Lupta din Dealul Spirii, din 13 septembrie 1848 – o analiză a primei confruntări a armatei române moderne
The Skirmish of Dealul Spirii on September 13, 1848 – An Analysis of the First Confrontation of the Modern Romanian Army

Summary/Abstract: The confrontation in Dealul Spirii, which took place on 13/25 of September, 1848, is a well-known historical event and represents the most dramatic moment of the 1848 Revolution in Wallachia. That fight, which opposed units of the young Wallachian army against an important ottoman military force, is rightly considered the first major confrontation of the modern Romanian army. The skirmish of Dealul Spirii is generally well known and was mentioned in most works dedicated to the 1848 Revolution. Usually, the story of the confrontation is brief, often mentioning only the firemen company led by captain Pavel Zaganescu while ignoring the troops of the 2nd Infantry Regiment, which in fact were five times more numerous than the firemen. The fight of Dealul Spirii is most associated with the firemen heroism. That’s why the 13th of September has officially become the celebration day of this branch of service, now called the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations. Another characteristic of the way in which this confrontation was presented by the historical works is, as in other cases, the glorification of the Romanian military. The communist historiography put a special emphasis on the role played by the Romanian army in defending the Revolution of 1848, without taking into account the general political and historical context of that time and the fact that it was actually an accidental confrontation, resulting in significant losses on both sides, which neither side wanted. In this study, we aim to make a more accurate presentation of the skirmish of Dealul Spirii, using trustworthy and direct sources – reports of direct participants in the action – which were made shortly after the action. We try to establish the correct chronology of events, to identify and make an actual presentation of the forces involved in the fight and their real size, to present their uniforms and equipment, the manoeuvres performed during the action, the configuration of the “Alexandria” barracks and its position into the urban scheme of Bucharest at that time.

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