Iacob Zadik (also spelled Zadig or Zadic; ; ; December 8, 1867 – April 8, 1970) was a
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
n artillery and infantry commander, who rose to the rank of
divisional general
Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...
. An assimilated
ethnic Armenian, he prepared for a career in the
Romanian Land Forces
The Romanian Land Forces () is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. Since 2007, full professionalization and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Land Forces.
The Romanian Land Force ...
beginning at age nine. This led him to complete military training at several schools, including the
Higher War School, where he graduated in 1898. Involved in repressing the
1907 Peasants' Revolt, he fist saw field action during the
Second Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict that broke out when Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia and Kingdom of Greece, Greece, on 1 ...
(1913). He spent the
early years of World War I in France, appointed to the staff of
Joseph Joffre
Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre , (; 12 January 1852 – 3 January 1931) was a French general who served as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front from the start of World War I until the end of 19 ...
, but returned in time to participate in the
Romanian offensive of 1916. As one of the leaders of the
First Army, Zadik then took part in the
defense of Moldavia, specifically the
battles of Mărășești and
First Oituz. During the
armistice period of early 1918, he took leadership of the 8th Infantry Division in
Botoșani
Botoșani () is the capital city of Botoșani County, in the northern part of Moldavia, Romania. Today, it is best known as the birthplace of many celebrated Romanians, including Mihai Eminescu, Nicolae Iorga and Grigore Antipa.
Origin of the ...
.
Zadik earned distinction especially for leading the 8th Infantry Division's November 1918 expedition into the
Duchy of Bukovina
The Duchy of Bukovina (; ; ) was a constituent land of the Austrian Empire from 1849 and a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary from 1867 until 1918.
Name
The name ''Bukovina'' came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation ...
, which helped that region
unite with Romania. He then secured Romanian Bukovina's northern border by moving against the
West Ukrainian People's Republic
The West Ukrainian People's Republic (; West Ukrainian People's Republic#Name, see other names) was a short-lived state that controlled most of Eastern Galicia from November 1918 to July 1919. It included major cities of Lviv, Ternopil, Kolom ...
and the
Austrian Sich Riflemen, capturing
Archduke Wilhelm of Austria
Archduke Wilhelm Franz of Austria, later Wilhelm Franz von Habsburg-Lothringen (10 February 1895 – 18 August 1948), also known as Vasyl Vyshyvanyi (), was an Austria-Hungary, Austrian archduke, a colonel of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen, ...
; in early to mid 1919, his 8th Division was on
a peacekeeping mission to
Pokuttia
Pokuttia, also known as Pokuttya or Pokutia, (; ; ) is an historical area of East-Central Europe, situated between the Dniester and Cheremosh rivers and Carpathian Mountains, in the southwestern part of modern Ukraine. Although the historic hear ...
, which was the site of multiple
conflicts between Poles and Ukrainians. Though he effectively secured Pokuttia for annexation by the
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 7 October 1918 and 6 October 1939. The state was established in the final stage of World War I ...
, Zadik extended his protection toward the Ukrainian civilians. He later served briefly as the head of the military command in
Bessarabia
Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...
, which was later incorporated in his command of the
4th Army Corps. During the 1920s, he involved himself in containing criminal activity on the eastern borders of
Greater Romania
Greater Romania () is the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union or the related pan-nationalist ideal of a nation-state which would incorporate all Romanian speakers.Irina LivezeanuCultural Politics in Greate ...
. Just before retiring in 1929, he drew controversy with his decision to institute a
state of siege
''State of Siege'' () is a 1972 French–Italian–West German political thriller film directed by Costa-Gavras starring Yves Montand and Renato Salvatori. The story is based on an actual incident in 1970, when U.S. official Dan Mitrione was k ...
on Romania's border with the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
.
Zadik withdrew from active duty and took administrative positions, including one at the
Aircraft Construction Enterprise, while also serving as vice president of ''Cultul Eroilor'' society in the late 1920s. His career in the arms was followed by his son Grigore, who specialized in anti-aircraft defense. After the introduction of a
communist regime
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...
in 1947, Zadik Sr was singled out for having publicly supported Bessarabia's
incorporation within Romania; he was consequently imprisoned during the 1950s, but
rehabilitated the following decade. Though his name was left out of specialized works, he received decorations for his past service, and was rumored to have been rescued from poverty by high-ranking members of the
Communist Party apparatus, including
Emil Bodnăraș
Emil Bodnăraș (10 February 1904 – 24 January 1976) was a Romanian Romanian Communist Party, communist politician, an army officer (armed forces), officer, and a Soviet Union, Soviet Espionage, agent, who had considerable influence in the So ...
; in his final years, he made public statements in support of the
national-communist party line. He died in 1970, aged 102.
Biography
Early life
The Zadiks were ethnic Armenians who had settled in the area during the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, and whom the General described as "tied to the ancestral land
f Romania" The son of Grigore and Eufrosina, Iacob was born on December 20 (
Old Style
Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) indicate dating systems before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, they refer to the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries betwe ...
: December 8) in
Brătulești,
Roman County
Roman County is one of the historic counties of Moldavia, Romania. The county seat was Roman.
In 1938, the county was disestablished and incorporated into the newly formed Ținutul Prut, but it was re-established in 1940 after the fall of Caro ...
, which was then administered as part of the
United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia
The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (), commonly called United Principalities or Wallachia and Moldavia, was the personal union of the Principality of Moldavia and the Principality of Wallachia. The union was formed on when Alexa ...
. His father, who lived between 1830 and 1902, was a
Senator of Romania and leader of the
Vaslui County
Vaslui County () is a county (județ) of Romania, in the historical region Western Moldavia, with the seat at Vaslui.
Demographics
In 2011, it had a population of 395,499 and the population density was 74/km2.
* Romanians - over 98%
* Romani ...
council, as well as on officer of the
Order of the Star of Romania
The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the Order of Michael the Brave. It is the oldest Order of Romania. It is awarded by the Preside ...
and the
Order of the Crown. An agriculturalist, in 1889 he received an honorable mention at the
Paris World's Fair. Iacob himself shunned civilian life and chose a career in the military. In a 1967 interview with journalist V. Firoiu, he spoke of some his first memories, namely the recruitment and departure of young soldiers to fight in the
Romanian War of Independence
The Romanian War of Independence () is the name used in Romanian historiography to refer to the phase of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78), in which Romania, fighting on the Russian side of the war, gained independence from the Ottoman Empire. On ...
(1877–1878). He credited these events with instilling in him an "instinct for the army", adding: "everything I did from that moment on, I did with the army on my mind."
Zadik initially studied in
Iași
Iași ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the Cities in Romania, third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical ...
at Trei Ierarhi school (1874–1878), followed by ''Institutele-Unite'' (1878–1886). After first persuading his parents, he was allowed to apply for the Military High School in that same city—according to his own testimony, he was only accepted because of his high grades, as the school was generally reserved for the children of
Land Forces
Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of Earth not submerged by the ocean or another body of water. It makes up 29.2% of Earth's surface and includes all continents and islands. Earth's land surface ...
officers. During the first years of the
Kingdom of Romania
The Kingdom of Romania () was a constitutional monarchy that existed from with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King of Romania, King Carol I of Romania, Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian royal family), until 1947 wit ...
, Zadik was a School Sergent, leading its 4th Grade;
Nicolae Petala
Nicolae Petala (29 August 1869 – 1947) was a Romanian general who was one of the generals of the Romanian Land Forces in the First World War. He served as commander of the 1st Army and several army corps and divisions in the campaigns of 1916, ...
was his colleague, a Corporal of the 3rd Grade. Zadik became an Artillery
Sublieutenant in July 1888, before his graduation. He then trained as an officer (to 1891), by attending
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
's School of Officers. His focus was on artillery training, though he also took mandatory training in cavalry warfare; he specialized in training artillery regiments on location. He moved frequently, stationed with various regiments in
Focșani
Focșani (; ) is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the banks the river Milcov, in the historical region of Moldavia. , it has a population of 66,719.
Geography
Focșani lies at the foot of the Curvature Carpathians, at a point of ...
,
Brăila
Brăila (, also , ) is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County. The Sud-Est (development region), ''Sud-Est'' Regional Development Agency is located in Brăila.
According to the 2021 Romanian ...
,
Tulcea
Tulcea (; also known by #Names, alternative names) is a city in Northern Dobruja, Romania. It is the administrative center of Tulcea County, and had a population of 65,624 . One village, Tudor Vladimirescu, is administered by the city. It is one ...
,
Constanța
Constanța (, , ) is a city in the Dobruja Historical regions of Romania, historical region of Romania. A port city, it is the capital of Constanța County and the country's Cities in Romania, fourth largest city and principal port on the Black ...
,
Bârlad
Bârlad () is a city in Vaslui County, Romania. It lies on the banks of the river Bârlad (river), Bârlad, which waters the high plains of Western Moldavia.
At Bârlad the railway from Iași diverges, one branch skirting the river Siret (river ...
, and
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
.
[Filipciuc I, p. 620] During his youth in the military, he befriended two writers,
Mihail Sadoveanu
Mihail Sadoveanu (; occasionally referred to as Mihai Sadoveanu; 5 November 1880 – 19 October 1961) was a Romanian novelist, short story writer, journalist and political figure, who twice served as acting President of Romania, head of st ...
(whose novels became favorites of his) and
Emil Gârleanu (who was also a fellow officer). A Lieutenant in 1891, he was involved in a sexual scandal after Cojocaru, a jealous husband and army private, assaulted him; public controversy ensued when a military tribunal sentenced Cojocaru to a six-years prison term.
From 1896 to 1898, Zadik also studied at the
Higher War School. He steadily rose through the ranks, becoming an army officer in 1901. His son was born in Bucharest on March 27, 1898, following his father's career choices by enlisting for the army school at
Dealu Monastery
Dealu Monastery is a 15th-century monastery in Dâmbovița County, Romania, located 6 km north of Târgoviște.
The church of the monastery is dedicated to Saint Nicholas.
Necropolis
Dealu Monastery narthex is considered one of the largest ...
.
[Neagoe, p. 29] As a
lieutenant colonel, Zadik Sr was assigned to the
1st Infantry Division in
Craiova
Craiova (, also , ) is the largest city in southwestern Romania, List of Romanian cities, the seventh largest city in the country and the capital of Dolj County, situated near the east bank of the river Jiu River, Jiu in central Oltenia.
It i ...
, and later to the 7th Division in Roman.
In the latter capacity, he was involved in repressing the
Romanian Peasants' Revolt, organizing interrogations of officers who "have been in contact with the rebels". Zadik first saw action abroad during the
Second Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict that broke out when Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia and Kingdom of Greece, Greece, on 1 ...
(1913). He became Colonel, and was assigned to the Staff of the 3rd Army Corps in
Galați
Galați ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names) is the capital city of Galați County in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in eastern Romania. Galați is a port town on the river Danube. and the sixth-larges ...
, shortly before World War I; in October 1914, he was moved to the
4th Army Corps in Iași.
In 1915–1916, he went on a mission to
Joseph Joffre
Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre , (; 12 January 1852 – 3 January 1931) was a French general who served as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front from the start of World War I until the end of 19 ...
, commander of the
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...
on the
Western Front.
Returning to Romania after its
1916 entry into the war, Zadik was assigned to the
Northern Army at
Bacău
Bacău ( ; , ; ; ) is the main city in Bacău County, Romania. With a population of 136,087 (as of 2021 census), Bacău is the 14th largest city in Romania. The city is situated in the historical region of Moldavia, at the foothills of the ...
, and drafted plans for the
Romanian offensive into
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
. In September of that year, he became a Commander of the
Order of Saint Stanislaus
The Order of Saint Stanislaus (, ), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under the Congress Poland, Kingdom of Pola ...
, and was recognized as an Officer of the Star of Romania in November.
As Romania was faced with
a massive counteroffensive and only held on to
Western Moldavia
Western Moldavia (, ''Moldova de Apus'', or , also known as Moldavia, is the core historic and geographical part of the former Principality of Moldavia situated in eastern and north-eastern Romania. Until its union with Wallachia in 1878, the P ...
, he became Chief of Staff of the
First Army, reconstructed from surviving units at
Podu Iloaiei
Podu Iloaiei is a town in Iași County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It has 8,992 inhabitants as of 2021, and was declared a town in 2005. Four villages are administered by the town: Budăi, Cosițeni, Holm, and Scobâlțeni.
Geography
The town lies ...
(December 1, 1916); he was made
brigadier general on April 1, 1917, and, from May 15, became
Constantin Cristescu
Constantin Cristescu (2 December 1866 — 9 May 1923) was a Romanian lieutenant general during World War I, and Chief of Staff of the Romanian Army.
Biography Early life
He was born on 2 December 1866 in Pădureți village, in Argeș County. He ...
's second in command within the First Army.
He was moved to the front during June, taking over defensive positions in
Tecuci County
Tecuci County was a county (Romanian: ''județ'') in the Kingdom of Romania, in the historical region Moldavia. The county seat was Tecuci.
The county was located in the central-eastern part of Greater Romania, in the south of Moldavia. The count ...
and relieving the
1st Russian Army.
By December, his son Grigore had been evacuated with the entire Dealu army school to Iași, and faced the prospect of being moved to safety in the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
. In January, he fell ill with
epidemic typhus
Epidemic typhus, also known as louse-borne typhus, is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters where civil life is disrupted. Epidemic typhus is spread to people through contact wit ...
, and had to be hospitalized. Grigore's colleague and "forever a friend", engineer Constantin Nicolau, notes that the other Zadiks were by then living in Roman. He also recalls that Zadik Sr treated him "like a father".
During the
defense of Moldavia, Zadik helped his troops achieve victory in the
Battle of Mărășești
The Battle of Mărășești (6 August 1917 – 3 September 1917) was the last major battle fought by the Central Powers against the Kingdom of Romania and Russian Empire, Russia on the Romania in World War I, Romanian front during World War I. ...
, though he later credited success to "the Romanian peasant set out to defend his ancestral lands". He was present for, though not directly involved in, the successful bayonet counterattack mounted by the "white ghosts"—soldiers of the 32nd Infantry Regiment, who dressed down to their underwear. While serving as a Secretary in the Ministry of War Ammunition (from September 1), Zadik held a command position in the
First Battle of Oituz
The First Battle of Oituz was fought between 12 and 27 October 1916 between the Kingdom of Romania on one side and Austria-Hungary and the German Empire on the other. It was part of the Romanian operations for the defense of the passes in the ...
, and became an Officer of the Order of the Crown (he would receive its Grand Cross in 1919).
[Filipciuc I, pp. 620–621. See also Antonian, p. 141] Grigore Zadik saw action with the
Romanian Air Force
The Romanian Air Force (RoAF) () is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, five air bases, a logistics base, an air defense brigade, an air defense regiment and an ISR (Intel ...
(Balloon Corps),
despite being underage; as reported by the General, his son's missions were his only cause for worry during that stage of war. Grigore survived the campaign and was made a Sublieutenant.
Bukovina
Zadik served in the
Romanian War Ministry in 1918–1919, returning to active duty in 1919–1922. From February 1918, at a time when Romania had
sued for peace
Suing for peace is an act by a warring party to initiate a peace process.
Rationales
"Suing for", in this older sense of the phrase, means "pleading or petitioning for". Suing for peace is usually initiated by the losing party in an attempt to ...
, he was serving as commander of the 8th Infantry Division, stationed in
Botoșani
Botoșani () is the capital city of Botoșani County, in the northern part of Moldavia, Romania. Today, it is best known as the birthplace of many celebrated Romanians, including Mihai Eminescu, Nicolae Iorga and Grigore Antipa.
Origin of the ...
. This period witnessed his participation in the
Great Union
In Romanian historiography, the Great Union () or Great Union of 1918 () was the series of political unifications the Kingdom of Romania had with several of the Romanian historical regions, starting with Bessarabia on 27 March 1918, continuin ...
—specifically, the unification of Romanian-inhabited territories in Austria-Hungary with the Romanian Kingdom. In autumn 1918, after the Austrian governor of the
Duchy of Bukovina
The Duchy of Bukovina (; ; ) was a constituent land of the Austrian Empire from 1849 and a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary from 1867 until 1918.
Name
The name ''Bukovina'' came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation ...
,
Josef Graf von Ezdorf Josef may refer to
*Josef (given name)
*Josef (surname)
* ''Josef'' (film), a 2011 Croatian war film
*Musik Josef
Musik Josef is a Japanese manufacturer of musical instruments. It was founded by Yukio Nakamura and is the only company in Japan spec ...
, refused a request by
Iancu Flondor
Iancu Flondor (3 August 1865 – 19 October 1924) was a Romanian politician who advocated Bukovina's Union of Bukovina with Romania, union with the Kingdom of Romania.
He was born in the town of Storozhynets () in Northern Bukovina (now in Ukrai ...
to cede power, Zadik led the troops who occupied the province. These events witnessed a breakdown of social and military order in the Duchy. Early on November 5 (
Old Style
Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) indicate dating systems before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, they refer to the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries betwe ...
: October 23), Zadik received a report from Anton Ionescu, the Border Guards commander stationed in front of
Ițcani
Ițcani () is a neighbourhood of Suceava, the county seat town () of Suceava County () in the historical region of Bukovina (, ), northeastern Romania, located some 5 km northwest of the town center. Ițcani was initially established in th ...
, suggesting that the Austrian garrison had left that town, which the
Austrian Gendarmerie could no longer protect against civilian violence. That afternoon,
Alexandru Tzigara-Samurcaș
Alexandru Tzigara-Samurcaș (; also known as Al. Tzigara, Tzigara-Sumurcaș, Tzigara-Samurcash, Tzigara-Samurkasch or Țigara-Samurcaș; April 4, 1872 – April 30, 1952) was a Romanian art historian, Ethnography, ethnographer, Museology, museolog ...
, ''Memorii. II: 1910–1918'', p. 223. Bucharest: Grai și Suflet – Cultura Națională, 1999. Zadik received orders to take Ițcani and
Suceava
Suceava () is a Municipiu, city in northeastern Romania. The seat of Suceava County, it is situated in the Historical regions of Romania, historical regions of Bukovina and Western Moldavia, Moldavia, northeastern Romania. It is the largest urban ...
. The official motivation was provided by reports out of Burdujeni (now in Suceava), namely that "bands armed with rifles and machine guns are devastating the city".
[Filipciuc II, p. 239]
These reports were substantiated by Flondor in multiple telegrams he addressed to Marghiloman, pleading for a military intervention throughout the Duchy. Literary historian Ion Filipciuc believes that, while the brigands in such descriptions have generally been taken for
Austrian Sich Riflemen under
Archduke Wilhelm of Austria
Archduke Wilhelm Franz of Austria, later Wilhelm Franz von Habsburg-Lothringen (10 February 1895 – 18 August 1948), also known as Vasyl Vyshyvanyi (), was an Austria-Hungary, Austrian archduke, a colonel of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen, ...
, they were in fact "Ukrainian deserters and
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...
s", who numbered in the hundreds, and who only had immediate goals such as robbery. Officially, Zadik's mandate was to help the Romanian National Guard and the Austrian Gendarmes—the
Romanian Prime Minister
The prime minister of Romania (), officially the prime minister of the Government of Romania (), is the head of the Government of Romania. Initially, the office was styled ''President of the Council of Ministers'' (), when the term "Government" ...
,
Alexandru Marghiloman
Alexandru Marghiloman (4 July 1854 – 10 May 1925) was a Romanian conservative statesman who served for a short time in 1918 (March–October) as Prime Minister of Romania, and had a decisive role during World War I.
Early career
Born in Bu ...
, would not give open recognition to Flondor's
National Council, as this would have been a breach of Romania's peace treaty with Austria. However, in a letter he sent to
Alexandru Tzigara-Samurcaș
Alexandru Tzigara-Samurcaș (; also known as Al. Tzigara, Tzigara-Sumurcaș, Tzigara-Samurcash, Tzigara-Samurkasch or Țigara-Samurcaș; April 4, 1872 – April 30, 1952) was a Romanian art historian, Ethnography, ethnographer, Museology, museolog ...
, Marghiloman argued that he was acting specifically against Austrian rule, and confessed that Zadik was to march on
Cernăuți
Chernivtsi (, ; , ;, , see also #Names, other names) is a city in southwestern Ukraine on the upper course of the Prut River. Formerly the capital of the historic region of Bukovina, which is now divided between Romania and Ukraine, Chernivt ...
, the Bukovinian capital.
Zadik's opening proclamation to the people of Bukovina, issued on November 6, referred to his crossing over a "border placed between us by cruel fate", and to the Romanian Army as determined to ensure self-determination ("the legitimate right of peoples to dispose of their own fate").
The troops involved were from the 8th Infantry Division (comprising the 16th, 29th and 37th Infantry Regiments), which was at the time largely demobilized, with many soldiers on leave to perform agricultural tasks. It was supplemented troops from the
Romanian Gendarmerie
The ''Jandarmeria Română'' () is the national Gendarmerie force of Romania, tasked with high-risk and specialized law enforcement duties. It is one of the two main police forces in Romania (the other being the Romanian Police - a civilian fo ...
and Border Guards. Their exact orders were to act as if on a regular campaign, directed against "brigands" (''răufăcători''), but without any forced requisitioning; troops were to return to their headquarters once this mission was declared accomplished. The first Romanian units entering Suceava on the early hours of November 6 were Anton Ionescu's Border Guards, which immediately proclaimed that the border had been erased; this undiplomatic move was corrected on November 8, as Zadik entered the city, with a proclamation insisting that Romanian troops were only there as a protective shield. Zadik eventually collected a 3,000-strong expeditionary force, operationally divided into three detachments: "
Dragoș", "
Alexandru cel Bun
Alexander I, commonly known as Alexander the Good (; – 1 January 1432) was Voivode of Moldavia between 1400 and 1432. He was the son of Roman I and succeeded Iuga to the throne. As ruler he initiated a series of reforms while consolidating ...
", and "Suceava". The auxiliary force of Gendarmes and Border Guards, alongside a cavalry squadron, was ordered to move westwards, into
Gura Humorului
Gura Humorului (; Hebrew and Yiddish: גורה חומורולוי - ''Gure Humuruluei'' or גורא הומאָרא - ''Gura Humora''; German and Polish: ''Gura Humora'') is a town in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. It is situated in the hi ...
.
Zadik's troops were still on the move as Romania resumed its war on the
Central Powers
The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...
, joining efforts with the
Allied Army of the Orient upright=1.1, Allied collaboration: an Italian captain, a Russian lieutenant, a Serb colonel, a French lieutenant, and a Greek gendarme
The Allied Army of the Orient (AAO) () was the name of the unified command over the multi-national allied armed f ...
. These events, and Marghiloman's downfall, allowed the advance into Bukovina to be integrated within the larger war effort. Still in Suceava on November 8, Zadik wrote in the city album: "Here endeth
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...
domination. ''Fini Austria''".
[Filipciuc III, pp. 639] That same day, he met two of Flondor's envoys, who were disguised in rags to avoid being captured by "anarchists in control of the Cernăuți–Ițcani route".
The overall push was assisted by Romanian units from the disintegrating
Hungarian Army
The Hungarian Ground Forces (, ) constitute the land branch of the Hungarian Defence Forces, responsible for ground activities and troops, including artillery, tanks, Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs), and g ...
, who disputed the city with Ukrainians loyal to the
West Ukrainian People's Republic
The West Ukrainian People's Republic (; West Ukrainian People's Republic#Name, see other names) was a short-lived state that controlled most of Eastern Galicia from November 1918 to July 1919. It included major cities of Lviv, Ternopil, Kolom ...
(ZUNR)—on November 9,
Ilie Lazăr
Ilie Lazăr (born December 12, 1895, Giulești, Maramureș County - d. November 6, 1976 Cluj-Napoca) was a Romanian jurist and politician, a leading member of the National Peasants' Party in the interwar period and the right-hand man of Iuliu Ma ...
took the city for the former camp, planting the
flag of Romania
The national flag of Romania () is a Tricolour (flag), tricolour featuring three equal vertical bands colored blue (at the flagpole), yellow and red, with a width to length ratio of 2:3.
The current version was adopted in 1989 in the wake of t ...
on Cernăuți City Hall. Zadik procrastinated, still waiting for Romania to officially proclaim its reentry into the war. He stationed his force for a days-long rest about 60
kilometer
The kilometre ( SI symbol: km; or ), spelt kilometer in American and Philippine English, is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one thousand metres (kilo- being the SI prefix for ). It is the preferred mea ...
s outside the city; Lazăr traveled there to meet him: "I asked him to make his entry, for the population had been out in the streets for three days, waiting for him to arrive."
[Lazăr, p. 34]
Zadik eventually entered Cernăuți on November 11, by way of Horecea Mănăstirii suburb. He shared his automobile with Lazăr and Lieutenant Colonel
Nicolae Rovinaru Nicolae may refer to:
* Nicolae (name), an Aromanian and Romanian name
* ''Nicolae'' (novel), a 1997 novel
See also
*Nicolai (disambiguation)
*Nicolao Nicolao is an Italian given name and a surname. It may refer to the following:
Given name
*Ni ...
, stopping in front of the National Romanian Home. Here, Zadik was met by Romanian women, who "pelted him with flowers", and by Flondor, who reportedly said: "let us embrace as two brothers who have not seen each other in 155 years".
In their speeches, both Flondor and Zadik referenced "
Greater Romania
Greater Romania () is the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union or the related pan-nationalist ideal of a nation-state which would incorporate all Romanian speakers.Irina LivezeanuCultural Politics in Greate ...
"—the latter also paid homage to
Grigore Ghica, who had tried to oppose Bukovina's occupation in 1774, and had "lost his head" as a result. Philologist
Sextil Pușcariu
Sextil Iosif Pușcariu (4 January 1877 – 5 May 1948) was an Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian linguist and philologist, also known for his involvement in administrative and party politics. A native of Brașov educated in France ...
, who was active within the Romanian movement in Bukovina, recalls the ceremony in which he and his colleagues first met with Zadik: "A very emotional Flondor spoke, followed by an even more emotional Zadik. Both speeches were weak and poorly recited: either speaker lost his train of thought again and again, could no longer recall phrases they had learned by heart, and took such pauses that under normal circumstances would have been embarrassing.
..Everyone's eyes teared up as Flondor and Zadik embraced each other, I could feel my own tears running down my cheek."

Zadik's arrival coincided exactly with the
Armistice on the Western Front, which led to a suspension of hostilities with Austria-Hungary. His presence was met with a public protest by the Austrian loyalist
Aurel Onciul, who presented himself as the governor of lower Bukovina. The two engaged in a dialogue, until Zadik invited Onciul to present his case directly to the Romanian government in Iași; Onciul followed up on the invitation and found himself "assaulted by some youths" upon arriving at Iași railway station, resulting in his hospitalization and political neutralization. Similarly, Zadik arrested the leaders of a "Ukrainian republic" that had been unilaterally proclaimed in
Coțmani (Kitsman). While many Ukrainians simply left Bukovina in protest, Zadik's entry into Bukovina was welcomed by the local Poles: their paramilitary Polish Legion paraded before him in Cernăuți. Zadik was also instrumental in curbing violence against
Bukovina Jews
The Jews in Bukovina have been an integral part of their community. Under Austria-Hungary, there was tolerance of Jews and inter-ethnic cooperation.
Life under Austria and Romania
Bukovina was conquered by the Austrian Archduchy in 1774. It d ...
, which had flared up in places such as
Dorna Candrenilor
Dorna Candrenilor () is a commune located in Suceava County, in the historical region of Bukovina, northeastern Romania. It is composed of three villages: Dealu Floreni, Dorna Candrenilor, and Poiana Negrii. It included five other villages until ...
,
Todirești, and
Pilugani.
Pokuttia
Within days of his Cernăuți entry, the Romanian General Staff ordered Zadik to occupy the entire Bukovina, including its Ukrainian-majority northern half. This was a retaliation for the ZUNR's attempt to mobilize all able-bodied Ukrainian men into the
Ukrainian Galician Army
The Ukrainian Galician Army ( UGA; ), was the combined military of the West Ukrainian People's Republic during and after the Polish-Ukrainian War. It was called the "Galician army" initially. Dissatisfied with the alliance of Ukraine and Polan ...
(UHA).
[Baboș, p. 53] As head of the General Staff,
Constantin Prezan
Constantin Prezan (January 27, 1861 – August 27, 1943) was a Romanian general during World War I. In 1930 he was given the honorary title of Marshal of Romania, as a recognition of his merits during his command of the Northern Army and of th ...
personally cleared Zadik for this expedition, which went against the terms of the November Armistice; during his advance, he also routed the Sich Riflemen, who withdrew from northern Bukovina, and captured Archduke Wilhelm. The operation, fully accomplished on November 21, was largely without bloodshed—one exception occurred during the advance on
Luzhany
Luzhany (; ; ) is a rural settlement in Chernivtsi Raion, Chernivtsi Oblast, western Ukraine. It belongs to Mamaivtsi rural hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine.
The settlement lies on the banks of the Prut River, about northwest of the regi ...
, when the "Dragoș" detachment was engaged in a skirmish that resulted in deaths on both sides.
Zadik's securing of the province paved the way for the
union of Bukovina with Romania The union of Duchy of Bukovina, Bukovina with Kingdom of Romania, Romania was declared in 28 November 1918, being officially recognized by the international community in 1919 and 1920.
Timeline of events 1918
*22 October - Constantin Isopescu-Grecu ...
, ultimately proclaimed on November 28. He was present for the deliberations as an army representative, and, as Filipciuc notes, had no voting rights; Filipciuc also dismisses as inaccurate any reports suggesting that Zadik himself signed the union proclamation. On
Saint Stephen's Day
Saint Stephen's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian saint's day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr, celebrated on 26 December in Western Christianity and 27 December in Eastern Ch ...
(December 27) 1918, the General presided over the Cernăuți festivities honoring
Stephen the Great
Stephen III, better known as Stephen the Great (; ; died 2 July 1504), was List of rulers of Moldavia, Voivode (or Prince) of Moldavia from 1457 to 1504. He was the son of and co-ruler with Bogdan II of Moldavia, Bogdan II, who was murdered in ...
. From January 1919, Zadik and his 8th Infantry Division were tasked with organizing a
Romanian offensive into
Pokuttia
Pokuttia, also known as Pokuttya or Pokutia, (; ; ) is an historical area of East-Central Europe, situated between the Dniester and Cheremosh rivers and Carpathian Mountains, in the southwestern part of modern Ukraine. Although the historic hear ...
, which they were to pacify in support of
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
; Zadik's operation was directed against the ZUNR, which controlled Pokuttia and still stated a claim to northern Bukovina. ZUNR representatives, alarmed by Romanian maneuvers, met Zadik in Bukovina and asked for a truce. The two sides only agreed that the territorial conflict should be resolved with further negotiations in Bucharest. The Romanian incursion began on May 22, and saw no opposition from the UHA, which withdrew its soldiers to the
Polish front
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent
* Polish chicken
* Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...
. The expedition was closely preceded by the airdropping of leaflets which included Zadik's pledges to the Pokuttian inhabitants.
During May–June 1919, Iacob Zadik oversaw the joining of Romanian troops in Transylvania, Bukovina, and
Bessarabia
Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...
; the
Romanian General Staff
The Chief of General Staff () is the highest professional military authority in the Romanian Armed Forces. He is appointed by the President of Romania, at the National Defense Minister's proposal (with the approval of the Prime Minister) on a f ...
assigned him to command all troops stationed between
Maramureș
( ; ; ; ) is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine. It is situated in the northeastern Carpathians, along parts of the upper Tisza River drainage basin; it covers the Maramureș Depression and the ...
and
Hotin County
Hotin County was a county ( ținut is Middle Ages and Early Modern Period, județ after) in the Principality of Moldavia (14th-18th centuries), the Governorate of Bessarabia (1812–1917), the Moldavian Democratic Republic (1917–1918), and the K ...
. On May 28, he met with Polish General
Franciszek Kraliczek-Krajowski, agreeing to form a joint military command and a civilian government, both based in
Kolomyia
Kolomyia (, ), formerly known as Kolomea, is a city located on the Prut, Prut River in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast in the west of Ukraine. It serves as the administrative centre of Kolomyia Raion, hosting the administration of Kolomyia urban hromada ...
. The two sides could not agree on other terms: the Poles demanded that they be allowed to move between Romanian troops, all the way south to the Bukovina border, and also that the Romanian side allow Poles to form political groups throughout Pokuttia. On May 29, Zadik supervised the imposition of a
state of siege
''State of Siege'' () is a 1972 French–Italian–West German political thriller film directed by Costa-Gavras starring Yves Montand and Renato Salvatori. The story is based on an actual incident in 1970, when U.S. official Dan Mitrione was k ...
, meant to quell conflicts between Polish and Ukrainian civilians. Two days later, he and other Romanian officers were asked to leave
Nadvirna
Nadvirna (, ; ; ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city located in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast in western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of Nadvirna Raion. Nadvirna hosts the administration of Nadvirna urban hromada, one of the hromadas ...
, which was part of a Polish-controlled area, as the temporary administration could not vouch for his safety. In that context, local Ukrainians proceeded to ask the Romanian authorities to protect them from persecution and violence, while local Poles were complaining of mistreatment in Romanian-controlled areas.
On June 7, Zadik took command of General
Nicolae Petala
Nicolae Petala (29 August 1869 – 1947) was a Romanian general who was one of the generals of the Romanian Land Forces in the First World War. He served as commander of the 1st Army and several army corps and divisions in the campaigns of 1916, ...
's troops, which had also been moved into Pokuttia. His final report to Petala included a request to have the Polish 4th Rifle Division moved out of Cernăuți (where it was allegedly causing damages) and into Pokuttia. On June 16, he received from Bucharest his orders to evacuate Pokuttia. He then oversaw the terms of the withdrawal with his Polish counterparts,
Wacław Iwaszkiewicz-Rudoszański
Wacław Iwaszkiewicz-Rudoszański (26 August 1871 – 25 November 1922) was a Polish general.
Biography
He was born in Omsk, then the capital of Akmola Oblast, part of the West Siberian General Government. His father was Witalis Iwaszkiewicz, a ...
and
Robert Lamezan de Salins
Robert Lamezan de Salins (1869–1930), also known as Robert Graf von Lamezan-Salins, was a Poland, Polish Jan Rydel, ''W służbie cesarza i króla: generałowie i admirałowie narodowości polskiej w siłach zbrojnych Austro-Węgier w latach 186 ...
; discussions took place in
Lemberg
Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...
, but the outcome was postponed by more urgent developments in the parallel
Hungarian–Romanian War
The Hungarian–Romanian War (; ) was fought between Hungary and Kingdom of Romania, Romania from 13 November 1918 to 3 August 1919. The conflict had a complex background, with often contradictory motivations for the parties involved.
After the ...
. Zadik and his troops finally left the region to be annexed by Poland, on August 17 or 18, 1919. On his departure, the General thanked Pokuttians for their friendly behavior toward his troops.
[Filipciuc III, pp. 644] Only four Romanian soldiers had died in combat throughout the entire operation, though three others were lost to accidents.
Bessarabian mission and retirement

Later in 1919, Zadik became a
divisional general
Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French Revolutionary System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...
.
On the first-year anniversary of the Bukovina union, he addressed its people a proclamation, thanking them for their cooperation; the document mentioned Flondor's rival
Ion Nistor
Ion I. Nistor (August 16, 1876 – November 11, 1962) was a Romanian historian and politician. He was a titular member of the Romanian Academy from 1915 and a professor at the universities of Cernăuți and Bucharest, while also serving as Minis ...
, but not Flondor himself, contributing to the latter's resentment toward the Romanian regime. Nistor himself rarely referred to Zadik's contribution, which he left out of topical work, ''Unirea Bucovinei''.
[Filipciuc I, p. 621] Zadik continued to be well regarded by the Bukovina Jews and
Germans
Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...
, with the newspaper ''Das Volk'' describing him as an "honorable defender and supporter" of the ethnic minorities. On December 14, Zadik was at Cernăuți, attending a ''
parastas'' service held by the
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; , ), or Romanian Patriarchate, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates in the East ...
in memory of Bukovinians killed in action throughout the war. That same day, the cultural club known as ''
Societatea Academică Junimea
Societatea Academică Junimea (Romanian for "Junimea Academic Society") was a society (''Studentenverbindung'') for Romanian students in the Austro-Hungarian city of Czernowitz, located in the Bukovina region of Cisleithania. The city was called '' ...
'' inducted Zadik as an honorary member. In June of the following year, Zadik was in
Soroca
Soroca is a city and municipality in northern Moldova, situated on the Dniester River about north of Chișinău. It is the administrative center of the Soroca District.
History
It is known for its well-preserved stronghold, established by t ...
, where he inaugurated work on a monument to
Stan Poetaș, killed in action during the
Khotyn Uprising
The Khotyn Uprising ( or ; ) was a Ukrainians, Ukrainian-led insurrection in the far-northern tip of Bessarabia region, nestled between Bukovina and Podolia. It occurred on January 7–February 1, 1919, less than a year after Union of Bessarabia w ...
. Returning as commander of the 4th Corps, he made the news again in February 1921, after being held up by armed robbers while traveling between Iași and
Vaslui
Vaslui (), a city in eastern Romania, is the seat of Vaslui County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia. The city administers five villages: Bahnari, Brodoc, Moara Grecilor, Rediu, and Viișoara.
History
Archaeological surveys indicate t ...
. During July, he lectured at the Priests' Conference in Iași, convened by
Pimen Georgescu Pimen (Russian Пи́мен, Пими́н) ( — shepherd) is a Greek male given name. Used by Russian Orthodox church monastics.
It may refer to:
* Pimen, Metropolitan of Moscow, aka Pimen the Greek, Metropolitan of Moscow from 1382-1384
* Patriar ...
, about the activities of the
Seventh-day Adventists
The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabba ...
, whom he regarded as dangerous. A month later, he traveled in
Hotin
Khotyn (, ; , ; see other names) is a city in Dnistrovskyi Raion, Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine, located south-west of Kamianets-Podilskyi. It hosts the administration of Khotyn urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. According ...
and
Soroca Counties, where he supervised the backlash against "criminal gangs".
In the years following his expeditions, Zadik acquired an international reputation, which reached the
Republic of Armenia
Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to the east, and Ir ...
. In a report he compiled for the latter's government in 1919,
Bessarabian Armenian activist Artyom Tumanyan noted that Zadik was one of Romania's most prominent "indigenous Armenians"—though he also indicated that such Armenians had fully assimilated into Romanian life. Again withdrawn from active duty, Zadik served on the Superior Council of the Romanian Army (1922–1924) and a review board for would-be generals. In April–November 1924, he was Military Commander of Bessarabia.
In 1923, the year when he welcomed to Romania
Ferdinand Foch
Ferdinand Foch ( , ; 2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929) was a French general, Marshal of France and a member of the Académie Française and French Academy of Sciences, Académie des Sciences. He distinguished himself as Supreme Allied Commander ...
, Zadik was made a Commander of the
Legion of Honor
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
, a Grand Officer of the
Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus () (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the world, tracing its lineage to AD 1098, a ...
, and a Grand Officer of the Star of Romania.
In 1925, he attended a commemoration of the
Council of Nicaea, and appears in the collective portrait done by
Gheorghe Popovici. By 1928, he was also a vice president of ''Cultul Eroilor'' ("Heroes' Cult") society, in which capacity he obtained that a World War memorial be erected at
Galata
Galata is the former name of the Karaköy neighbourhood in Istanbul, which is located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn. The district is connected to the historic Fatih district by several bridges that cross the Golden Horn, most nota ...
.
In January 1929, as commander of the 4th Army Corps, Zadik issued an ordinance introducing the state of siege all along Romania's border with the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. This drew controversy in Romania, as creating a precedent for generals legislating against
Parliament
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
; as noted by the newspaper ''
Adevărul
(; meaning "The Truth", formerly spelled ''Adevĕrul'') is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in Iași, in 1871, and reestablished in 1888, in Bucharest, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published during the Kingd ...
'', his ruling was also a way to bypass the anti-censorship laws advanced by the
National Peasants' Party
The National Peasants' Party (also known as the National Peasant Party or National Farmers' Party; , or ''Partidul Național-Țărănist'', PNȚ) was an Agrarianism, agrarian political party in the Kingdom of Romania. It was formed in 1926 throu ...
and the
Maniu cabinet. According to a front-page critique in that same newspaper, the order had transformed Zadik into a hero to the Romanian far-right. The latter's exponents now argued that his intervention was justified by communist infiltration in Bessarabia and Bukovina. Zadik became an old-age pensioner in October 1929, but continued to work for government, serving as a delegate on the board of the
Aircraft Construction Enterprise (December 1929–June 1938).
In 1930, he was created an Officer in the
Order of Polonia Restituta
The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...
.
In 1935 he was one of the inaugural holders of the
Order of Ferdinand I
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* H ...
(as Grand Officer), also being recognized as an honorary citizen of Cernăuți in autumn 1937 (though some reports suggest that this distinction was bestowed upon him in 1918).
The General and his wife Rosa had two sons, both officers (the second of whom was named Ioan-Cristea) and a daughter, Margareta.
[Antonian, p. 140] By 1927, they were in-laws with Grigore Kessim, a prosecutor at the
High Court of Cassation and Justice
The High Court of Cassation and Justice () is Romania's supreme court. It is the equivalent of France's Cour de Cassation and serves a similar function to other courts of cassation around the world.
Naming history
It held various names durin ...
, also credited as the chief physician of Bucharest.
Of Iacob's progeny, Grigore took high positions in the military, serving as
Ion Antonescu
Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and Mareșal (Romania), marshal who presided over two successive Romania during World War II, wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister and ''Conduc� ...
's aide on mission to the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...
(1936); a Major in 1937, he spent the years 1937–1939 training with France's 11th Artillery Regiment, and, like his father, was inducted into the Legion of Honor.
With his training in both artillery and aviation, he commanded and organized Bucharest's anti-aircraft defense during the early stages of World War II, when Romania was aligned with the
Axis Powers
The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Ge ...
(1940–1942). He was then moved to the
Eastern Front, where he similarly contributed to the defense of
Rostov
Rostov-on-Don is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, from the Sea of Azov, directly north of t ...
against the
Soviet Air Forces
The Soviet Air Forces (, VVS SSSR; literally "Military Air Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics"; initialism VVS, sometimes referred to as the "Red Air Force") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Sovie ...
.
Communist imprisonment and recovery
In 1967, the General recalled that he approved of the
anti-Axis coup of August 1944;
[Filipciuc II, p. 238; Firoiu, p. 20] in its immediate aftermath, Grigore Zadik served as a liaison between the Romanian Army and
Fyodor Tolbukhin
Fyodor Ivanovich Tolbukhin (; 16 June 1894 – 17 October 1949) was a Soviet Union, Soviet military commander and Marshal of the Soviet Union. He is regarded as one of the finest Soviet generals of World War II.
Born into a peasant family i ...
's
4th Ukrainian Front
The 4th Ukrainian Front () was the name of two distinct Red Army strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II.
The front was first formed on 20 October 1943, by renaming the Southern Front and was involved in the Lower ...
.
In 1948, the family home on Aleea Alexandru, Bucharest became
nationalized property, though Zadik Sr still continued to reside in it. After being sent to the reserves, he had written a pamphlet titled "The
Dniester
The Dniester ( ) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova (from which it more or less separates the breakaway territory of Transnistria), finally discharging into the Black Sea on Uk ...
, Romanian Land", stating the Romanian claim to Bessarabia against the Soviets. This later drew the ire of the
communist regime
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...
, which imprisoned him in the 1950s.
[Antonian, p. 141] Colonel Zadik, meanwhile, was forced to resign from his position as head of the Air Defense Directorate, and lived out of the public eye. His father was still occasionally mentioned in works of history, including Eliza Campus' 1958 article on the
Polish–Romanian alliance, which appeared in ''Studii''.
Zadik Sr was finally released and rehabilitated in the early 1960s.
In October 1967, the
State Council State Council may refer to:
Government
* State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative authority of China, headed by the Premier
* State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of S ...
, under
Chivu Stoica
Chivu Stoica (the family name being Chivu; 8 August 1908 – 18 February 1975) was a leading Romanian Communist politician, who served as the 48th Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Romania.
Early life
Stoica was born in Smeeni, Buzău ...
, awarded him the Order of the Fatherland's Defense, Second Class, "on the occasion of his 100th birthday , for feats of war accomplished during World War I". This was followed by ''Sabia de Onoare'' Medal in December.
On August 12, 1967, his wartime recollections appeared in ''
Scînteia
''Scînteia'' ( Romanian for "The Spark") was the name of two newspapers edited by Communist groups at different intervals in Romanian history. The title is a homage to the Russian language paper '' Iskra''. It was known as ''Scânteia'' until ...
'', mouthpiece of the
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party ( ; PCR) was a communist party in Romania. The successor to the pro-Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave an ideological endorsement to a communist revolution that would replace the social system ...
. Military historian Vasile Arimia reports that, at some point before 1976, Zadik was living in
Piatra Neamț
Piatra Neamț (; ; ) is the capital city of Neamț County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in northeastern Romania. Because of its very privileged location in the Divisions of the Carpathians, Eastern Carpathian mountains, it is con ...
and working as a coach driver. Arimia claims that he knew this to be true from General
Emil Bodnăraș
Emil Bodnăraș (10 February 1904 – 24 January 1976) was a Romanian Romanian Communist Party, communist politician, an army officer (armed forces), officer, and a Soviet Union, Soviet Espionage, agent, who had considerable influence in the So ...
, the communist potentate, who claimed to have taken his carriage ride while visiting
Bisericani Monastery Bisericani may refer to:
Places in Romania
* Bisericani, a village in Bucium, Alba County
* Bisericani, a village in Lupeni, Harghita County
* Bisericani, a village in Alexandru cel Bun, Neamț
Alexandru cel Bun is a commune in Neamț County, Wes ...
. Arimia also recalls that
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
*'' Præsident ...
Nicolae Ceaușescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu ( ; ; – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian politician who was the second and last Communism, communist leader of Socialist Romania, Romania, serving as the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 u ...
and Bodnăraș both took care of restoring Zadik to a more fitting social position, and ordered his home to be restored. Filipciuc dismisses this account as an urban legend meant to improve Bodnăraș's public image for posterity.
Colonel Grigore Zadik lived with his father at Carol Davila Street 24, in the Bucharest neighborhood of
Cotroceni
Cotroceni is a neighbourhood in western Bucharest, Romania, located around the Cotroceni hill, in Bucharest's Sector 5.
The nearest Metro stations are Eroilor, Academia Militară, and Politehnica.
History
The Hill of Cotroceni was once cove ...
.
["Uriașa urnă a inimilor și conștiinței noastre. Momente trăite—în casele oamenilor, pe mări, pe meleaguri pitorești", in '']Scînteia
''Scînteia'' ( Romanian for "The Spark") was the name of two newspapers edited by Communist groups at different intervals in Romanian history. The title is a homage to the Russian language paper '' Iskra''. It was known as ''Scânteia'' until ...
'', March 3, 1969, p. 3 In old age, Iacob Zadik donated his memorabilia to the
National Military Museum, and "three hundred of my valuable books, as well as forty-four music sheets—old songs and romanzas" to the
Romanian Academy
The Romanian Academy ( ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life.
According to its bylaws, the academy's ma ...
. The donation included several manuscripts of his memoirs. Filipciuc notes that Iacob, as a "contemporary of five wars" still kept informed of political developments as a centenarian, and was upset by the
invasion of Czechoslovakia
On 20–21 August 1968, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was jointly invaded by four fellow Warsaw Pact countries: the Soviet Union, the Polish People's Republic, the People's Republic of Bulgaria, and the Hungarian People's Republic. The in ...
in August 1968.
''Scînteia'' reporters visited him and his son at their home during the
legislative election of March 1969, alongside a team carrying the mobile
ballot box
A ballot box is a temporarily sealed container, usually a square box though sometimes a tamper resistant bag, with a narrow slot in the top sufficient to accept a ballot paper in an election but which prevents anyone from accessing the votes cas ...
. They quoted Zadik Sr as saying that his interest as a former soldier was in supporting
world peace
World peace is the concept of an ideal state of peace within and among all people and nations on Earth. Different cultures, religions, philosophies, and organizations have varying concepts on how such a state would come about.
Various relig ...
on the basis of
non-interventionism
Non-interventionism or non-intervention is commonly understood as "a foreign policy of political or military non-involvement in foreign relations or in other countries' internal affairs". This is based on the grounds that a state should not inter ...
; his son added that they had both been impressed by Ceaușescu's "extremely realistic foreign policy, with its rooting in truly reasonable principles".
The General died on April 8, 1970, in Bucharest. He is credited by Firoiu as the "first Romanian general to have reached the age of 103", though Filipciuc corrects this inaccuracy by noting Zadik was nine months short of reaching that age; he is buried at
Bellu Cemetery
Șerban Vodă Cemetery (commonly known as Bellu Cemetery) is the largest and most famous cemetery in Bucharest, Romania.
It is located on a plot of land donated to the local administration by Baron Barbu Bellu. It has been in use since 1858. T ...
.
["Բուխարեստում յարգել են ռումինական բանակի յայտնի հայազգի գեներալ Յակոբ Զատիկի յիշատակը", in '' Alik'', December 5, 2018, p. 5] Including his interview in a 1974 anthology, Firoiu looked back on Zadik as "the very first one who, in front of his troops, has entered and liberated sweet Bukovina".
As noted by Filipciuc, any other details on this expedition, as well as any mention of Zadik's stay in Pokuttia, were absent from Firoiu's published interview.
Grigore survived his father only to February 1974, dying at age 76. The general was still entirely omitted from the 1983 reference work on Romanian military commanders;
his memory was instead preserved by the Armenian community and the local
Gregorian Church—by 1991, its Romanian Diocese Museum had a Zadik display case. Although the
December 1989 Revolution had toppled Ceaușescu, the Aleea Alexandru home was never returned to the family. General Zadik was formally commemorated by the Armenian community in Romania, represented by
Varujan Vosganian
Varujan Vosganian (; , born on 25 July 1958) is a Romanian politician, economist, essayist and poet of Armenian origin. Vosganian was Romania's Minister of Economy and Commerce (2006–2008) in the Tăriceanu cabinet and Minister of Economy in t ...
and Gregorian bishop
Tadev Hakobyan-Muradyan, with a special service held at Bellu on November 27, 2018.
As noted by writer Magda Ursache, in November 2021 the anniversary of Bukovina's union was entirely omitted from the national calendar. In that context, "nobody as much as mentioned General Iacob Zadic's 8th Division, which entered Cernăuți on Nov
mber11, to curb Ukrainian terrorism."
[Magda Ursache, "Clio între slujitori și detractori", in ''Revista Acolada'', Issue 12/2021, p. 11]
Awards
* Officer of
Order of the Crown of Romania
The Order of the Crown of Romania is a chivalric order set up on 14 March 1881 by King Carol I of Romania to commemorate the establishment of the Kingdom of Romania. It was awarded as a state order until the end of the Romanian monarchy in 1947. ...
(1906)
* Officer of
Order of the Star of Romania
The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the Order of Michael the Brave. It is the oldest Order of Romania. It is awarded by the Preside ...
(1912)
* Commander of
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
(1923)
* Grand Cross of
Order of the Crown of Romania
The Order of the Crown of Romania is a chivalric order set up on 14 March 1881 by King Carol I of Romania to commemorate the establishment of the Kingdom of Romania. It was awarded as a state order until the end of the Romanian monarchy in 1947. ...
(1929)
* Order of Defense of the Fatherland, 2nd degree (1967)
Notes
References
*Narcis E. Ștefan Antonian, "Generalul Iacob Zadik – un erou armean al Marelui Război și al României Mari", in ''Muzeul Național'', Vol. 32, 2020, pp. 139–141.
*Alexandru Baboș, "100 de ani de la Marea Unire. Acțiunile armatei române în sprijinul Unirii Bucovinei cu Regatul României", in ''Rezervistul Sibian'', Issue 19, 2018, pp. 51–54.
*Stepan Borchuk, Andrii Korolko, Alexander Reient, "Accession of Part of Eastern Galicia to Romania in 1919: Military and Political Aspects", in ''Codrul Cosminului'', Vol. 26, Issue 1, 2020, pp. 169–186.
*Ion Filipciuc, "Generalul Iacob Zadik în Bucovina", in ''Analele Bucovinei'', Vol. XXII, Issue 2, 2015, pp. 599–623 (Part I); Vol. XXIII, Issue 1, 2016, pp. 227–252 (Part II); Issue 2, 2016, pp. 635–644 (Part III).
*V. Firoiu, ''...și eu am fost recrut''. Bucharest:
Editura Militară
Editura Militară (Military Publishing House) is a publishing house based in Bucharest, Romania. It was founded as a state-run company during the communist period on 27 December 1950.
The Military Publishing House is a registered trademark of th ...
, 1974.
*
Ilie Lazăr
Ilie Lazăr (born December 12, 1895, Giulești, Maramureș County - d. November 6, 1976 Cluj-Napoca) was a Romanian jurist and politician, a leading member of the National Peasants' Party in the interwar period and the right-hand man of Iuliu Ma ...
, "Memorii. Cernăuții ajung în mâinile românilor", in ''Apeiron. Revista pentru Inimă, Minte și Suflet de Mateist'', Vol. IV, Issue 9, 2018, pp. 33–35.
*Visarion Neagoe, "Pionieri ai artileriei antiaeriene", in ''Document. Buletinul Arhivelor Militare Române'', Vol. XX, Issue 2, 2017, pp. 22–30.
*Constantin Nicolau, ''Proba de foc. Amintiri. Iunie 1916 — ianuarie 1918''. Bucharest:
Editura Albatros, 1983.
*Marian Olaru, "Bucovina în primul război mondial (II)", in ''Cetatea de Scaun. Revista Profesorilor de Istorie din Județul Suceava'', Vol. 14, Issue 14, 2017, pp. 13–30.
*
Sextil Pușcariu
Sextil Iosif Pușcariu (4 January 1877 – 5 May 1948) was an Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian linguist and philologist, also known for his involvement in administrative and party politics. A native of Brașov educated in France ...
, "Acum zece ani în Bucovina", in ''
Societatea de Mâine'', Nr. 22–24/1928, pp. 396–399.
*Dumitru Seserman, "Divizia 8 Infanterie în Pocuția. Mai 1919 – August 1919", in ''Buletinul Universității Naționale de Apărare'', Issue 3, 2004, pp. 30–41.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zadik, Iacob
1867 births
1970 deaths
Romanian Land Forces generals
Romanian military personnel of the Second Balkan War
Romanian Army World War I generals
People of the Polish–Ukrainian War
Officers of the Order of the Star of Romania
Grand Officers of the Order of the Crown (Romania)
Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Romania)
Commanders of the Legion of Honour
Grand Officers of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
Officers of the Order of Polonia Restituta
20th-century memoirists
Romanian memoirists
Romanian book and manuscript collectors
People from Iași County
People from the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia
Romanian people of Armenian descent
Carol I National Defence University alumni
People detained by the Securitate
Romanian prisoners and detainees
Prisoners and detainees of Romania
Socialist Republic of Romania rehabilitations
Romanian men centenarians
Burials at Bellu Cemetery