Bucharest's history alternated periods of development and decline from the early settlements in the Antiquity until its consolidation as the national Capital of Romania late in the 19th century.

 

Early 18th century woodcut (1717)

First mentioned as the "Citadel of București" in 1459, it became the residence of the famous Wallachian prince Vlad III the Impaler.

The Ottomans appointed Greek administrators to run the town from the 18th century. A revolt led by Tudor Vladimirescu in 1821 ended the rule of the Constantinople-Greeks in Bucharest.

The Old Princely Court (Curtea Veche) was erected by Mircea Ciobanul, and under subsequent rulers, Bucharest was established as the summer residence of the royal court. During the years to come it competed with Târgoviște on the status of Capital city after an increase in the importance of southern Muntenia brought about by the demands of the suzerain power - the Ottoman Empire.

Bucharest became finally the permanent location of the Wallachian court after 1698 (starting with the reign of Constantin Brâncoveanu).

Partly destroyed by natural disasters and rebuilt several times during the following 200 years, and hit by Caragea's plague in 1813–1814, the city was wrested from Ottoman control and occupied at several intervals by the Habsburg Monarchy (1716, 1737, 1789) and Imperial Russia (three times between 1768 and 1806). It was placed under Russian administration between 1828 and the Crimean War, with an interlude during the Bucharest-centred 1848 Wallachian revolution. Later on an Austrian garrison took possession after the Russian departure (remaining in the city until March 1857). Additionally, on 23 March 1847, a fire consumed about 2,000 buildings, destroying a third of the city.

 

The Wallachians and Ottomans fighting in Bucharest (August 1821)

In 1862, after Wallachia and Moldavia were united to form the Principality of Romania, Bucharest became the new nation's capital city. In 1881, it became the political centre of the newly proclaimed Kingdom of Romania under King Carol I. During the second half of the 19th century the city's population increased dramatically, and a new period of urban development began. During this period, gas lighting, horse-drawn trams and limited electrification were introduced.[15] The Dâmbovița river was also massively channelled in 1883, thus putting a stop to previously endemic floods.[16] The Fortifications of Bucharest were built. The extravagant architecture and cosmopolitan high culture of this period won Bucharest the nickname of "Little Paris" (Micul Paris) of the east, with Calea Victoriei as its Champs-Élysées.

 

I.C. Brătianu Boulevard in the 1930s

Between 6 December 1916 and November 1918, the city was occupied by German forces as a result of the Battle of Bucharest, with the official capital temporarily removed to Iași in the Moldova county. After World War I, Bucharest became the capital of Greater Romania. In the interwar years continued its urban development, with the city gaining an average of 30,000 new residents each year. Also, some of the city's main landmarks were built in this period, including Arcul de Triumf and Palatul Telefoanelor.[17] However, the Great Depression took its toll on Bucharest's citizens, culminating in the Grivița Strike of 1933.[18]

In January 1941, the city was the scene of the Legionnaires' rebellion and Bucharest pogrom. As capital of an Axis country and a major transit point for Axis troops en route to the Eastern Front, Bucharest suffered heavy damage during World War II due to Allied bombings. On 23 August 1944 it was the site of the royal coup which brought Romania into the Allied camp, suffering a short period of Nazi Luftwaffe bombings as well as a failed attempt by German troops to regain the city by force.

After the establishment of communism in Romania, the city continued growing. New districts were constructed, most of them dominated by tower blocks. During Nicolae Ceaușescu's leadership (1965–1989), much of the historic part of the city was demolished and replaced by "Socialist realism" style development: (1) the Centrul Civic (the Civic Centre); (2) the Palace of the Parliament, where an entire historic quarter was razed to make way for Ceaușescu's megalomaniac plans. On 4 March 1977, an earthquake centered in Vrancea, about 135 km (83.89 mi) away, claimed 1,500 lives and caused further damage to the historic centre.

The Romanian Revolution of 1989 began with massive anti-Ceaușescu protests in Timișoara in December 1989 and continued in Bucharest, leading to the overthrow of the Communist regime. Dissatisfied with the post-revolutionary leadership of the National Salvation Front, some student leagues and opposition groups organized large-scale protests in 1990 (the "Golaniad"), which were violently repressed by the miners of Valea Jiului called in by the authorities (the "Mineriad"). Several other "Mineriads" followed, which finally caused political changes.

After 2000 the city was continuously modernized and is still undergoing urban renewals. Residential and commercial developments are underway, particularly in the northern districts, and Bucharest's old historic centre is being restored nowadays.

 

Treaties signed in Bucharest

Treaty of Bucharest (1812), between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire ending the Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812)

Treaty of Bucharest (1886), between Serbia and Bulgaria ending the Serbo-Bulgarian War

Treaty of Bucharest (1913), between Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro and Greece ending of the Second Balkan War

Treaty of Bucharest (1916), a treaty of alliance between Romania and the Entente Powers

Treaty of Bucharest (1918), between Romania and the Central Powers