In 1821, the "Panduri" Revolution led by Tudor Vladimirescu spread out all over Wallachia in the same time with the Greek movement for Independence (Eteria).
Even though the Revolution was drown in blood and Tudor Vladimirescu killed by his greek allies, it can be considered
as a success. Following the Revolution, the Ottoman Sultan stopped appointing greeks as Voievozi of the two Principalities
and native voivozi were reappointed.
When the Russian-Ottoman war (between 1828-1829 won by the Russians) ended, the Ottoman influence in Balkans decreased while the Russian and Habsbourg influence increased. As a result, new innovative western ideas, currents and concepts were introduced in Romania and other countries belonging to the Ottoman sphere of influence. No wonder, when the 1848 Revolution starteted in Western Europe was followed right away by the one in the Eastern Europe. In Transylvania, the most active revolutionaries were Simion Barnutiu and Avram Iancu (who was the leader of the resistance against the habsbourgic troups sent in to reinstate "order and discipline"), in Wallachia Nicolae Balcescu was the spiritual leader of the revolution while in Moldavia, the most famous one was Mihail Kogalniceanu. These spiritual leaders brought both new ideas about liberty and human rights and also new life into the old dream of Michael the Brave - a single big unified Romanian State. After they were exiled, they continued to lobby for the Romanian principalities, and their efforts together with the strategical position of the principalities brought their status on the Peace Congress in Paris. As a result of the treaty, Romanian Principalities status was guarateed by the seven powers, Southeastern part of Bassarabia rejoined Moldavia, and also the local assemblies were allowed to decide on their own form of organisation. In January 1859, with the major help of Kogalniceanu and other 1848 revolutionaries, Colonel Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected both by Moldavia and Walachia as their prince. A.I.Cuza brought many innovations in the social and political Romanian life. Some of his achievements were the law to secularise monastery assets (1863) the Penal Code law, the Civilian Code law (1864), the education law (primary school became tuitionfree and compulsory -1864). New school and Universities (Iasi and Bucharest) were established. But his reformming program was not supported by the local nobles (boieri) who forced him to abdicate in 1866. Knowing that none of the local nobels wasn't ready to become the Prince of Rpmania, the Boieri looked to the European Royal families. On May 10, 1866, following heavy international discussions and a local plebiscite, Carol prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (relative of he royal family of Prussia and supported by Napoleon the III-rd and Bismark) was proclaimed ruling prince of Romania, with the name of Carol I.
Many would think that was the worst selection a country could have made, but as we will see down below, this selection turned out to be the best solution that could have possible been taken.
With his proclamation as a Prince a new Constitution was adopted and Romania became a Constitutional Monarchy. A new oriental crisis broke out in the late 1870, and another Russian-Turkish war began in 1877. This was the opportunity that the Romanians were waiting for a long time. We may say a lifetime opportunity. Romania declared his Independence from the Ottoman Empire and joined forces with the Russians in attacking (Crossing the Danube at Corabia) the Turkish armies. There were three famous battles faught by the Romanians - Pleven, Grivitza (Grivitza uder the attack of the Romanians army)and Smirdan all won by the Romanians who were led by their Prince Carol the I-st. Carol's words after the first shootings "This is the kind of music that I like" are famous in Romania. The Turkish army was forced to surrender and the war was finally won by the Russian-Romanian armies. The peace treaty signed by the two major beligerants (March 1878) recognized the independence on Romania and was also ratified by the International Peace Congress (July 1878). According to these two treaties Romania was recognized as an independent state and Dobrogea was reunited with the rest of the country. The Russian Empire though, violated the same treaties forcing Romania to cede the Southern Bassarabia. Three years after the war, Romania proclaimed itself as kingdom and Carol the I-st became the first king of the country (in it's new territorial structure).
In the other Romanian territories under foreign occupation, the romanian citizens were abused and depraved of their rights. They were considered immigrants and tried to be forcefully assimilated (see the legislation passed in Hungary after 1867, which proclaimed the existence of only one nationality - the Magyar one). They couldn't express their vote, they couldn't be elected in any govermental functions.