the conflicts with the boyars,
which most part were fanariot’s; absence of body
supervising Councils, and also impossibility to
provide with the food and fodder occupational
Russian army. Unwillingness to lend Russian military
money only strengthened hostility to gospodar from
their party. Since February, 1808 when Councils
of Principalities were headed by senator Sergey
Kushnikov as administrator, there came the new
period during which Russian military authorities
through chairman of Council demanded the most
exhaustive statistical data on and national economy,
including data on population, administrativeterritorial
division, volumes of crop, data on epidemics
and diseases and so on. Thus the slightest changes in
structure of Councils and adoption of any decisions
were allowed with the permission of senator Sergey
Kushnikov. The Russian military authorities, on which
the Principalities completely depended, imposed
the introduction of new taxes, and requisitions on
inhabitants of Principalities. Bureaucratic confusion
and embezzlement of public funds reigning in Sofas,
led to that the sizes of demanded help for Russian army
in a result, increased four times. To it the desire of the
Romanian boyars to be enriched in the conditions of a
wartime increased also.
The expansionist role of tsarism in carrying out
prospecting works, production and export of minerals
found in Principalities is in detail shown. For this
purpose in November, 1809 to the Carpathian region
the group of officials and gonny engineers were
equipped, and untill November, 1812, that is after the
conclusion of the Bucharest treaties were engaged in
exploring of the subsoil of Principalities. The main
attention by these groups for search of minerals was
given to non-ferrous metals among which were: gold,
silver, mercury, sulfur, copper vitriol, copper, lead. Thus
the main place at research of the subsoil was occupied
by search and gold mining, and so in the years of war
was taken out from Principalities 18 kgs of gold.
Economic motives layed to the removal of priors
and of a number of monasteries bent to the Holy
Placed, not wishing to recognize jurisdiction of the
Sacred Synod, and respectively to send their income
to the order of Petersburg. In this regard, the figure of
eminent church person Gabriel Benulesku-Bodoni is
in a new way shined. In the context of his pro-Russian
orientation are shown his services for Russia, also
concerning the group of search of minerals.
War exhausted the economical capacity of
Principalities, because of unreasonable taxes, taxes
and duties, but also as well because of: the forced
hard and no-charge labour executed by inhabitants
of Principalities; cut prices of the food and fodder;
unpaid requisitions of draft force; losses from a
quartering of armies; losses because of the termination
of foreign trade; change of an exchange rate owing to
introduction in calculations of Russian ruble.
The Imperial authorities plans were to absorb all
the territory of Principalities in the days of war of
1806-1812 reveal. Emperor Alexander 1 sacredly
believed that the territory occupied with Russian
army will belong to Russia. In this regard tendencies
of Petersburg were to show on that that as it is possible
the most part of the Romanian lands to be obtained
by Russia.
Occupation of Principalities and the cut of
Moldova in two parts by Russia led to a change in
Europe of tools of foreign policy. At the same time
diplomats of leading European Powers, since 1815, put
into circulation the concept “the European concert”,
that meant coherence of actions of great powers at
adoption of important decisions in the sphere of the
international relations.
– 51 –