The Mission of Colonel E. Arion and the San Stefano Peace Treaty, February 19 (March 3), 1878

Abstract

This article, based on archival and published sources, reports on the mission of Romanian Colonel E. Arion, sent by Prince Carol to the Headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. It examines the reasons for the Romanian representative’s exclusion from the armistice negotiations with Turkey. The article provides detailed coverage of the negotiations conducted by Adjutant General Count N. P. Ignatiev in Bucharest on January 19–22, 1878, as well as talks with Turkish plenipotentiaries regarding the clauses of the peace treaty concerning the fate of Romania. Ignatiev was compelled to adjust the text of the peace treaty, as approved in St. Petersburg, to increase the territory exchanged for the three southern Bessarabian districts. Thanks to the negotiations with Count Ignatiev, the Romanian government learned of the articles of the future peace treaty planned by Russia, which is why it recalled its representative from Adrianople. However, sending colonel Arion to the headquarters of the Army of the Danube allowed Bucharest to declare that its rights were violated and the injustice on the part of Russia towards its ally in arms, in order to have an additional point to press in the future.

Received: 05.05.2025.
Revised: 02.09.2025.
Accepted: 16.09.2025.

Citation
Frolova M. M. The Mission of Colonel E. Arion and the San Stefano Peace Treaty, February 19 (March 3), 1878 // Slavic Almanac. 2026. No 1–2. P. 68–97 (in Russian). DOI: 10.31168/2073-5731.2026.1-2.03