King Carol I and the Modernization of Romania

While earlier episodes have traced the ancient roots of Dacia, the Saxon fortified churches of Transylvania, and the turbulent path to the Great Union in 1918, this episode turns to the man who actually built the modern Romanian state. We explore the reign of King Carol I, a Hohenzollern prince who arrived in Bucharest in 1866 with little more than a military reputation and a contract. Under his rule, Romania shed its semi-Ottoman status, adopted a constitution modeled on Belgium’s, and constructed a national identity that balanced Western aspirations with Balkan realities. You will hear about the constitutional crisis of 1871, the pivotal Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 where Romanian troops crossed the Danube, and the complex legacy of Carol’s German-born Queen Elisabeth, known by her literary pseudonym Carmen Sylva. This is the story of how a small principality became a kingdom through diplomacy, railway expansion, and careful navigation between great powers.

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