In 1866, when Brătianu offered the crown of Romania to Carol, he was in Coburg, as a captain in the 1st Guard Dragoon Regiment. He had the reputation of a distinguished officer and was considered an example of virtue in both his personal and public life. Carol I was born on 20 April 1839, in Sigmaringen in Germany, the second son of Prince Carol-Anton of Hohenzollern and Josephine, daughter of the Grand Duchess of Baden. From 1857 he attended the Artillery and Engineering School in Berlin, also attending courses in French literature and art history at the University of Bonn (1863), under the guidance of the aesthetician Anton Springer. He experienced a rapid military rise: he was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant in 1857 and to captain in 1866. In 1864, he participated as a volunteer in the Prussian army, in the War against Denmark, a memorable experience, which he would repeat in 1877-1878 and in 1913.
On May 10, 1866, Carol I arrived incognito in Bucharest, at the request of the Romanian government; following the plebiscite of 2-8 April and with the consent of the Parliament, he took the oath as Ruler of Romania. On 1 July 1866, the new Constitution of Romania was promulgated, which remained in force, with some amendments, until 1923. In 1869, he married Princess Elisabeta of Wied. During the years 1869-1876, Carol paid special attention to equipping the Romanian army with appropriate means of combat, at the same time generalizing the genetic training of the Romanian troops to repel an Ottoman invasion. Defending the interests of Romania, he dealt firmly and with dignity with the Tsar of Russia, Alexander II, and his ministers on the issues of military and political cooperation between the two states. Ruler Carol did not accept that the Romanian army participate in the Anti-Ottoman War under Russian command. During the War of Independence, he commanded the Western Army (38,000 Romanian and 52,000 Russian soldiers) and coordinated the operations to encircle and destroy the group commanded by Osman Pasha at Plevna. He spoke out in favor of preserving the integrity and defending Independence, on the occasion of the preliminaries of the Berlin Peace Congress, in the summer of 1878. On March 14, 1881, the Parliament unanimously proclaimed Carol I as King of Romania. The Coronation festivities took place on May 10, 1881. The Report of the Council of Ministers emphasized: “Romania, constituted into a Kingdom, completes and crowns the work of its regeneration. It gives itself a name that is in accordance with the position it has acquired as an independent state." The coronation of Carol I and his wife, Elisabeta, took place in Bucharest. The crown worn by Carol I on this occasion was cast from the steel of an Ottoman cannon captured by the Romanian army at Plevna, in November 1877. The steel crown had a deep significance, namely that of,,ratify"Romanian law,,to go its own way, to seek alliances on its own, and to decide its own policy", as highlighted in an article in an Austrian daily newspaper.
In October 1883, King Carol I favored the conclusion of the secret political-military Treaty between Romania and Austria-Hungary, to which Germany and Italy later adhered. This treat was the only solution at the time to counter a possible Russian offensive against Romania. The foreign policy of our country at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, promoted by King Carol I, aimed at consolidating independence and defending territorial integrity. Romania sought to remain as much as possible outside a European conflict, Carol I's objective being to place the country's neutrality under the protection of the Triple Alliance. At the Crown Council held at Peleş Castle, on August 3, 1914, King Carol I accepted, in accordance with the country's interests, the adoption by Romania of a position of armed neutrality, of armed expectation.
The entire reign of Carol I was characterized by remarkable political stability, ruling with moderation and modesty over political factions and parties. He was a serious and protocol-oriented sovereign, who had no favorites, being meticulous and precise in everything he did, seeking to impose the same style of activity on his collaborators. At the same time, he was a consummate soldier and a skillful politician, with liberal views.
We will highlight just a few, lesser-known, achievements of Romania during the reign of Carol I:
- On October 31, 1869, the Bucharest-Giurgiu railway line was officially inaugurated, as was Bucharest's first railway station, Filaret Station.
- On November 12, 1871, the Filaret Air Gas Plant was inaugurated.
- On September 25, 1872, the North Railway Station in Bucharest was established (called, until 1888, "Târgoviştii Railway Station").
- The beginning of the activity of the Railway Workshops in Bucharest.
- On December 26, 1872, the horse-drawn tram was introduced.
- In 1875, the Vegetable Oil Factory was founded in Bucharest.
- On December 15, 1875, the "Bank of Bucharest" (with French capital) began its activity.
- On July 16, 1876, the "National Red Cross Society of Romania" was created in Bucharest.
- On June 8, 1897, the foundation stone of the Palace of the “Casa de Deponeri, Consignation and Economy” (CEC) was laid, in the presence of King Carol I and Queen Elisabeth. The Palace was inaugurated in 1900, the first meeting of the Board of Directors, in the new premises, took place on June 15.
- On January 27, 1903, the "UGIR Employers' Confederation" was founded in Bucharest, aiming at the economic development and modernization of Romanian society.
- On January 17, 1906, the first “Law on Patents” was promulgated and the “Patent Office” was established, today called the State Office for Inventions and Trademarks. Previously, in 1879, Romania produced its first “Law on Trademarks”.
- In 1908, the “Astronomic Observatory” with a planetarium (“People's Observatory”) was founded.
- Under the reign of Carol I, 40 rural hospitals were built in 1906, some of which are still in operation today.
- Under his scepter, many universities and national colleges (lyceums) were founded, important buildings in Romania's artistic heritage throughout the country, which operate to this day.