Moldova

Moldova

Antique Moldovan rug

Chronology of Important Events

Period Description
SECOND-THIRD CENTURIES
ca. 105-270 Rome occupies territory of future
Romanian lands.
FOURTEENTH CENTURY
1349 Prince Bogdan establishes Bogdania, later
renamed Moldova, stretching from
Carpathian Mountains to Nistru River.
SIXTEENTH CENTURY
1512 Although Stephen the Great (1457-1504)
achieves significant victories against
Ottoman Empire, Moldova becomes tributary
state of empire for 300 years.
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
First Half First Moldovan books appear.
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
1792 Ottoman Empire cedes all its holdings in
Transnistria to Russian Empire under
Treaty of Ia i.
NINETEENTH CENTURY
1812 Bessarabia is incorporated into Russian
Empire under Treaty of Bucharest after
Russo-Turkish War (1806-12).
1858 Moldovan territory west of Prut River is
united with Walachia. Alexandru Ioan Cuza
is elected prince of the two regions the
following year.
TWENTIETH CENTURY
1917 February Revolution and Bolshevik
Revolution bring down Russian Empire.
Bessarabia's newly created National
Council declares Bessarabia the
independent Democratic Moldovan Republic,
federated with Russia.
1918 Bessarabia declares its complete
independence from Russia and votes to
unite with Romania.
1924 Soviet government creates Moldavian
Autonomous Oblast on east bank of Nistru
River. Seven months later, oblast is
upgraded to Moldavian Autonomous Soviet
Socialist Republic (Moldavian ASSR).
1940 June Bessarabia is occupied by Soviet forces
as a result of secret protocol attached
to 1939 Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact.
August Soviet government creates Moldavian
Soviet Socialist Republic (Moldavian SSR)
from most of Bessarabia and a portion of
Moldavian ASSR.
1941 Germany and Romania attack Moldavian SSR
and Ukrainian SSR; Germany gives
Bessarabia, northern Bukovina, and
Transnistria to Romania.
1944 Soviet forces reoccupy Bessarabia and
Transnistria.
1947 Bessarabia, northern Bukovina, and
Transnistria are formally returned to
Soviet Union by treaty.
1950-52 As first secretary of Communist Party of
Moldavia, Leonid I. Brezhnev liquidates
and deports thousands of ethnic Romanians
from Moldova and institutes forced
collectivization.
1986 Mikhail S. Gorbachev announces policy of
perestroika at CPSU's Twenty-
Seventh Party Congress in Moscow.
1988 Yedinstvo/Unitatea is formed by Slavs in
Transnistria.
1989 Moldovan Popular Front is formed.
1990 February Popular Front organizes "Republic's
Voters Meeting," attended by more than
100,000 persons. First democratic
elections are held for Supreme Soviet of
Moldavian SSR. Runoff elections are held
in March. Mircea Snegur is elected
chairman of Supreme Soviet.
June Name of Moldavian Soviet Socialist
Republic is changed to Soviet Socialist
Republic of Moldova. Supreme Soviet
adopts declaration of sovereignty
August Gagauz declare an independent "Gagauz
Republic."
September Slavs in Transnistria proclaim
independent "Dnestr Moldavian Republic."
Snegur becomes president of Soviet
Socialist Republic of Moldova.
1991 May Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova is
renamed Republic of Moldova. Supreme
Soviet changes its name to Moldovan
Parliament.
August August coup d'état takes place in Moscow.
Moldovan Parliament bans Communist Party
of Moldavia. Moldova declares its
complete independence from Soviet Union
on August 27 and demands withdrawal of
Soviet troops.
October President Snegur announces decision to
organize Moldova's own national armed
forces.
December Stepan Topal is elected president of
"Gagauz Republic." Igor' N. Smirnov is
elected president of "Dnestr Moldavian
Republic." Minsk Agreement establishes
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
President Snegur signs Alma-Ata
Declaration, which expands membership of
CIS, but Moldovan Parliament refuses to
ratify declaration. Soviet Union is
dissolved. United States recognizes
Moldova.
1992 March Government of Moldova declares state of
emergency in reaction to mounting
violence.
May Armed resistance by separatists escalates
to full-scale civil war in Transnistria.
July An agreement establishing a cease-fire in
Moldova is signed by Moldovan president
Snegur and Russian president Boris N.
Yeltsin.
1993 January Moldovan Parliament refuses to sign an
agreement strengthening CIS.
February Moldovan Popular Front is reformed as
Christian Democratic Popular Front.
November Moldova introduces its own currency, the
leu.
1994 February Parliamentary elections drastically
change Moldovan government. Popular Front
majority gone, compromises made with
nationalities on various issues.
April Moldova votes to join CIS.
August New Moldovan constitution goes into
effect.
October Moldova and Russia sign an agreement on
withdrawal of Russian 14th Army from
Transnistria and Bendery, but only
Moldovan government approves it.
1995 March Students, intelligentsia, workers, and
pensioners demonstrate in Chi in u over
cultural and educational issues and the
name of the language.
June Lieutenant General Aleksandr V. Lebed'
resigns as head of the Russian 14th Army
in protest over scheduled downgrading of
the 14th Army.

Data as of June 1995

Moldova - TABLE OF CONTENTS