Tudor Vladimirescu | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Tudor Vladimirescu byTheodor Aman (painted after Tudor's death, it was allegedly based on the testimonials of his Pandurs) | |
| Other names | Tudor din Vladimiri Domnul Tudor |
| Born | c. 1780 (1780) |
| Died | 7 June 1821 (1821-06-08) |
Tudor Vladimirescu (Romanian pronunciation:[ˈtudorvladimiˈresku]; c. 1780 – 7 June [O.S. 27 May] 1821) was aRomanian revolutionary hero, the leader of theWallachian uprising of 1821 and of thePandurmilitia. He is also known asTudor din Vladimiri (Tudor from Vladimiri) or, occasionally, asDomnul Tudor (Voivode Tudor).
Tudor was born inVladimiri,Gorj County (in the region ofOltenia) in a family of landed peasants (mazili); his birth year is usually given as 1780, but this is still debated. At the age of 12, he was sent toCraiova, in service toboyarIoan Glogoveanu, where he would later learn rhetoric, grammar and theGreek language. He became administrator of the boyar's estate and, in 1806, was namedvătaf (leader of the local militias) atCloșani. Tudor's experience as a servant made him familiar with customs, habits and objectives of landowners; this insight helped him walk the fine line between conflicting interests of boyars and peasants in the first months of the uprising against thePhanariotes. While leader of a mainly peasant movement, Tudor did his best not to antagonize the elite, punishing any destruction of property.[1]
Tudor enrolled in theRussian army and took part in theRusso-Turkish War, 1806-1812. Consequently, he was awarded theOrder of St. Vladimir 3rd degree and given Russian protection andimmunity from prosecution under bothWallachian andOttoman legislation (seeSudiți). This contributed to Tudor's decisions throughout the uprising, alongside his belief that Russia was backing his actions. After the war, Tudor returned to Oltenia. He traveled briefly toVienna, in 1814, in order to attend alawsuit involving Glogoveanu's wife'spatrimony. The trip coincided with thePeace Congress, and it is believed that Vladimirescu followed the treaties' outcome.
Back in the country in 1815, Tudor learned thatAda Kaleh Ottoman garrison, who roamedMehedinți andGorj, had also destroyed his household fromCerneți.
From 1812 to 1821, Vladimirescu slowly built a follower base. The Pandurs respected his military skills, and many sources point out hischarisma and outstanding negotiating abilities. He would also have been familiarised with the outcomes of theFirst andSecond Serbian Uprising.
PrinceAlexandros Soutzos' death in January 1821 led to the forming of a temporaryComitet de Ocârmuire ("Governing Committee"), threeregents - all of them members of the most representative indigenous boyar families, of which the most prominent wasCaimacamGrigore Brâncoveanu. TheComitet, motivated against competition and denied Phanariote rulers' favours, decided to quickly manoeuver anti-boyar and anti-Phanariote sentiment in Wallachia (and especially in Oltenia), acting before the newly appointedScarlat Callimachi could claim his throne. Therefore, an agreement between it and the Pandurs was reached on the 15th:Dimitrie Macedonski was awarded the post of lieutenant to Tudor.
The very same day, Vladimirescu sent a letter to the Ottoman Court ofMahmud II, stating that his objective was not the rejection of Ottoman rule, but that of the Phanarioteregime, and showing his willingness for preservation of the traditional institutions. The statements were meant to buy Tudor time against Ottoman response, as he was already in negotiations with the Greek Anti-Ottoman revolutionary societyPhilikí Etaireía (having probably been in contact with it from around 1819). Together, they produced a plan forinsurrection, with the two Etairist representatives (Giorgakis Olympios andIannis Pharmakis) assuring the Wallachians of Russian support for the common cause. It is apparent that Tudor was not himself a member of the Etaireía: the rigid command structure of the Brotherhood would have excluded the need for any negotiations.
After fortifying monasteries in Oltenia (Tismana,Strehaia) that were to serve him in the event of Ottoman intervention, Tudor travelled toPadeș where he issued his first proclamation (23 January). It included references toEnlightenment principles (notably, theright to resist oppression), but was also an almostmillenarianist appeal to peasants, promising a "spring" to follow "winter".
In February the demands were detailed by more documents. They included: the elimination of purchased offices in the administration, with the introduction ofmeritocratic promotion, the suppression of certain taxes and taxing criteria, the reduction of the main tax, the founding of aWallachian Army, and an end to internalcustom duties. In line with these, Tudor asked for thebanishment of some Phanariote families and forbidding future Princes to hold aretinue that would compete with local boyars for offices. Calls by boyars in theDivan for Tudor to cease such activities (expressed by envoyNicolae Văcărescu) were met with a vehement refusal.
The army, swelled up in numbers as it advanced, occupiedBucharest on 21 March - here, Tudor issued another important proclamation, one that expressed yet again his commitment to peace with the Ottomans. Previously, the Philikí Etaireía underAlexander Ypsilanti had emerged inMoldavia, proclaiming a liberation from Ottoman rule that was backed by the then MoldavianPrinceMichael Soutzos (seeGreek War of Independence). However, this coincided with Russian reaction against Greek rebellion, with the Russian army entering Moldavia and enforcingHoly Alliance policies. Ypsilanti's army headed south, reaching Pandur-occupied Bucharest.
Tudor's actions in the meanwhile had destroyed his alliance to local boyars. He had started wearing thekalpak (a tall, cylindrical, black leather hat;seeOttoman Clothing) reserved for the Prince, and demanded to be addressed asDomn ("Master", "Prince"; cf.Domnitor) - moving away from subordination to the landowners' cause.
The meeting between Ypsilanti and Tudor brought a new compromise. Tudor considered himself liberated from the provisions of the January agreement, as Russia was now an enemy of the Etaireía; Ypsilanti tried to persuade him that Russian support was still possible. The country was divided into a Greek administration and a Wallachian one, with Tudor's declaring itself neutral in the face of large Ottoman armies preparing to cross the north of theDanube. Ottoman actions had been prompted by Russian threat of intervention in Wallachia.
Tudor's army retreated towards in Oltenia in May, as the Ottomans occupiedBucharest without meeting resistance. Tudor was no longer capable of maintaining the discipline and cohesion of his own troops, some of whom had resorted to robbery. In an attempt to ensure discipline, he imposed hangings of those found guilty. In the meantime, Etaireía members, led byAlexander Ypsilantis developed a plot to remove Tudor.
Following treason, Tudor was arrested inGolești on 21 May. On the night of 27 to 28 May, following accusations of collaboration with the Ottomans against Etaireía, he was tortured and killed by Etaireía inTârgoviște, his mutilated body being thrown into a cesspit. Tudor's collaboration with the Ottomans was never confirmed.[2] The Etaireía did not succeed in its goal to assume command of Vladimirescu's army: most of it disbanded on the spot.
Tudor's rebellion ensured that Wallachia would stay under military occupation. Although the situation was stabilized by August, Ottoman troops remained until 1826. However, as they could no longer trust Phanariote rule in the face of its infiltration by Greeknationalism (Ypsilanti himself came from a Phanariote family -seeAlexander Ypsilanti, his grandfather, andConstantine Ypsilanti, his father), the Ottomans returned the two Principalities to rule by and through locals (in 1822):Grigore IV Ghica in Wallachia,Ioan Sturdza (Ioniţă Sandu Sturdza) in Moldavia. The changes in the situation were to be confirmed by theTreaty of Adrianople and Russian occupation (at the end of theRusso-Turkish War).
Although the scope of his movement appealed to generations of Romanian nationalists, Tudor Vladimirescu's most favorable treatment came with the official ideology of theRomanian People's Republic (the first period ofCommunist Romania, lasting from 1948 to 1965). He was consideredprogressive, and it also contributed that he viewed himself as an ally to the Russian cause—almost as a precursor of theSoviet alliance. TheRomanian filmTudor[3] (1962) narrated his life from the return home in 1812 to his death. Tudor, portrayed byEmanoil Petruţ, falls from his horse after being shot in the back, claiming to return "as the grass of spring" - a far easier death than what Vladimirescu had endured in reality.
A division bearing his name (Divizia Tudor Vladimirescu) was formed by theRed Army with Romanianprisoners of war who had fought on theEastern Front. They were called on to fight theIon Antonescu pro-Nazi Germany regime, and were absorbed into theRomanian Army after 1944. The division had its precedent in anartillery battery of the same name, grouping Romanian volunteers in theInternational Brigades during theSpanish Civil War.[4] AnOrder of Tudor Vladmirescu was also created in 1966 and awarded to Romanian civilians and military personnel for contributions to the establishment of a socialist Romania, it could also be awarded to foreigners.[5] There are multiple streets and structures in Romania bearing his name, including ametro station in Bucharest. From its founding in 1951 to 1974, theRocar factory in Bucharest was called theTudor Vladimirescu Works and during this time the Tudor Vladimirescu van range (usually shortened to TV) was made from 1958 to 1996 along with a bus range from 1959 to 1976.
The day Vladimirescu entered Bucharest, 21 March, is now celebrated in Oltenia asOltenia Day, which was promulgated on 13 April 2017 by thePresident of RomaniaKlaus Iohannis.[6]
| Preceded by | Ruler of Wallachia March – May 1821 | Succeeded by |
