The Reign of Alexandru Ioan Cuza (1859-1866) and His Reforms

1. The Reign of Alexandru Ioan Cuza (1859-1866) and His Reforms

2. Stage 1: 1859-1862 • Characterized by the efforts to give administrative coherence to the 1859 unification. • The armies, currencies, customs (vămile), telegraph services, the governments,as well as the (Adunările Obștești) of Wallachia and Moldova are unified. • In 1862 the United Principalities adopt the official name of Romania

3. Stage 2: 1862-1864 • Characterized by legal reforms aiming to modernize the country. • First move was in 1863 to secularize monastery lands (about ¼ of the entire area of the country), that is to transform them into state property. • 1864 primary education becomes both compulsory and free • 1864 All Romanians between 20 and 50 yearsold could now be called for military service • But the big challenge remained agrarian reform. Boyars owned 1/3 of the land outright. Peasants typically had the right to use land but had to pay rent (either in agricultural produce or money) in exchange for using the land and also to perform labor services for the boyars • Cuza wanted to make peasants owners of land but was opposed by Parliament, which was dominated by conservative boyars.

4. Stage 3: 1864-1866 • Unable to overcome parliamentary opposition, Cuza stages a coup d’etatand embarks on a period of authoritarian rule. • This enables him to pass the rural reform law. But it’s long-term effects were not very positive. Peasants received small plots of land based on the number of cattle they owned. They also had to pay compensation for the land they received over a period 15 years This prevented the economically efficient cultivation of peasant land, espcially since peasant land was further divided over time by inheritance • 1866 an unlikely coalition of conservatives (opposed to reforms) and liberals (opposed to Cuza’s authoritarianism) removes Cuza from power. This was known as the “monstrous coalition”. • 1873 Cuza dies in exile in Germany