The Fall of the Roman Empire in the 4th century after the attack by the Barbarians from Northern Europe saw the Byzantine empire rulers take over from 330-1450 The capital was Constantinople, with a few interruptions every now and then. Namely during the Crusades of the 12th & 13th centuries, Catholicism was the official religion of the Holy Roman Empire, that developed in Europe during the Middle Ages and lasted until 1806 during the period of the Napoleonic Wars. The Pope in Rome, Urban II calls on all Christians in Europe to war against Muslims in order to reclaim the Holy Land. 

The Slavs were settlers that came to the Balkans in the 6th century, a peaceful farming community that over a century became a powerful factor. They separated into four groups, Slovenes, Croats, Serbs and Bulgarians, Constantinople (Istanbul) was where the Palace of the Emperor was. Rome and Constantinople separated irrevocably in 1054. The Croats and Slovenes became part of Roman Catholic Europe while the Serbs, Bulgarians and Romanians joined the Greeks in their allegiance to Eastern Orthodox Church. The Crusades had two profound effects upon the Balkans, a hatred of the Eastern Orthodox Church against the Westerners and Catholics. The second was the weakening of the Empire. The Ottoman Empire came to prominence in 1350-1922. 

Cruising on The Danube.

The above gives a brief outline of the Balkans. The Danube River one of the longest rivers in Europe at 2800 km. The Danube is connected to the North Sea through the Rhine and Main rivers and then through the Danube Canal. Flowing through 10 countries it empties into the Black Sea.

Sailing from Budapest the capital of Hungary there’s a myriad of wonders to behold. The Paris of the East as it’s fondly referred to. The Carpathian Mountains act as a backdrop to the city. The Danube dissects the city of Budapest which is the amalgamation of what was once three cities, Buda, Obuda and Pest. For the purposes of administration and education, politicians and economists reached this agreement. A tour of the city will show evidence of Stone and Bronze Age settlements. The Architecture and sheer beauty of the city is to be envied. The focal point being the river one can visit Buda castle the residence of former Hungarian Kings, that now houses the National Gallery and Museum. See the Citadel and the Fisherman’s Bastion overlooking the city and the river, and visit St Stephen’s Basilica. Walk on the Chain bridge, intact after 150 years. For food enjoy the wonderful restaurants and eateries that are to be found on every street. The treat for today is a visit to Count Vlad III (Vlad the Impaler), Count Dracula’s grave.

Hungary was a monarchy until the deposition of the last king, Charles IV in 1918, after which it became a Republic. The Kingdom was nominally restored during the ‘Regency’ 1920-1946, ending with the Soviet occupation in 1946 after the Paris Peace Treaty. The country has a checkered history with various rulers in power. WW I Hungary had one third of its territory annexed by the Treaty of Versailles. WW II had the Soviet Union take control to become the Hungarian People’s Republic in 1949. Agreements with Allies had Hungary now part of the Warsaw Pact. 

As in many countries throughout the world we see that students and others of an educated background have led many a revolt. Look at South Africa. Budapest is no different and in 1956 a revolutionary group wanted change. The Soviet Army dealt harshly and quickly with those involved. Lives were lost and many Hungarians fled the country. The USSR was coming under severe pressure towards the end of the 1980s. In 1989 the Berlin Wall was torn down, many East Germans took refugee status in Hungary. On the 50th anniversary of the 1956 revolution many countries worldwide remembered Hungary’s efforts to quell the Communist expansion. In 2006 the then president George W Bush of the US paid a visit to Hungary to commemorate the event.

Sailing out of Budapest one can only imagine the merchants, people and cargo that have been transported in all directions on these waterways.

Vessels navigating the river go through the ‘Iron Gates Lock’ a gorge forged by the Danube through the Carpathian Mountains. Stopping at Pecs to browse the town, glass, porcelain, and china are the delights of the visitor. The Danube sneaks its way through Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. 

Into Bucharest the capital of Romania, once part of the Roman Empire. The Greek empires ruled through the middle of the First millennium, Europeans trading to Asia and the Far East were settling here. The Romanians were recognized as a noble race of people and brave in warfare or in the face of adversity. The Ottoman Turks expanded their empire into the Balkan states. Through the Middle Ages the Ottomans attacked Kosovo, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. War continued as the Mongolian armies came through. Geographic and historical places that are referenced to such as Transylvania, the Habsburg Empire to the West, the Russian Empire to the East and others that have been mentioned have a birth, rebirth and annihilation traced to these locations.

Geographically Romania has a land mass of about 240,000 square Km, approximately one third mountainous, one third forests and the rest is rich in mineral wealth and farmland. With a population of 22 million. It’s a religious country with 80% Romanian Orthodox Christians, Protestant, Catholic, Islam, Judaism and others.

WW II and Romania. With the outbreak of the War, Romania took a neutrality stand, but Fascist forces were coming to power urging an alliance with Germany. The Soviet Union had claims on Romania and some other Balkan states after ‘The Versailles Treaty’ in 1919. The Soviet onslaught on Germany-Romanian fronts and a coup d’état in Romania put the country on the side of the Allies in 1944. When WW II ended in 1945 there was a Soviet military presence there until 1958. Journeying on the Danube at low water levels it’s possible to see hulks of warships that were scuttled along the Danube by Nazi German forces retreating from the advancing Soviet troops.

The Communist Party ruled supreme in Romania. in 1965 Nicolae Ceausescu became the general secretary and president in 1967. He maintained independence from Moscow and established the most totalitarian European Communist state. The economic policies that were adopted proved disastrous for the country, world recession in the 70/80s brought enormous inflation and higher interest rates. Money borrowed from the IMF bankrupted the Romania economy. Ceausescu was re-elected after each five year term, the country was in financial ruin.

In 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev became president of the Soviet Union after an upheaval within Russia. Many member states of the Soviet States were in serious decline, Gorbachev’s efforts to democratize the political system and decentralize its economy led to the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize that same year, being classed as an outstanding world leader, mainly for confining the Red Army to barracks as the Berlin Wall war was torn down.

Ceausescu didn’t think so, having expected more from what he believed to be at one time the father of Communism. He brought his troops and tanks onto the streets and hundreds died. On the 21st December 1989 as he went to address a rally in Bucharest holding up pictures of himself and his wife Elena, the unthinkable happened for him. People jeered and shouted in protest, soldiers stood idly by. He and Elena fled the gathering. In a short time he was arrested and held in custody for a speedy trial.

Today Romania has a high-income economy with a skilled workforce. A member of the European Union and ranked 13th by the nominal GDP. The country’s growth is outstanding.

Looking back at the history of Romania over the past three decades, a presidential republic with a prime-minister as the head of government, as a nation it’s a tremendous success. Starting from a low platform its development has awakened many a country. Immigration and migration has given Romanians the opportunity to travel, for education, work, student exchange programs, with labourers and skilled workers coming to fill vacancies that have arisen from foreign investors who see a well educated workforce there already. 

Tourism has offered a visitor destination venue that’s comparable to many worldwide. While in Bucharest visit the Palace of the Parliament, the National Museum, Dracula’s Castle, the Castle where the Adams Family was filmed, take the Real Tour of Communism in Bucharest, the Story of the Cold War Museum, Revolution Square. Stroll the broad tree lined Boulevards and visit the pubs, restaurants or pick up something to nibble as you enjoy the pure beauty of Eastern Europe. 

Joe Fahy.