Romania's 1866 Coup: The Hohenzollern Who Became King

In 1866, Romania was a young principality still nominally under Ottoman suzerainty, ruled by a foreign prince who had been imposed after a coup d'état. This episode explores the fascinating story of how Carol I, a German prince of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, came to rule Romania and laid the foundations for the modern Romanian state. We discuss the political chaos following Alexandru Ioan Cuza's forced abdication, the 'monstrous coalition' that sought a foreign prince, the secret plebiscite, and Carol's long journey through the Danube to Bucharest. We also examine how Carol navigated the competing pressures of the Ottoman Empire, Russia, and the Great Powers, and how his reign saw the adoption of Romania's first constitution, the construction of the Peleș Castle, and the country's eventual independence in 1877. Discover the little-known story of how a German prince became the 'King of the Romanians' and shaped the nation's destiny.

#CarolI #HohenzollernSigmaringen #Romania #1866Coup #Cuza #PleCa #PeleCastle #RomanianIndependence #OttomanEmpire #PrinceKarl #RomanianConstitution #LascRCatargiu #IonBrTianu #Monarchy #BalkanHistory #19thCentury #FexingoHistory #History #Dacia #RomaniaHistory

Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo