Carol I of Romania: Encyclopedia II - Carol I of Romania - Early Life

Carol I of Romania - Early Life

Carol was born Prince Karl von Hohenzollern Sigmaringen on the 20th of April 1839. He was the second son of Prince Karl Anton von Hohenzollern Sigmaringen and his wife, princess Josephine. After finishing his elementary studies, Karl entered the Cadet School in Munster. In 1857 he was attending the courses of the Artilery School in Berlin. Upto 1866 (when he accepted the crown of Romania) he was a German officer. He takes part in the Second War of Schleswig, particularly at the assault of the Fredericia citadel and Dybbøl, experience which will be very useful to him later on in the Russian-Turkish war.

Although he wasn't very tall and was quite frail, prince Karl was reported to be the perfect military, healthy, disciplined, also a very good politician with liberal ideas. He was familiar with several European languages. His family being closely related to the Bonaparte family, they were in very good relations with Napoleon III of France. Romania was, at the time, unde the influence of the French culture and Napoleon's recommendation of Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen weighed heavy in the eyes of Romanian politicians of the time, also his blood relation to the ruling Prussian family. Ion Brătianu was the Romanian politician sent to negotiate with Karl and his family the possibility of installing Karl on the Romanian throne.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Early Life", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki