= Dobruja = '''Dobruja''' is a historic region in modern [[Romania]] and [[Bulgaria]]. Rather than a national or ethnic region, Dobruja very specifically refers to the geographic region along the Black Sea coast south of the Danube delta. <> ---- == History == Dubruja was settled by a variety of nations with loose tribal governments. Largely these were '''Dacians''' and '''Slavs'''. The [[WorldHistory/RomanEmpire|Roman]] and [[WorldHistory/ByzantineEmpire|Byzantine empires]] both organized the territory as '''Scythia''', although it is more accurately described as '''Scythia Minor'''. The [[Bulgaria/Monarchs#First_Bulgarian_Empire|Bulgarians]] developed the region significantly; they built [[Bulgaria/Pliska|Pliska]] and rebuilt [[Bulgaria/Varna|Varna]]. Bulgarians, Byzantines, and [[WorldHistory/GoldenHorde|Tatars]] frequently fought for control, although the Byzantines largely kept to the coastline; most notably they established a despotate under '''Dobrotitsa''' by 1357. Through the conquests of '''Mircea the Elder''', [[Romania/Monarchs#Principality_of_Wallachia|Wallachia]] also briefly conquered the region. Under Ottoman control, the region was administered by the [[WorldHistory/OttomanEmpire/Eyalets#Rumelia|sanjak of Silistra]], which later was elevated to an independent [[WorldHistory/OttomanEmpire/Eyalets#Silistra|eyalet]]. [[WorldHistory/Bessarabia|Bessarabia]] was contested between the Ottomans and [[Russia/Monarchs#Imperial_Russia|Russians]] through the Russo-Turkish Wars. The region claimed by both Moldavia and Bessarabia, generally referred to at the time as [[WorldHistory/Budjak|Southern Bessarabia]], was ceded to Russia in 1829. The remainder of the region was subject to Russian military occupation, though it remained an Ottoman vassal. The [[Romania/Democratization#Revolutions_of_1848|revolutions of 1848]] were expressed here as Danubian nationalism, which the Ottomans and Russians jointly suppressed. In 1864, Dobruja was included in the reformed [[WorldHistory/OttomanEmpire/Vilayets#Danube|vilayet of Danube]]. After having returned Southern Bessarabia to Moldavia following the [[WorldHistory/CrimeanWar|Crimean War]], Russia again seized the Black Sea coast in the Russo-Turkish War of 1878. Although the [[WorldHistory/CongressOfBerlin|Treaty of Berlin]] confirmed the independence of [[Romania/Monarchs#Kingdom_of_Romania|Romania]], it was compelled to cede Southern Bessarabia to Russia. As a consolation, Russia ceded Dobruja to Romania and [[Bulgaria/Monarchs#Principality_of_Bulgaria|Bulgaria]]. These portions are referred to as '''Northern Dobruja''' and '''Southern Dobruja''', respectively. In 1913, following the [[WorldHistory/BalkanWars|Balkan Wars]], Romania annexed Southern Dobruja. Shortly after the [[WorldHistory/SecondViennaAward|Second Vienna Award]], [[Germany/AdolfHitler|Hitler]] also brokered border negotiations between [[Bulgaria/Monarchs#Kingdom_of_Bulgaria|Bulgaria]] and Romania. The Treaty of Craiova transferred Southern Dobruja back to Bulgaria in 1940. ---- CategoryRicottone