Romanian War of Independence

Romanian War of Independence (1877–1878)
Part of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78

Romanian troops returning to Bucharest after the war, 8 October 1878.
DateApril 24 [O.S. April 12] 1877 – 3 March 1878 (10 months, 1 week, 2 days)
Location
Result

Allied victory

Territorial
changes
Northern Dobruja passed from Ottoman Empire to Romania
Southern Bessarabia passed from Romania to Russian Empire
Belligerents
Romania Romania
Russian Empire Russia
 Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Romania Carol I
Russian Empire Grand Duke Nikolai
Russian Empire Nikolai Stoletov
Ottoman Empire Ahmed Muhtar Pasha
Ottoman Empire Gazi Osman Pasha
Strength
Romania 66,000 troops[1]
190 cannons
Russian Empire 280,000 troops (European front)
500 cannons[2]
Ottoman Empire 106,000 troops[1]
210 cannons
Casualties and losses

Romania 4,302 killed and missing
3,316 wounded
19,904 sick[3]
Russian Empire 15,567 killed
56,652 wounded
6,824 died from wounds
81,363 died from disease
1,713 died from other causes
3,500 missing[4]

Total: 230,000 (during the entire Russo-Turkish War)
30,000 killed in battle, 50,000 died from wounds and diseases[5]
(during the entire Russo-Turkish War)[6]
2 river monitors sunk[7][8]

The Romanian War of Independence is the name used in Romanian historiography to refer to the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78), following which Romania, fighting on the Russian side, gained independence from the Ottoman Empire. On April 16 [O.S. April 4] 1877, Romania and the Russian Empire signed a treaty at Bucharest under which Russian troops were allowed to pass through Romanian territory, with the condition that Russia respected the integrity of Romania. Consequently, the mobilization of the Romanian troops also began, and about 120,000 soldiers were massed in the south of the country to defend against an eventual attack of the Ottoman forces from south of the Danube. On April 24 [O.S. April 12] 1877, Russia declared war on the Ottoman Empire and its troops entered Romania through the newly built Eiffel Bridge, on their way to the Ottoman Empire. Due to great losses, the Russian Empire asked Romania to intervene. On July 24 [O.S. July 12] 1877, the first Romanian Army units crossed the Danube and joined forces with the Russian Army.[9]

  1. ^ a b Istoria Militară a Poporului Român (The Military History of the Romanian People), Centrul de Studii și Cercetări de Istorie și Teorie Militară, Editura Militară, București, 1987 (in Romanian)
  2. ^ Мерников А. Г., Спектор А. А. Всемирная история войн. — Минск: 2005. — С. 376.
  3. ^ Scafes, Cornel, et al., Armata Romania in Razvoiul de Independenta 1877–1878 (The Romanian Army in the War of Independence 1877–1878). Bucuresti, Editura Sigma, 2002, p. 149 (Romence)
  4. ^ Урланис Б. Ц. Войны и народонаселение Европы. — М.: 1960.
  5. ^ Мерников А. Г., Спектор А. А. (2005). Всемирная история войн. Minsk: Харвест. ISBN 985-13-2607-0.
  6. ^ Kaminskii, L. S., și Novoselskii, S. A., Poteri v proșlîh voinah (Victimele războaielor trecute). Medgiz, Moscova, 1947, pp. 36, 37
  7. ^ Cristian Crăciunoiu, Romanian Navy Torpedo Boats, p. 19
  8. ^ Nicolae Petrescu, M. Drăghiescu, Istoricul principalelor puncte pe Dunăre de la gura Tisei până la Mare şi pe coastele mării de la Varna la Odessa, p. 160 (in Romanian)
  9. ^ "Demersuri româno-ruse privind implicarea armatei române la sud de Dunăre". Archived from the original on 2020-07-20. Retrieved 2018-10-14.

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