On March 27/April 9, 1918, Bessarabia united with Romania, becoming the first province to contribute to the creation of Greater Romania.
Historical Context
In the lead-up to the union, on February 25/March 5, 1918, the Protocol of Buftea was signed, extending the armistice with the Central Powers and accepting their imposed conditions. Around the same time, Ukraine issued an official note claiming Bessarabia as rightful Ukrainian territory.
Under these circumstances, the independence of the Moldavian Democratic Republic became increasingly uncertain, and union with Romania emerged as the only viable solution.
The Union with Romania
The union of Bessarabia with Romania was decided on March 27, 1918, when the Sfatul Țării (Council of the Country) convened to adopt the act of union. During the session, speeches were given by Ion Inculeț, President of the Council, and Alexandru Marghiloman, Prime Minister of Romania, who officially represented the government in Bucharest. This decision marked the first major step toward the formation of Greater Romania.
The Act of Union included several provisions addressing the province’s pressing needs. The Sfatul Țării was to remain in place to complete the vital agrarian reform, which was critical to the Bessarabian peasantry.
The union was also conditioned on preserving provincial autonomy, including a local administration and a legislative body with authority over local budgets, municipal governance, and administrative appointments.
International Recognition and Later Reversal
Internationally, the union was recognized at the Paris Peace Conference in 1920. On October 28, 1920, Romania signed the Treaty of Paris alongside the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Japan, formalizing recognition of Romanian sovereignty over Bessarabia.
However, the effects of the union were reversed 22 years later, in 1940. Under the secret Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, the Soviet Union annexed Bessarabia, along with Northern Bukovina and the Hertsa Region.
Church Life
The union also had significant implications for religious life. The Archdiocese of Chișinău was integrated into the Romanian Orthodox Church. Between 1918 and 1936, the eparchy was led by several Romanian hierarchs, including Bishop Nicodim Munteanu and Metropolitan Gurie Grosu.
In 1944, following the Soviet occupation, church structures in Bessarabia were placed under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate, and Romanian bishops were replaced. It was not until 1992 that the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church reactivated the Metropolis of Bessarabia, under the leadership of Metropolitan Petru.
In 1995, it was officially named the “Metropolis of Bessarabia, autonomous and of the Old Calendar, and Exarchate of the Territories.”
Photo: ICR
