Lexi Webster
Bukovina, whose name in all languages means land of beech trees, is a historical geographic area in east-central Europe located on the northern slopes of the Carpathian Mountains. From 1774 to 1919, it was an administrative division of the Austrian Empire. The official German name of the province under Austrian rule was die Bukowina, derived from the Polish form Bukowina. Today, the region straddles Romania and Ukraine.
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What You'll Learn
Bukovina's history as part of the Austrian Empire
Bukovina, a historical region in Central and Eastern Europe, was part of the Austrian Empire from 1775 to 1918. The region, which is made up of a portion of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plain, was annexed from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg monarchy in 1775. The name "Bukovina" came into official use that same year, derived from the Ukrainian word "bukovyna" and the common Slavic word "buk", meaning beech tree.
During the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774, the Austrian troops occupied Bukovina in October 1774, and it was formally annexed in January 1775. The region was first acquired by the Russians, who occupied it from December 1769 to September 1774. The Habsburgs received it as a reward for aiding the Russians in the war. Bukovina was then a closed military district from 1775 until 1786, after which it was incorporated as the largest district of the Austrian constituent Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. The region served as a land bridge connecting Austria's recent acquisitions of Galicia and Transylvania.
Under Austrian rule, German became the official language of administration and the lingua franca of public life. German colonists introduced new agricultural methods and techniques, including the iron plough, the three-field system, field drainage, and systematic cultivation of various crops. They also established cooperatives that provided access to modern farming equipment for a small fee. With the German colonists and the political link to Vienna, Bukovina was exposed to Western influence.
During its Austrian period, Bukovina experienced significant economic and cultural advancements. The Austrian government built roads, railroads, bridges, and established postal, telephone, and telegraph services. They also introduced an educational system, from kindergarten to university. By the end of the Habsburg era, Czernowitz, Bukovina's capital city, had become known as a "little Vienna". The region's population grew rapidly as people of various ethnic backgrounds were attracted to the Austrian Empire's religious tolerance and relaxed feudal obligations.
In 1849, Bukovina gained a representative assembly, the Landtag (diet). The region became part of the Cisleithanian or Austrian territories of Austria-Hungary in 1867 with the reorganisation of the Austrian Empire as the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It remained part of the Empire until the end of World War I in 1918, when the northern districts were claimed by the Ukrainians and the entire territory by the Romanians. With the Treaty of Saint Germain in 1919, Austrian political influence in Bukovina officially ended.
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The meaning of the name 'Bukovsko'
Bukovsko, or Dolní Bukovsko, is a market town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. The town has a population of about 1,700 people and lies on the border between the Tábor Uplands and Třeboň Basin. The highest point in Dolní Bukovsko is 553m (1,814 ft) above sea level. The town was likely founded by King Ottokar II and was first mentioned in 1323 when King John of Bohemia exchanged the settlement for another village with Peter I of Rosenberg. From 1323 until the early 17th century, it was owned by the Rosenberg family. The main landmark of Dolní Bukovsko is the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, originally a 13th-century Gothic building that was rebuilt into its present pseudo-Gothic form in the mid-19th century.
The name Bukovsko may be derived from the Slavic word "buk," meaning beech tree. This is evident in the German name for the region, "das Buchenland," which means "beech land" or "the land of beech trees." In Romanian, the name "Ţara Fagilor" is sometimes used in literary or poetic contexts, which also translates to "the land of beech trees."
The surname Bukovska, which is likely derived from the name of the town, is associated with a strong drive, confidence, and leadership qualities. Those with the name are said to have the potential to become great leaders and positively impact the world. They are also described as optimistic, outgoing, and naturally charming, with a profound ability to inspire others.
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The geography of Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical geographic area in east central Europe, consisting of a segment of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plain. The name Bukovina means 'the land of beech trees', derived from the common Slavic form of 'buk', meaning beech tree. The territory is divided between Romania and Ukraine, with the northern half belonging to Ukraine and the southern part to Romania.
The territory of Bukovina was inhabited by many cultures and peoples, settled by both Ukrainians (Ruthenians) and Romanians (Moldavians). It became part of the Principality of Moldavia in the 14th century, with Suceava, in the south of the territory, serving as the capital of Moldavia from the late 14th to the mid-16th century. In 1774, Bukovina was ceded to Austria by the Turks, who then controlled Moldavia, and became an administrative division of the Austrian Empire. During this time, the city of Czernowitz (now Chernivtsi, Ukraine) was developed into an important educational and commercial centre. The region was also very diverse in terms of ethnicity and religion, with a mix of Romanians, Ukrainians, Germans, Poles, Jews, and others.
In 1918, with the collapse of Austria-Hungary, Romania occupied Bukovina and gained control of the whole province in 1919. However, in 1940, the northern half of Bukovina was annexed by the Soviet Union, and the region was temporarily divided between Ukraine and Romania along ethnic lines. The northern half became the Chernivtsi Oblast of Ukraine, while the southern part became the Suceava County of Romania.
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The Treaty of Kuchuk Kainarji
The territorial provisions of the treaty extended the Russian frontier to the southern Bug River, ceding several key ports and fortresses to Russia, including the port of Azov, the fortresses of Kerch and Yenikale on the eastern end of the Crimean Peninsula, and the estuary formed by the Dnieper and Bug rivers, including the Kinburn fortress. Russian merchant vessels were granted the right to navigate freely in Ottoman waters through the Straits of the Bosporus and the Dardanelles.
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The Peace Treaty of Paris St Germain en Laye
The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, also known as the Treaty of Peace, was signed on 10 September 1919 in the great hall of the Chateau Neuf in St. Germain-en-Laye, by Austria and the Allied and Associated Powers. The treaty was signed with reluctance by representatives of the newly created Austrian Republic and brought an end to the First World War between the Allies and Austria, one of Germany's partners in the Central Powers.
The treaty covers 381 articles divided into 14 parts and is written in French, English and Italian. The first part starts with the covenant establishing the League of Nations, which is why the United States did not sign it. Instead, they established their own treaty, the US-Austrian Peace Treaty, in 1921. The second part (articles 27–55) covers the frontiers of Austria, with clauses covering Switzerland and Lichtenstein, Italy, Klagenfurt, the Serb-Croat-Slovene State, Hungary, the Czecho-Slovak State and Germany. The clauses establish fixed boundaries, to be enforced by a boundary commission, tasked with marking out those frontiers on the ground. Austrian territory was reduced to the borders of Austria alone, which effectively left it at around 40% of its previous size.
Austria was forced to accept the breakup of Austria-Hungary and the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (Yugoslavia from 1929) from its former provinces of Dalmatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as the creation of Czechoslovakia. In addition, Galicia returned to Poland, and Bukovina was ceded to Romania. The Trentino and South Tyrol were ceded to Italy, along with the Austrian Littoral (Gorizia and Gradisca, the Imperial Free City of Trieste, and Istria). The Duchy of Carniola and Lower Styria with the Carinthian Mieß (Meža) Valley and Gemeinde Seeland (Jezersko) were ceded to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, contrary to what was stipulated by the 1915 London Pact. The predominantly German- and Croatian-speaking western parts of the Hungarian counties of Moson, Sopron and Vas were awarded to Austria.
The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye should not be confused with the Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which was signed on 8 August 1570 and ended the Third Civil War, part of the French Wars of Religion.
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