Prehistory The territory of Dobruja has been inhabited by humans since
Middle and
Upper Palaeolithic, as the remains at
Babadag,
Slava Rusă and
Enisala demonstrate. Paleolithic people made tools of
silex and ate fruits, fish, and other hunted animals. In this period fire was discovered, and at its end, the bow with arrows and the boat sculpted from a trunk tree was invented. There were found tools in caves, inclusive
Gura Dobrogei. In the
Neolithic, the territory was occupied by members of the
Hamangia culture (named after a village on the Dobrujan coast),
Boian culture, and
Karanovo V culture. At the end of the fifth millennium BC, the
Gumelniţa culture appeared in the region under the influence of Aegeo-Mediterranean tribes and cultures. In the
Eneolithic, populations migrating from the north of the Black Sea, of the
Kurgan culture, mixed with the previous population, creating the
Cernavodă I culture. Under the influence of Kurgan II, the Cernavodă II culture emerged. Through the combination of the Cernavodă I and
Ezero culture, the Cernavodă III culture developed. The region had commercial contact with the Mediterranean world by the 14th century BC, as proven by a
Mycenaean sword discovered at
Medgidia, but under the reserve demanded by lack of hard evidence in what concerns the provenience/manufacturer of such armours.
Ancient history During the early
Iron Age (8th–6th centuries BC), there was increased differentiation of the local
Getic tribes from the
Thracian mass. In the second part of the 8th century BC, the first signs of commercial relations between the indigenous population and the Greeks appeared on the shore of the Halmyris Gulf (now the
Sinoe Lake). In 657/656 BC
ancient Greek colonists from
Miletus founded a colony in the region:
Histria. In the 7th and 6th centuries BC, more
Greek colonies were founded on the Dobrujan coast (
Callatis,
Tomis,
Dionysopolis, Parthenopolis, Aphrodisias, Eumenia etc.). In the 5th century BC these colonies were under the influence of the
Delian League, passing in this period from
oligarchy to
democracy. In the 6th century BC, the first
Scythian groups began to enter the region. Two
Getic tribes, the
Crobyzi and
Terizi, and the town of Orgame (
Argamum) were mentioned on the territory of present Dobruja by
Hekataios of Miletus (540–470 BC). In 514/512 BC King
Darius I of Persia subdued the
Getae living in the region during his expedition against Scythians living north of the Danube. At about 430 BC, the
Odrysian kingdom under
Sitalkes extended its rule to the mouths of the Danube. In 429 BC, Getae from the region participated in an Odrysian campaign in
Macedonia. In the 4th century BC, the Scythians brought Dobruja under their sway. In 341–339 BC, one of their kings,
Atheas, fought against Histria, which was supported by a
Histrianorum rex (probably a local Getic ruler). In 339 BC, King Atheas was defeated by the
Macedonians under King
Philip II, who afterwards extended his rule over Dobruja. In 313 BC and again in 310–309 BC, the Greek colonies led by Callatis, supported by
Antigonus I Monophthalmus, revolted against Macedonian rule. The revolts were suppressed by
Lysimachus, the
diadochus of
Thrace, who also began a military expedition against
Dromichaetes, the ruler of the Getae north of the Danube, in 300 BC. In the 3rd century BC, colonies on the Dobrujan coast paid tribute to the
basilei Zalmodegikos and
Moskon, who probably also ruled northern Dobruja. In the same century,
Celts settled in the north of the region. In 260 BC,
Byzantion lost the war with Callatis and Histria for the control of Tomis. At the end of the 3rd century BC and the beginning of the 2nd century BC, the
Bastarnae settled in the area of the Danube Delta. Around 200 BC, the Thracian king
Zoltes invaded the province several times, but was defeated by
Rhemaxos, who became the protector of the Greek colonies. Early Greek scholars such as
Herodotus appear to have regarded the region as the south-western extension of
Scythia – a practice also followed in a 2nd-century BC inscription, recording a decree made in Histria, which refers to the region surrounding the Greek city as
Scythia. However, the
toponym Μικρά Σκυθία (
Mikra Skythia), usually translated as
Scythia Minor appears to have become the name for the region later known as Dobruja. The earliest known usage of
Mikra Skythia is found in
Strabo's early
Geography (1st century AD). The Greeks thus apparently distinguished it from
Scythia Major, which lay north of the Danube delta. Around 100 BC King
Mithridates VI of Pontus extended his authority over the Greek cities in Dobruja. However, in 72–71 BC, during the
Third Mithridatic War, these cities were occupied by the forces of
Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus, the
Roman proconsul of
Macedonia. A
foedus was signed between the Greek colonies and the Roman Republic, but in 62–61 BC the colonies revolted.
Gaius Antonius Hybrida intervened, but was defeated by Getae and Bastarnae at the
Battle of Histria. After 55 BC the
Dacian Kingdom under King
Burebista conquered Dobruja and all the Greek colonies on the coast.
Roman rule In 28/29 BC
Rholes, a
Getic ruler from Southern Dobruja, supported the proconsul of Macedonia,
Marcus Licinius Crassus, in his action against the Bastarnae. Declared
friend and ally of the Roman people by
Octavian, Rholes helped Crassus in conquering the states of
Dapyx (in central Dobruja) and
Zyraxes (in the north of the region). Dobruja became part of the
client kingdom of the
Odrysians, while the Greek cities on the coast came under direct rule of the governor of
Macedonia. In 6 AD the Roman province of
Moesia was created when mention is made of its governor,
Caecina Severus., but Dobruja, under the name
Ripa Thraciae, remained part of the Odrysian kingdom. The Greek cities on the coast formed a
praefectura orae maritimae. In 12 AD and 15 AD, Getic armies succeeded in conquering the cities of
Aegyssus and
Troesmis for a short time, but Odrysian king
Rhoemetalces I defeated them with the help of the Roman army. In 46 AD
Thracia became a Roman province and the territories of present Dobruja were absorbed into the province of Moesia. The
Geto–Dacians invaded the region several times in the 1st century AD, especially between 62 and 70. In the same period, the base of the
Roman Danube fleet (
classis Flavia Moesica) was moved to
Noviodunum. The
praefectura was annexed to Moesia in 86 AD. In the same year
Domitian divided Moesia, Dobruja being included in the eastern part,
Moesia Inferior. monument in
Adamclisi commemorating Roman victory over Dacians (Modern reconstruction) In the winter of 101–102 the Dacian king
Decebalus led a coalition of Dacians,
Carpians,
Sarmatians and
Burs in an attack against Moesia Inferior. The invading army was defeated by the Roman legions under Emperor
Trajan on the
Yantra river. (Later
Nicopolis ad Istrum was founded there to commemorate the victory.) The invaders were also defeated near the modern village of
Adamclisi, in the southern part of Dobruja. The latter victory was commemorated by the
Tropaeum Traiani monument built in 109 at the site and the founding of the city of the same name. After 105,
Legio XI Claudia and
Legio V Macedonica were moved to
Durostorum and
Troesmis, respectively. In 118
Hadrian intervened in the region to calm a Sarmatian rebellion. In 170
Costoboci invaded Dobruja, attacking
Libida,
Ulmetum and
Tropaeum. The province was generally stable and prosperous until the
crisis of the Third Century, which led to the weakening of defences and numerous barbarian invasions. In the
Gothic War (248-253) a coalition of
Goths under King
Cniva devastated Dobruja. Barbarian attacks followed in 258, 263 and 267. In 269 a fleet of allied Goths,
Heruli,
Bastarnae and Sarmatians attacked the cities on the coast, including Tomis. In 272
Aurelian defeated the Carpians north of the Danube and settled a part of them near
Carsium. The same emperor put an end to the crisis in the Roman Empire, thus helping the reconstruction of the province. During the reign of
Diocletian, Dobruja was organized administratively as a separate province, called
Scythia, part of the
Diocese of Thracia. Its capital city was Tomis. Diocletian created
Legio II Herculia and
Legio I Iovia and installed them at Troesmis and Noviodunum respectively. In 331–332
Constantine the Great defeated the Goths who attacked the province. But Dobruja was devastated again by
Ostrogoths in 384–386. Under the Roman emperors
Licinius,
Julian the Apostate, and
Valens, the cities of the region were repaired or rebuilt.
Byzantine rule After the division of the
Roman Empire, Dobruja was absorbed into the
Eastern Roman Empire. Between 513 and 520, the region participated in a revolt against
Anastasius I. Its leader,
Vitalian, native of
Zaldapa in Southern Dobruja, defeated the Byzantine general
Hypatius near
Kaliakra. During
Justin I's rule,
Antes and
Slavs invaded the region, but
Germanus Justinus defeated them. In 529, the
Gepid commander
Mundus repelled a new invasion by
Bulgars and Antes.
Kutrigurs and
Avars invaded the region several times, until 561–562, when the Avars under
Bayan I were settled south of the Danube as
foederati. During the rule of
Mauricius Tiberius, the Slavs devastated Dobruja, destroying the cities of
Dorostolon, Zaldapa, and Tropaeum. In 591/593, Byzantine general
Priscus tried to stop invasions, attacking and defeating the Slavs under
Ardagast in the north of the province. In 602 during the mutiny of the Byzantine army in the Balkans under
Phocas, a large mass of Slavs crossed the Danube, settling south of the Danube. Dobruja remained under loose Byzantine control, and was reorganised during the reign of
Constantine IV as
Thema Scythia.
First Bulgarian Empire rule , the founder of the First Bulgarian State, in
Dobrich; Dobruja was part of Asparukh's conquest in the 7th century The results of archaeological research indicate that the Byzantine presence on Dobruja's mainland and the banks of the Danube were reduced at the end of the 6th century, under the pressure of the
Migration Period. In the coastal fortifications on the southern bank of the Danube, the latest Byzantine coin found dates from the time of the emperors
Tiberius II Constantine (574–582) and
Heraclius (610–641). After that period, all inland Byzantine cities were demolished by the invaders and abandoned. Some of the
earliest Slavic settlements to the south of Danube have been discovered in Dobruja, near the villages of
Popina,
Garvăn and
Nova Cherna. They have been dated to the end of the 6th and the beginning of the 7th centuries. These lands became the main zone of compact
Bulgar settlement in the end of the 7th century. According to the peace treaty of 681, signed after the Bulgarian victory over Byzantines in the
Battle of Ongala, Dobruja became part of the
First Bulgarian Empire. Shortly after, the Bulgar founded the city of
Pliska, which became the first Bulgarian capital, near the southern border of Dobruja. They rebuilt
Madara as a major Bulgar pagan religious centre. According to the
Bulgarian Apocryphal Chronicle, from the 11th century, Bulgarian Tsar
Ispor "accepted the Bulgarian tsardom", created "great cities,
Drastar on the Danube", a "great wall from Danube to the sea", "the city of
Pliska" and "populated the lands of
Karvuna" (nowadays
Balchik). According to Bulgarian historians, during the 7th–10th centuries, the region was fortified by construction of a large network of earthen and wooden strongholds and ramparts. Around the end of the 8th century, widespread building of new stone fortresses and defensive walls began. The Bulgarians also reconstructed some of the ruined Byzantine fortresses (
Kaliakra and
Silistra in the 8th century, Madara and
Varna in the 9th). According to Barnea, among other historians, during the following three centuries of Bulgarian domination, Byzantines still controlled the Black Sea coast and the mouths of Danube, and for short periods, even some cities. But Bulgarian archaeologists note that the last Byzantine coins found, which are considered a proof of Byzantine presence, date in
Kaliakra from the time of Emperor
Justin II (565–578), in
Varna from the time of Emperor
Heraclius (610–641), and in Tomis from
Constantine IV's rule (668–685). At the beginning of the 8th century,
Justinian II visited Dobruja to ask Bulgarian
Khan Tervel for military help. Khan
Omurtag (815–831) built a "glorious home on the Danube" and erected a mound in the middle of the distance between Pliska and his new building, according to his inscription kept in
SS. Forty Martyrs Church in
Veliko Tarnovo. The location of this edifice is unclear; the main theories place it at Silistra or at
Păcuiul lui Soare. Many early medieval Bulgar stone inscriptions were found in Dobruja, including historical narratives, inventories of armament or buildings, and commemorative texts. During this period Silistra became an important Bulgarian ecclesiastical centre—an episcopate after 865 and seat of the Bulgarian Patriarch at the end of the 10th century. In 895,
Magyar tribes from
Budjak invaded Dobruja and northeastern Bulgaria. An old Slavic inscription, found at
Mircea Vodă, mentions
Zhupan Dimitri (Дѣимитрѣ жѹпанѣ), a local feudal landlord prominent in the south of the region in 943.
Return of Byzantine rule and late migrations With financial encouragement from the Byzantine emperor,
Nikephoros II Phocas,
Sviatoslav I of Kiev agreed to assist the Byzantines in their war with the Bulgarians. Sviatoslav defeated the Bulgarians (led by
Boris II) and proceeded to occupy the whole of northern Bulgaria. He occupied Dobruja in 968 and moved the capital of
Kievan Rus' to
Pereyaslavets, in the north of the region. Sviatoslav refused to turn his Balkan conquests over to the Byzantines, and the parties fell out as a result. So the Byzantines under
John I Tzimisces reconquered Dobruja in 971 and included it in the theme 'Mesopotamia of the West' (Μεσοποταμια της Δυσεον). According to some historians, soon after 976 or in 986, the southern part of Dobruja was included in the Bulgarian state then ruled by
Samuel. The northern part remained under Byzantine rule, being reorganised in an autonomous
klimata. Other historians are of the view that Northern Dobruja was reconquered by Bulgarians as well. In 1000, a Byzantine army commanded by
Theodorokanos reconquered the whole of Dobruja, organizing the region as the
Strategia of
Dorostolon and, after 1020, as
Paristrion (Paradounavon). To prevent mounted attacks from the north, the Byzantines constructed three
ramparts from the Black Sea down to the Danube, in the 10th–11th centuries. According to Bulgarian archaeologists and historians, these fortifications may have been built much earlier and were erected by the First Bulgarian Empire in response to the threat of
Khazars' raids. From the 10th century, Byzantines accepted small groups of
Pechenegs settling in Dobruja. In the spring of 1036, an invasion of the Pecheneg devastated large parts of the region, destroying the forts at
Capidava and
Dervent, and burning the settlement of
Dinogeţia. In 1046 the Byzantines accepted the Pecheneg under
Kegen settling in Paristrion as foederati. The Pecheneg dominated the region until 1059, when
Isaac I Komnenos reconquered Dobruja. In 1064, an invasion by the
Oghuz Turks affected the region. During 1072 to 1074, when Nestor (the new
strategos of Paristrion) was in Dristra, he found that the Pecheneg ruler, Tatrys, was leading a rebellion. In 1091, three autonomous, probably Pecheneg, rulers were mentioned in the
Alexiad: Tatos (
Τατοῦ) or Chalis (
χαλῆ), in the area of
Dristra (probably the same person as Tatrys), and Sesthlav (
Σεσθλάβου) and Satza (
Σατζά) in the area of
Vicina. The
Cumans moved into Dobruja in 1094 and were influential in the region until the advent of the
Ottoman Empire.
Second Bulgarian Empire and Mongol domination In 1187 the Byzantines lost control of Dobruja to the restored Bulgarian Empire. In 1241, the first
Tatar groups, under
Kadan, invaded Dobruja starting a century long history of turmoil in the region. Around 1263–64, Byzantine Emperor
Michael VIII Palaeologus gave permission to
Sultan Kaykaus II to settle in the area with a group of
Seljuk Turks from
Anatolia. A missionary
Turkish mystic,
Sarı Saltuk, was the spiritual leader of this group. His tomb in
Babadag (which was named after him) is still a place of pilgrimage for Muslims. Arab chronicles of the 13th century mentioned Dobrogea under the name "Şakji" and the Vlachs inhabitants under the names "al-Awalak" and "ulaqut". In 1265, the Bulgarian Emperor
Constantine Tikh Asen hired 20,000 Tatars to cross the Danube and attack Byzantine
Thrace. On their way back, the Tatars forced most of the Seljuk Turks, including their chief Sarı Saltuk, to resettle in Kipchak (Cumania). In the second part of the 13th century, the Turco–Mongolian
Golden Horde Empire continuously raided and plundered Dobruja. The inability of the Bulgarian authorities to cope with the numerous raids became the main reason for the uprising, led by
Ivailo (1277–1280), that broke out in eastern Bulgaria. Ivailo's army defeated the Tatars, who were forced to leave the Bulgarian territory; he next outed Constantine Tikh's army, and Ivailo has crowned Emperor of Bulgaria. The war with the Tatars continued. In 1278, after a new Tatar invasion in Dobruja, Ivailo was forced to retreat to the strong fortress of Silistra, where he withstood a three-month siege. In 1280 the Bulgarian nobility, which feared the growing influence of the peasant emperor, organised a coup. Ivailo had to flee to his enemy the Tatar
Nogai Khan, who later killed him. In 1300
Toqta, the new Khan of the Golden Horde, ceded
Bessarabia to Emperor
Theodore Svetoslav. , the seat of the autonomous Dobrujan Principality
Autonomous Dobruja In 1325, the
Ecumenical Patriarch nominated Methodius as Metropolitan of Varna and Carvona. After this date,
Balik/Balica is mentioned as a local ruler in Southern Dobruja. In 1346, he supported
John V Palaeologus in his
dispute for the Byzantine throne with
John VI Cantacuzenus. He sent an army corps under his son
Dobrotitsa/Dobrotici and his brother, Theodore, to help the mother of John Palaeologus, Anna of Savoy. For his bravery, Dobrotitsa received the title of
strategos and married the daughter of
megadux Apokaukos. After the reconciliation of the two pretenders, a territorial dispute broke out between the Dobrujan polity and the Byzantine Empire for the port of
Midia. In 1347, at John V Palaeologus' request,
Emir Bahud-din Umur,
Bey of
Aydın, led a naval expedition against Balik, destroying Dobruja's seaports. Balik and Theodore died during the confrontation, and Dobrotitsa became the new ruler. Between 1352 and 1359, with the collapse of Golden Horde rule in Northern Dobruja, a new state appeared. It was controlled by
Tatar prince
Demetrius, who claimed to be the protector of the river mouths of the Danube. In 1357 Dobrotitsa was mentioned as a
despot ruling over a large territory, including the fortresses of
Varna, Kozeakos (near
Obzor), and
Emona. In 1366, John V Palaeologus visited Rome and
Buda, trying to gather military support for his campaigns. On his return, he was captured at Vidin by
Ivan Alexander,
Tsar of
Tarnovo, who believed that the new alliances were directed against his realm. An anti-Ottoman crusade under
Amadeus VI of Savoy, supported by the republics of
Venice and
Genoa, was diverted to free the Byzantine emperor. Dobrotitsa collaborated with the crusaders, and after the allies conquered several Bulgarian forts on the Black Sea, Ivan Alexander freed John and negotiated a peace agreement. Dobrotitsa's role in this conflict brought him numerous political advantages: his daughter married one of John V's sons, Michael, and his principality extended its control over some of the forts lost by the Bulgarians (
Anchialos and
Mesembria). In 1368, after the death of prince Demetrius, Dobrotitsa was recognised as ruler by
Pangalia and other cities on the right bank of the Danube. In 1369, together with
Vladislav I of Wallachia, Dobrotitsa helped Prince
Stratsimir to win back the throne of
Vidin. Between 1370 and 1375, allied with Venice, Dobritsia challenged Genoese power in the Black Sea. In 1376, he tried to impose his son-in-law, Michael, as Emperor of
Trebizond, but was unsuccessful. Dobrotitsa supported John V Palaeologus against his son
Andronicus IV Palaeologus. In 1379, the Dobrujan fleet participated in the blockade of
Constantinople, fighting with the Genoese fleet. In 1386, Dobrotitsa died and was succeeded by
Ivanko. That same year he accepted a peace agreement with
Murad I and in 1387 signed a commercial treaty with Genoa. Ivanko was killed in 1388 during the expedition of
Ottoman Grand Vizier Çandarli Ali Pasha against
Tarnovo and
Dristra. The expedition brought most of the Dobrujan forts under Turkish rule.
Wallachian rule In 1388/1389 Dobruja (
Terrae Dobrodicii—as mentioned in a document from 1390) and Dristra (
Dârstor) came under the control of
Mircea the Elder, ruler of
Wallachia, who defeated the
Ottoman Grand Vizier.
Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I conquered the southern part of the territory in 1393, attacking Mircea one year later, but without success. In the spring of 1395
Mircea regained the lost Dobrujan territories, with the help of his
Hungarian allies. The Ottomans recaptured Dobruja in 1397 and ruled it to 1404, although in 1401 Mircea strongly defeated an Ottoman army. The defeat of Sultan Beyezid I by
Tamerlane at
Ankara in 1402 opened a period of anarchy in the Ottoman Empire. Mircea took advantage of it to organise a new anti-Ottoman campaign: in 1403, he occupied the Genoese fort of
Kilia at the mouths of the Danube. Thus in 1404, he could impose his authority on Dobruja. In 1416, Mircea supported the revolt against
Sultan Mehmed I, led by
Sheikh Bedreddin in the area of Deliorman, in Southern Dobruja. After Mircea died in 1418, his son
Mihail I fought against the amplified Ottoman attacks, eventually being killed in a battle in 1420. That year, Sultan Mehmed I conducted the definitive conquest of Dobruja by the
Turks.
Wallachia kept only the mouths of the Danube, but not for a long duration. In the late 14th century, German traveller
Johann Schiltberger described these lands as follows:
Ottoman rule Annexed by the
Ottoman Empire in 1420, the region remained under Ottoman control until the late 19th century. Initially, it was organised as an
udj (border province), included in the
sanjak of Silistra, part of the
Eyalet of Rumelia. Later, under
Murad II or
Suleiman I, the sanjak of Silistra and surrounding territories were organised as a separate
eyalet. In 1555, a revolt led by the "false" (
düzme) Mustafa, a pretender to the Turkish throne, broke out against Ottoman administration in
Rumelia and rapidly spread to Dobruja, but was repressed by the
beylerbey of
Nigbolu. In 1603 and 1612, the region suffered from the forays of
Cossacks, who burnt down
Isaķči and plundered
Küstendje. The Russian Empire occupied Dobruja several times during the
Russo-Turkish wars — in 1771–1774, 1790–1791, 1809–1810, 1829, and 1853. The most violent invasion was that of 1829, which resulted in the depopulation of numerous villages and towns. The
Treaty of Adrianople of 1829 ceded the
Danube Delta to the
Russian Empire. However, Russia was forced to return it to the Ottomans in 1856, after the
Crimean War. In 1864 Dobruja was included in the
Vilayet of Danube.
Russo-Turkish War of 1878 and aftermath After the 1878 war, the
Treaty of San Stefano awarded Dobruja to
Russia and the newly established
Principality of Bulgaria. The northern portion, held by Russia, was ceded to Romania in exchange for Russia obtaining territories in
Southern Bessarabia, thereby securing direct access to the mouths of the
Danube. The population included a Bulgarian ethnic enclave in the northeast (around
Babadag), as well as an important Muslim majority (mostly Turks and Tatars) scattered around the region. The southern portion, held by Bulgaria, was reduced the same year by the
Treaty of Berlin. At the advice of the French envoy, a strip of land extended inland from the port of
Mangalia (shown orange on the map) was ceded to Romania, since its southwestern corner contained a compact area of ethnic Romanians. The town of
Silistra, located at the area's most southwestern point, remained Bulgarian due to its large Bulgarian population. Romania subsequently tried to occupy the town as well, but in 1879 a new international commission allowed Romania to occupy only the fort
Arab Tabia, which overlooked Silistra, but not the town itself. At the beginning of the
Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, most of Dobruja's population was composed of ethnic Tatars, and Turks, with minorities of Romanians, and Bulgarians. During the war, a large part of the Muslim population was evacuated to Bulgaria and Turkey. After 1878, the Romanian government encouraged Romanians from other regions to settle in Northern Dobruja and accepted the return of some Muslim population displaced by the war. According to Bulgarian historians, after 1878 the Romanian church authorities took control over all local churches, with the exception of two in the towns of Tulcea and Constanţa, which managed to retain use of their Bulgarian Slavonic liturgy. Between 1879 and 1900, Bulgarians built 15 new churches in Northern Dobruja. After 1880,
Italians from
Friuli and
Veneto settled in Greci, Cataloi and
Măcin in Northern Dobruja. Most of them worked in the granite quarries in the
Măcin Mountains, while some became farmers. The Bulgarian authorities encouraged the settling of ethnic Bulgarians in the territory of Southern Dobruja.
Balkan Wars and World War I In May 1913, the
Great Powers awarded Silistra and the area in a 3 km radius around it to Romania, at the
Saint Petersburg Conference. In August 1913, after the
Second Balkan War, Bulgaria lost
Southern Dobruja (
Cadrilater) to Romania (See
Treaty of Bucharest, 1913). With Romania's entry in
World War I on the side of France and Russia, the
Central Powers occupied all of Dobruja and gave the Cadrilater, as well as the southern portion of Northern Dobruja, to Bulgaria in the
Treaty of Bucharest of 1918. This situation lasted for a short period. As the
Allied Powers emerged victorious at the end of the war, Romania regained the lost territories in the
Treaty of Neuilly of 1919. Between 1926 and 1938, about 30,000
Aromanians from Bulgaria,
Macedonia, and Greece, were resettled in Southern Dobruja. Some
Megleno-Romanians also emigrated to the region. In 1923 the
Internal Dobrujan Revolutionary Organisation (IDRO), a Bulgarian nationalist organisation, was established. Active in Southern Dobruja under different forms until 1940, the IDRO detachments fought against the widespread brigandage in the region, as well as the Romanian administration. Thus, while considered "a terrorist organisation" by the Romanian authorities, the IDRO was regarded by ethnic Bulgarians as a liberation movement. In 1925, part of the Bulgarian revolutionary committees formed the
Dobrujan Revolutionary Organisation (DRO), which later became subordinated to the
Communist Party of Romania. In contrast with the IDRO, which fought for the inclusion of the region in the Bulgarian state, the DRO requested the independence of Dobruja and its inclusion in a projected
Federative Republic of the Balkans. The means used by DRO to attain its goals were also more peaceful.
World War II and aftermath During
World War II, Bulgaria regained Southern Dobruja in the September 1940
Axis-sponsored
Treaty of Craiova, despite Romanian negotiators' insistence that
Balchik and other towns should remain in Romania. As part of the treaty, the
Romanian inhabitants (Aromanian and Megleno-Romanian
refugee-
settlers, settlers from other regions of Romania, and the Romanians indigenous to the region) were forced to leave the regained territory, while the Bulgarian minority in the north was expelled to go to Bulgaria in a
population exchange. The post-war
Paris Peace Treaties of 1947 reaffirmed the 1940 border. In 1948 and again in 1961–1962, Bulgaria proposed a border rectification in the area of Silistra, consisting mainly of the transfer of a Romanian territory containing the water source of that city. Romania made an alternative proposal that did not involve a territorial change and, ultimately, no rectification took place. In Romania, 14 November is a holiday observed as
Dobruja Day. == Demographic history ==