Alexander John Cuza

Alexanru Ioan Cuza - Carol Popp de Szathmary (ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fişier:Carol_Popp_de_S...)

In my opinion heroism is about the ability of people to grow and go far beyond where they believe they can go. A real hero must do something that makes him special and above the common people around him. An example of a hero could be a good leader, a person who managed to bring his people to a better life, or to defend them from enemies or invaders.

Such a man must be sociable, responsible, smart, a good organizer, must know how to make himself sensitive to people’s needs, must succeed to gain peoples’ respect for what he does and not last to motivate his people to strive for a better life, to prosper.

An example of a hero for me is Alexander John Cuza, the first Domnitor of the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia between 1859 and 1866. Cuza Alexandru Ioan symbolized the revival of Romania.

He was a good ruler because he was brave, a good organizer, was an honorable man, and he fought for the needs of his people. Alexander John Cuza didn’t let himself be manipulated and managed to gain the respect of people. He was an example to follow, for him the safety of his people and the security of the country were the most important things. He always kept his word and thus people had confidence in him, and followed him in all of his actions. He was ready at any moment to sacrifice his throne, his person, or his life just to defend his country.

He knew how to keep and require autonomy to the Ottoman Gate, keeping the country’s independence. He proved evidence of his courage in all his conflicts with the Turks, who wanted to conquer his country. The reign of Cuza Voda was characterized by an impatient desire to catch the West, and to reach his goal he did not hesitate to take drastic measures. In only 3 years he made the union complete, despite the requirements and interests of Turkey, Austria and Russia. He dissolved the parliament and gave a new constitution, founding the modern state, providing a single parliament, one government, one capital, one army, one customs office, one administration.

He took into account the needs of the people and in August 1864 he gave the rural law, and thousands of peasant families received land to build their houses and to cultivate it. Cuza brought a great contribution to the evolution of his people. He had the courage to undertake difficult reforms, which demanded certain risks, but he took responsibility over his deeds and assumed those risks. He considered education very important and made a lot of improvements and reforms in this regard: gave the education law that established public free and compulsory primary education. He founded universities and conservatories in Iasi and Bucharest. He made changes in all fields, helping the development of country.

I think Cuza may be considered a hero because he managed to gain the trust of his people, and through everything he did he succeeded in improving people’s life and respected the will of the peasants. He stays as a great value of Romania and we must respect his memory and achievements.