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Iacob Zadik (also spelled Zadig or Zadic; hy, Հակոբ Զատիկ; uk, Якоб Задік; December 8, 1867 – April 8, 1970) was a
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
n artillery and infantry commander, who rose to the rank of divisional general. An assimilated
ethnic Armenian Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''Romanization of Armenian, hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Republic of Artsakh ...
, he prepared for a career in the
Romanian Land Forces The Romanian Land Forces ( ro, Forțele Terestre Române) is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Lan ...
beginning at age nine. This led him to complete military training at several schools, including the Higher War School, where he graduated in 1898. Involved in repressing the 1907 Peasants' Revolt, he fist saw field action during the
Second Balkan War The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 16 ( O.S.) / 29 (N.S.) June 1913. Serbian and Greek armies r ...
(1913). He spent the early years of World War I in France, appointed to the staff of
Joseph Joffre Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre (12 January 1852 – 3 January 1931) was a French general who served as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front from the start of World War I until the end of 1916. He is best known for regroupi ...
, but returned in time to participate in the Romanian offensive of 1916. As one of the leaders of the First Army, Zadik then took part in the defense of Moldavia, specifically the battles of Mărășești and First Oituz. During the armistice period of early 1918, he took leadership of the 8th Infantry Division in Botoșani. Zadik earned distinction especially for leading the 8th Infantry Division's November 1918 expedition into the
Duchy of Bukovina The Duchy of Bukovina (german: Herzogtum Bukowina; ro, Ducatul Bucovinei; uk, Герцогство Буковина) was a constituent land of the Austrian Empire from 1849 and a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary from 1867 until 1918 ...
, which helped that region unite with Romania. He then secured Romanian Bukovina's northern border by moving against the
West Ukrainian People's Republic The West Ukrainian People's Republic (WUPR) or West Ukrainian National Republic (WUNR), known for part of its existence as the Western Oblast of the Ukrainian People's Republic, was a short-lived polity that controlled most of Eastern Gali ...
and the Austrian Sich Riflemen, capturing Archduke Wilhelm of Austria; in early to mid 1919, his 8th Division was on a peacekeeping mission to
Pokuttia Pokuttia, also known as Pokuttya or Pokutia ( uk, Покуття, Pokuttya; pl, Pokucie; german: Pokutien; ro, Pocuția), is a historical area of East-Central Europe, situated between the Dniester and Cheremosh rivers and the Carpathian Moun ...
, which was the site of multiple conflicts between Poles and Ukrainians. Though he effectively secured Pokuttia for annexation by the Second Polish Republic, Zadik extended his protection toward the Ukrainian civilians. He later served briefly as the head of the military command in Bessarabia, which was later incorporated in his command of the 4th Army Corps. During the 1920s, he involved himself in containing criminal activity on the eastern borders of
Greater Romania The term Greater Romania ( ro, România Mare) usually refers to the borders of the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union. It also refers to a pan-nationalist idea. As a concept, its main goal is the creation ...
. Just before retiring in 1929, he drew controversy with his decision to institute a
state of siege A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
on Romania's border with the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. Zadik withdrew from active duty and took administrative positions, including one at the Aircraft Construction Enterprise, while also serving as vice president of ''Cultul Eroilor'' society in the late 1920s. His career in the arms was followed by his son Grigore, who specialized in anti-aircraft defense. After the introduction of a
communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...
in 1947, Zadik Sr was singled out for having publicly supported Bessarabia's incorporation within Romania; he was consequently imprisoned during the 1950s, but rehabilitated the following decade. Though his name was left out of specialized works, he received decorations for his past service, and was rumored to have been rescued from poverty by high-ranking members of the
Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...
apparatus, including
Emil Bodnăraș Emil Bodnăraș (10 February 1904 – 24 January 1976) was a Romanian communist politician, an army officer, and a Soviet agent, who had considerable influence in the Romanian People's Republic.''Final Report'', p. 646 Early life Bodnăraș was ...
; in his final years, he made public statements in suppot of the national-communist party line. He died in 1970, aged 102.


Biography


Early life

The Zadiks were ethnic Armenians who had settled in the area during the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, and whom the General described as "tied to the ancestral land f Romania" The son of Grigore and Eufrosina, Iacob was born on December 20 (
Old Style Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) indicate dating systems before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, this is the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries between 158 ...
: December 8) in Brătulești,
Roman County Roman County is one of the historic counties of Moldavia, Romania. The county seat was Roman. In 1938, the county was disestablished and incorporated into the newly formed Ținutul Prut, but it was re-established in 1940 after the fall of Carol II ...
, which was then administered as part of the
United Principalities The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia ( ro, Principatele Unite ale Moldovei și Țării Românești), commonly called United Principalities, was the personal union of the Principality of Moldavia and the Principality of Wallachia, f ...
. His father, who lived between 1830 and 1902, was a Senator of Romania and leader of the
Vaslui County Vaslui County () is a county ( județ) of Romania, in the historical region Western Moldavia, with the seat at Vaslui. Demographics In 2011, it had a population of 395,499 and the population density was 74/km². * Romanians - over 98% * Rom ...
council, as well as on officer of the
Order of the Star of Romania The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the defunct Order of Michael the Brave. It is awarded by the President of Romania. It has five r ...
and the Order of the Crown. An agriculturalist, in 1889 he received an honorable mention at the Paris World's Fair. Iacob himself shunned civilian life and chose a career in the military. In a 1967 interview with journalist V. Firoiu, he spoke of some his first memories, namely the recruitment and departure of young soldiers to fight in the
Romanian War of Independence The Romanian War of Independence is the name used in Romanian historiography to refer to the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78), following which Romania, fighting on the Russian side, gained independence from the Ottoman Empire. On , Romania and the R ...
(1877–1878). He credited these events with instilling in him an "instinct for the army", adding: "everything I did from that moment on, I did with the army on my mind." Zadik initially studied in
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...
at Trei Ierarhi school (1874–1878), followed by ''Institutele-Unite'' (1878–1886). After first persuading his parents, he was allowed to apply for the Military High School in that same city—according to his own testimony, he was only accepted because of his high grades, as the school was generally reserved for the children of
Land Forces Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various islan ...
officers. During the first years of the
Kingdom of Romania The Kingdom of Romania ( ro, Regatul României) was a constitutional monarchy that existed in Romania from 13 March ( O.S.) / 25 March 1881 with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian ...
, Zadik was a School Sergent, leading its 4th Grade; Nicolae Petala was his colleague, a Corporal of the 3rd Grade. Zadik became an Artillery
Sublieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...
in July 1888, before his graduation. He then trained as an officer (to 1891), by attending
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
's School of Officers. His focus was on artillery training, though he also took mandatory training in cavalry warfare; he specialized in training artillery regiments on location. He moved frequently, stationed with various regiments in
Focșani Focșani (; yi, פֿאָקשאַן, Fokshan) is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the banks the river Milcov, in the historical region of Moldavia. It has a population () of 79,315. Geography Focșani lies at the foot of the Curv ...
,
Brăila Brăila (, also , ) is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County. The ''Sud-Est'' Regional Development Agency is located in Brăila. According to the 2011 Romanian census there were 180,302 pe ...
,
Tulcea Tulcea (; also known by other alternative names) is a city in Northern Dobruja, Romania. It is the administrative center of Tulcea County, and had a population of 73,707 . One village, Tudor Vladimirescu, is administered by the city. Names Th ...
,
Constanța Constanța (, ; ; rup, Custantsa; bg, Кюстенджа, Kyustendzha, or bg, Констанца, Konstantsa, label=none; el, Κωνστάντζα, Kōnstántza, or el, Κωνστάντια, Kōnstántia, label=none; tr, Köstence), histo ...
,
Bârlad Bârlad () is a city in Vaslui County, Romania. It lies on the banks of the river Bârlad, which waters the high plains of Western Moldavia. At Bârlad the railway from Iași diverges, one branch skirting the river Siret, the other skirting th ...
and
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
.Filipciuc I, p. 620 During his youth in the military, he befriended two writers,
Mihail Sadoveanu Mihail Sadoveanu (; occasionally referred to as Mihai Sadoveanu; November 5, 1880 – October 19, 1961) was a Romanian novelist, short story writer, journalist and political figure, who twice served as acting head of state for the communis ...
(whose novels became favorites of his) and
Emil Gârleanu Emil Gârleanu ( 4/5 January 1878 – 2 July 1914) was a Romanian prose writer. Born in Iași, his parents were Emanoil Gârleanu, a colonel in the Romanian Army, and his wife Pulcheria (''née'' Antipa). He began high school in his native c ...
(who was also a fellow officer). A Lieutenant in 1891, he was involved in a sexual scandal after Cojocau, a jealous husband and army private, assaulted him; public controversy ensued when a military tribunal sentenced Cojocaru to a six-years prison term. From 1896 to 1898, Zadik also studied at the Higher War School. He steadily rose through the ranks, becoming an army officer in 1901. His son was born in Bucharest on March 27, 1898, following his father's career choices by enlisting for the army school at
Dealu Monastery Dealu Monastery is a 15th-century monastery in Dâmbovița County, Romania, located 6 km north of Târgoviște. The church of the monastery is dedicated to Saint Nicholas. Necropolis Dealu Monastery narthex is considered one of the largest ...
.Neagoe, p. 29 As a
lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
, Zadik Sr was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division in
Craiova Craiova (, also , ), is Romania's 6th Cities in Romania, largest city and capital of Dolj County, and situated near the east bank of the river Jiu River, Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximatel ...
, and later to the 7th Division in Roman. In the latter capacity, he was involved in repressing the Romanian Peasants' Revolt, organizing interrogations of officers who "have been in contact with the rebels". Zadik first saw action abroad during the
Second Balkan War The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 16 ( O.S.) / 29 (N.S.) June 1913. Serbian and Greek armies r ...
(1913). He became Colonel, and was assigned to the Staff of the 3rd Army Corps in
Galați Galați (, , ; also known by other alternative names) is the capital city of Galați County in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in eastern Romania. Galați is a port town on the Danube River. It has been the only port for the most par ...
, shortly before World War I; in October 1914, he was moved to the 4th Army Corps in Iași. In 1915–1916, he went on a mission to
Joseph Joffre Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre (12 January 1852 – 3 January 1931) was a French general who served as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front from the start of World War I until the end of 1916. He is best known for regroupi ...
, commander of the
French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...
on the Western Front. Returning to Romania after its 1916 entry into the war, Zadik was assigned to the Northern Army at
Bacău Bacău ( , , ; hu, Bákó; la, Bacovia) is the main city in Bacău County, Romania. At the 2016 national estimation it had a population of 196,883, making it the 12th largest city in Romania. The city is situated in the historical region of ...
, and drafted plans for the Romanian offensive into
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
. In September of that year, he became a Commander of the
Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus ( pl, Order Św. Stanisława Biskupa Męczennika, russian: Орден Святого Станислава), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Ponia ...
, and was recognized as an Officer of the Star of Romania in November. As Romania suffered a massive counteroffensive and only held on to
Western Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova), also called Western Moldavia or Romanian Moldavia, is the historic and geographical part of the former Principality of Moldavia situated in eastern and north-eastern Romania. Until its union with Wallachia in 1859, the Pr ...
, he became Chief of Staff of the First Army, reconstructed from surviving units at Podu Iloaiei (December 1, 1916); he was made
brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
on April 1, 1917, and, from May 15, became
Constantin Cristescu Constantin Cristescu (2 December 1866 — 9 May 1923) was a Romanian lieutenant general during World War I, and Chief of the Romanian General Staff, Chief of Staff of the Romanian Army. Biography Early life He was born on 2 December 1866 in Lunca ...
's second in command within the First Army. He was moved to the front during June, taking over defensive positions in
Tecuci County Tecuci County was a county (Romanian language, Romanian: ''județ'') in the Kingdom of Romania, in the historical region Moldavia. The county seat was Tecuci. The county was located in the central-eastern part of Greater Romania, in the south of ...
and relieving the 1st Russian Army. By December, his son Grigore had been evacuated with the entire Dealu army school to Iași, and faced the prospect of being moved to safety in the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
. In January, he fell ill with epidemic typhus, and had to be hospitalized. Grigore's colleague and "forever a friend", engineer Constantin Nicolau, notes that the other Zadiks were by then living in Roman. He also recalls that Zadik Sr treated him "like a father". During the defense of Moldavia, Zadik helped his troops achieve victory in the
Battle of Mărășești The Battle of Mărășești (6 August 1917 – 3 September 1917) was the last major battle between the German Empire and the Kingdom of Romania on the Romanian front during World War I. Romania was mostly occupied by the Central Powers, but th ...
, though he later credited success to "the Romanian peasant set out to defend his ancestral lands". He was present for, though not directly involved in, the successful bayonet counterattack mounted by the "white ghosts"—soldiers of the 32nd Infantry Regiment, who dressed down to their underwear. While serving as a Secretary in the Ministry of War Ammunition (from September 1), Zadik held a command position in the
First Battle of Oituz The First Battle of Oituz was fought between 12 and 27 October 1916 between the Kingdom of Romania on one side and Austria-Hungary and the German Empire on the other. It was part of the Romanian operations for the defense of the passes in the C ...
, and became an Officer of the Order of the Crown (he would receive its Grand Cross in 1919).Filipciuc I, pp. 620–621. See also Antonian, p. 141 Grigore Zadik saw action with the
Romanian Air Force The Romanian Air Force (RoAF) ( ro, Forțele Aeriene Române) is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, five airbases and an air defense brigade. Reserve forces include one ai ...
(Balloon Corps), despite being underage; as reported by the General, his son's missions were his only cause for worry during that stage of war. Grigore survived the campaign and was made a Sublieutenant.


Bukovina

Zadik served in the Romanian War Ministry in 1918–1919, returning to active duty in 1919–1922. From February 1918, at a time when Romania had
sued for peace Suing for peace is an act by a warring party to initiate a peace process. Rationales "Suing for", in this older sense of the phrase, means "pleading or petitioning for". Suing for peace is usually initiated by the losing party in an attempt to ...
, he was serving as commander of the 8th Infantry Division, stationed in Botoșani. This period witnessed his participation in the
Great Union In Romanian historiography, the Great Union ( ro, Marea Unire) or Great Union of 1918 () was the series of political unifications the Kingdom of Romania had with several of the so-called Romanian historical regions, starting with Bessarabia on ...
—specifically, the unification of Romanian-inhabited territories in Austria-Hungary with the Romanian Kingdom. In autumn 1918, after the Austrian governor of the
Duchy of Bukovina The Duchy of Bukovina (german: Herzogtum Bukowina; ro, Ducatul Bucovinei; uk, Герцогство Буковина) was a constituent land of the Austrian Empire from 1849 and a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary from 1867 until 1918 ...
, Josef Graf von Ezdorf, refused a request by
Iancu Flondor Iancu Flondor (3 August 1865 – 19 October 1924) was a Romanian politician who advocated Bukovina's union with the Kingdom of Romania. He was born in the town of Storozhynets ( ro, Storojineṭ) in Northern Bukovina (now in Ukraine). His paren ...
to cede power, Zadik led the troops who occupied the province. These events witnessed a breakdown of social and military order in the Duchy. Early on November 5 (
Old Style Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) indicate dating systems before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, this is the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries between 158 ...
: October 23), Zadik received a report from Anton Ionescu, the Border Guards commander stationed in front of Ițcani, suggesting that the Austrian garrison had left that town, which the
Austrian Gendarmerie The Federal Gendarmerie (german: Bundesgendarmerie) was an Austrian federal police agency. It was responsible for approximately two thirds of the population on approximately 98% of Austrian national territory, alongside the Federal Safety Guard ...
could no longer protect against civilian violence. That afternoon,
Alexandru Tzigara-Samurcaș Alexandru Tzigara-Samurcaș (; also known as Al. Tzigara, Tzigara-Sumurcaș, Tzigara-Samurcash, Tzigara-Samurkasch or Țigara-Samurcaș; April 4, 1872 – April 1, 1952) was a Romanian art historian, Ethnography, ethnographer, Museology, museologi ...
, ''Memorii. II: 1910–1918'', p. 223. Bucharest: Grai și Suflet – Cultura Națională, 1999.
Zadik received orders to take Ițcani and
Suceava Suceava () is the largest urban settlement and the seat town ( ro, oraș reședință de județ) of Suceava County, situated in the historical region of Bukovina, northeastern Romania, and at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central and Eastern E ...
. The official motivation was provided by reports out of Burdujeni (now in Suceava), namely that "bands armed with rifles and machine guns are devastating the city".Filipciuc II, p. 239 These reports were substantiated by Flondor in multiple telegrams he addressed to Marghiloman, pleading for a military intervention throughout the Duchy. Literary historian Ion Filipciuc believes that, while the brigands in such descriptions have generally been taken for Austrian Sich Riflemen under Archduke Wilhelm of Austria, they were in fact "Ukrainian deserters and
Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...
s", who numbered in the hundreds, and who only had immediate goals such as robbery. Officially, Zadik's mandate was to help the Romanian National Guard and the Austrian Gendarmes—the
Romanian Prime Minister The prime minister of Romania ( ro, Prim-ministrul României), officially the prime minister of the Government of Romania ( ro, Prim-ministrul Guvernului României, link=no), is the head of the Government of Romania. Initially, the office was s ...
,
Alexandru Marghiloman Alexandru Marghiloman (4 July 1854 – 10 May 1925) was a Romanian conservative statesman who served for a short time in 1918 (March–October) as Prime Minister of Romania, and had a decisive role during World War I. Early career Born in Buz ...
, would not give open recognition to Flondor's National Council, as this would have been a breach of Romania's peace treaty with Austria. However, in a letter he sent to
Alexandru Tzigara-Samurcaș Alexandru Tzigara-Samurcaș (; also known as Al. Tzigara, Tzigara-Sumurcaș, Tzigara-Samurcash, Tzigara-Samurkasch or Țigara-Samurcaș; April 4, 1872 – April 1, 1952) was a Romanian art historian, Ethnography, ethnographer, Museology, museologi ...
, Marghiloman argued that he was acting specifically against Austrian rule, and confessed that Zadik was to march on
Cernăuți Chernivtsi ( uk, Чернівці́}, ; ro, Cernăuți, ; see also other names) is a city in the historical region of Bukovina, which is now divided along the borders of Romania and Ukraine, including this city, which is situated on the up ...
, the Bukovinian capital. Zadik's opening proclamation to the people of Bukovina, issued on November 6, referred to his crossing over a "border placed between us by cruel fate", and to the Romanian Army as determined to ensure self-determination ("the legitimate right of peoples to dispose of their own fate"). The troops involved were from the 8th Infantry Division (comprising the 16th, 29th and 37th Infantry Regiments), which was at the time largely demobilized, with many soldiers on leave to perform agricultural tasks. It was supplemented troops from the
Romanian Gendarmerie The ''Jandarmeria Română'' () is the national Gendarmerie force of Romania, tasked with high-risk and specialized law enforcement duties. It is one of the two main police forces in Romania (the other being the Romanian Police - a civilian fo ...
and Border Guards. Their exact orders were to act as if on a regular campaign, directed against "brigands" (''răufăcători''), but without any forced requisitioning; troops were to return to their headquarters once this mission was declared accomplished. The first Romanian units entering Suceava on the early hours of November 6 were Anton Ionescu's Border Guards, which immediately proclaimed that the border had been erased; this undiplomatic move was corrected on November 8, as Zadik entered the city, with a proclamation insisting that Romanian troops were only there as a protective shield. Zadik eventually collected a 3,000-strong expeditionary force, operationally divided into three detachments: " Dragoș", "
Alexandru cel Bun Alexander the Good ( ro, Alexandru cel Bun or ''Alexandru I Mușat''; c. 1375 – 1 January 1432) was a Voivode (Lord) of Moldavia, reigning between 1400 and 1432, son of Roman I Mușat. He succeeded Iuga to the throne, and, as a ruler, init ...
", and "Suceava". The auxiliary force of Gendarmes and Border Guards, alongside a cavalry squadron, was ordered to move westwards, into
Gura Humorului Gura Humorului (; Hebrew and Yiddish: גורה חומורולוי - ''Gure Humuruluei'' or גורא הומאָרא - ''Gura Humora''; German and Polish: ''Gura Humora'') is a town in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. It is situated in the his ...
. Zadik's troops were still on the move as Romania resumed its war on the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
, joining efforts with the
Allied Army of the Orient upright=1.1, Allied collaboration: an Italian captain, a Russian lieutenant, a Serb colonel, a French lieutenant, and a Greek gendarme The Allied Army of the Orient (AAO) (french: Armées alliées en Orient) was the name of the unified command over ...
. These events, and Marghiloman's downfall, allowed the advance into Bukovina to be integrated within the larger war effort. Still in Suceava on November 8, Zadik wrote in the city album: "Here endeth
Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
domination. ''Fini Austria''".Filipciuc III, pp. 639 That same day, he met two of Flondor's envoys, who were disguised in rags to avoid being captured by "anarchists in control of the Cernăuți–Ițcani route". The overall push was assisted by Romanian units from the disintegrating
Hungarian Army The Hungarian Ground Forces ( hu, Magyar Szárazföldi Haderő) is the land branch of the Hungarian Defence Forces, and is responsible for ground activities and troops including artillery, tanks, APCs, IFVs and ground support. Hungary's ground ...
, who disputed the city with Ukrainians loyal to the
West Ukrainian People's Republic The West Ukrainian People's Republic (WUPR) or West Ukrainian National Republic (WUNR), known for part of its existence as the Western Oblast of the Ukrainian People's Republic, was a short-lived polity that controlled most of Eastern Gali ...
(ZUNR)—on November 9,
Ilie Lazăr Ilie Lazăr (born December 12, 1895, Giulești, Maramureș County - d. November 6, 1976 Cluj-Napoca) was a Romanian jurist and politician, a leading member of the National Peasants' Party in the interwar period and the right-hand man of Iuliu Maniu ...
took the city for the former camp, planting the
flag of Romania The national flag of Romania ( ro, drapelul României) is a tricolour. The Constitution of Romania states that "The flag of Romania is tricolour; the colours are arranged vertically in the following order from the flagpole: blue, yellow, red". ...
on Cernăuți City Hall. Zadik procrastinated, still waiting for Romania to officially proclaim its reentry into the war. He stationed his force for a days-long rest about 60
kilometer The kilometre ( SI symbol: km; or ), spelt kilometer in American English, is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one thousand metres (kilo- being the SI prefix for ). It is now the measurement unit used for ex ...
s outside the city; Lazăr traveled there to meet him: "I asked him to make his entry, for the population had been out in the streets for three days, waiting for him to arrive."Lazăr, p. 34 Zadik eventually entered Cernăuți on November 11, by way of Horecea Mănăstirii suburb. He shared his automobile with Lazăr and Lieutenant Colonel Nicolae Rovinaru, stopping in front of the National Romanian Home. Here, Zadik was met by Romanian women, who "pelted him with flowers", and by Flondor, who reportedly said: "let us embrace as two brothers who have not seen each other in 155 years". In their speeches, both Flondor and Zadik referenced "
Greater Romania The term Greater Romania ( ro, România Mare) usually refers to the borders of the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union. It also refers to a pan-nationalist idea. As a concept, its main goal is the creation ...
"—the latter also paid homage to Grigore Ghica, who had tried to oppose Bukovina's occupation in 1774, and had "lost his head" as a result. Philologist Sextil Pușcariu, who was active within the Romanian movement in Bukovina, recalls the ceremony in which he and his colleagues first met with Zadik: "A very emotional Flondor spoke, followed by an even more emotional Zadik. Both speeches were weak and poorly recited: either speaker lost his train of thought again and again, could no longer recall phrases they had learned by heart, and took such pauses that under normal circumstances would have been embarrassing. ..Everyone's eyes teared up as Flondor and Zadik embraced each other, I could feel my own tears running down my cheek." Zadik's arrival coincided exactly with the Armistice on the Western Front, which led to a suspension of hostilities with Austria-Hungary. His presence was met with a public protest by the Austrian loyalist
Aurel Onciul Aurel Onciul (29 February 1864 – 30 September 1921) was a Romanian pro-Austrian political leader in the Austrian Bukovina, prior to its union with the Kingdom of Romania. He was born in Vicovu de Sus, now in Suceava County, Romania, and gradu ...
, who presented himself as the governor of lower Bukovina. The two engaged in a dialogue, until Zadik invited Onciul to present his case directly to the Romanian government in Iași; Onciul followed up on the invitation and found himself "assaulted by some youths" upon arriving at Iași railway station, resulting in his hospitalization and political neutralization. Similarly, Zadik arrested the leaders of a "Ukrainian republic" that had been unilaterally proclaimed in Coțmani (Kitsman). While many Ukrainians simply left Bukovina in protest, Zadik's entry into Bukovina was welcomed by the local Poles: their paramilitary Polish Legion paraded before him in Cernăuți. Zadik was also instrumental in curbing violence against
Bukovina Jews The Jews in Bukovina have been an integral part of their community. Under Austria-Hungary, there was tolerance of Jews and inter-ethnic cooperation. Life under Austria and Romania Bukovina was conquered by the Austrian Archduchy in 1774. It de ...
, which had flared up in places such as
Dorna Candrenilor Dorna Candrenilor (german: Dorna Kandreny) is a commune located in Suceava County, Bukovina, northeastern Romania. It is composed of three villages: namely Dealu Floreni, Dorna Candrenilor, and Poiana Negrii. It included five other villages unti ...
, Todirești, and Pilugani.


Pokuttia

Within days of his Cernăuți entry, the Romanian General Staff ordered Zadik to occupy the entire Bukovina, including its Ukrainian-majority northern half. This was a retaliation for the ZUNR's attempt to mobilize all able-bodied Ukrainian men into the
Ukrainian Galician Army Ukrainian Galician Army ( uk, Українська Галицька Армія, translit=Ukrayins’ka Halyts’ka Armiya, UHA), was the Ukrainian military of the West Ukrainian National Republic during and after the Polish-Ukrainian War. It wa ...
(UHA).Baboș, p. 53 As head of the General Staff,
Constantin Prezan Constantin Prezan (January 27, 1861 – August 27, 1943) was a Romanian general during World War I. In 1930 he was given the honorary title of Marshal of Romania, as a recognition of his merits during his command of the Northern Army and of the ...
personally cleared Zadik for this expedition, which went against the terms of the November Armistice; during his advance, he also routed the Sich Riflemen, who withdrew from northern Bukovina, and captured Archduke Wilhelm. The operation, fully accomplished on November 21, was largely without bloodshed—one exception occurred during the advance on
Luzhany Luzhany ( uk, Лужани, ro, Lujeni, yi, לוזשאן) is an urban-type settlement in Chernivtsi Raion (district) of Chernivtsi Oblast (province) in western Ukraine. It belongs to Mamaivtsi rural hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. T ...
, when the "Dragoș" detachment was engaged in a skirmish that resulted in deaths on both sides. Zadik's securing of the province paved the way for the
union of Bukovina with Romania The union of Bukovina with Romania was declared in 28 November 1918, being officially recognized by the international community in 1919 and 1920. Timeline of events 1918 *22 October - Constantin Isopescu-Grecul, a Bukovinian Romanian deputy in the ...
, ultimately proclaimed on November 28. He was present for the deliberations as an army representative, and, as Filipciuc notes, had no voting rights; Filipciuc also dismisses as inaccurate any reports suggesting that Zadik himself signed the union proclamation. On
Saint Stephen's Day Saint Stephen's Day, also called the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian saint's day to commemorate Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr or protomartyr, celebrated on 26 December in Western Christianity and 27 December in Eastern Chri ...
(December 27) 1918, the General presided over the Cernăuți festivities honoring
Stephen the Great Stephen III of Moldavia, most commonly known as Stephen the Great ( ro, Ștefan cel Mare; ; died on 2 July 1504), was Voivode (or Prince) of Moldavia from 1457 to 1504. He was the son of and co-ruler with Bogdan II, who was murdered in 1451 ...
. From January 1919, Zadik and his 8th Infantry Division were tasked with organizing a Romanian offensive into
Pokuttia Pokuttia, also known as Pokuttya or Pokutia ( uk, Покуття, Pokuttya; pl, Pokucie; german: Pokutien; ro, Pocuția), is a historical area of East-Central Europe, situated between the Dniester and Cheremosh rivers and the Carpathian Moun ...
, which they were to pacify in support of
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
; Zadik's operation was directed against the ZUNR, which controlled Pokuttia and still stated a claim to northern Bukovina. ZUNR representatives, alarmed by Romanian maneuvers, met Zadik in Bukovina and asked for a truce. The two sides only agreed that the territorial conflict should be resolved with further negotiations in Bucharest. The Romanian incursion began on May 22, and saw no opposition from the UHA, which withdrew its soldiers to the
Polish front Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
. The expedition was closely preceded by the airdropping of leaflets which included Zadik's pledges to the Pokuttian inhabitants. During May–June 1919, Iacob Zadik oversaw the joining of Romanian troops in Transylvania, Bukovina, and Bessarabia; the
Romanian General Staff The Chief of General Staff ( ro, Șeful Statului Major General) is the highest professional military authority in the Romanian Armed Forces. He is appointed by the President of Romania, at the National Defense Minister's proposal (with the appro ...
assigned him to command all troops stationed between
Maramureș Maramureș or Marmaroshchyna ( ro, Maramureș ; uk, Мармарощина, Marmaroshchyna; hu, Máramaros) is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine. It is situated in the northeastern Carpath ...
and
Hotin County Hotin County was a county (ținut is Middle Ages and Early Modern Period, județ after) in the Principality of Moldavia (1359–1812), the Bessarabia Governorate, Governorate of Bessarabia (1812–1917), the Moldavian Democratic Republic (1917–19 ...
. On May 28, he met with Polish General
Franciszek Kraliczek-Krajowski Franciszek () is a masculine given name of Polish origin (female form Franciszka). It is a cognate of Francis, Francisco, François, and Franz. People with the name include: * Edward Pfeiffer (Franciszek Edward Pfeiffer) (1895–1964), Polish ge ...
, agreeing to form a joint military command and a civilian government, both based in
Kolomyia Kolomyia, formerly known as Kolomea ( ua, Коломия, Kolomyja, ; pl, Kołomyja; german: Kolomea; ro, Colomeea; yi, ), is a city located on the Prut River in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (province), in western Ukraine. It serves as the admi ...
. The two sides could not agree on other terms: the Poles demanded that they be allowed to move between Romanian troops, all the way south to the Bukovina border, and also that the Romanian side allow Poles to form political groups throughout Pokuttia. On May 29, Zadik supervised the imposition of a
state of siege A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
, meant to quell conflicts between Polish and Ukrainian civilians. Two days later, he and other Romanian officers were asked to leave
Nadvirna Nadvírna, also referred to as ''Nadwirna'' or ''Nadvorna'' ( uk, Надві́рна, pl, Nadwórna, yi, נאַדוואָרנאַ, ''Nadvorna'') is a city located in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast in western Ukraine. It is the administrative cent ...
, which was part of a Polish-controlled area, as the temporary administration could not vouch for his safety. In that context, local Ukrainians proceeded to ask the Romanian authorities to protect them from persecution and violence, while local Poles were complaining of mistreatment in Romanian-controlled areas. On June 7, Zadik took command of General Nicolae Petala's troops, which had also been moved into Pokuttia. His final report to Petala included a request to have the Polish 4th Rifle Division moved out of Cernăuți (where it was allegedly causing damages) and into Pokuttia. On June 16, he received from Bucharest his orders to evacuate Pokuttia. He then oversaw the terms of the withdrawal with his Polish counterparts,
Wacław Iwaszkiewicz-Rudoszański Wacław Iwaszkiewicz-Rudoszański (26 August 1871 – 25 November 1922) was a Polish general. He was born in Omsk on 26 August 1871, and served in the Russian Imperial Army until the October Revolution. He was active in the defense of the for ...
and
Robert Lamezan de Salins Robert Lamezan de Salins (1869–1930), also known as Robert Graf von Lamezan-Salins, was a Poland, Polish Jan Rydel, ''W służbie cesarza i króla: generałowie i admirałowie narodowości polskiej w siłach zbrojnych Austro-Węgier w latach 186 ...
; discussions took place in
Lemberg Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in Western Ukraine, western Ukraine, and the List of cities in Ukraine, seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is o ...
, but the outcome was postponed by more urgent developments in the parallel
Hungarian–Romanian War The Hungarian–Romanian War was fought between Hungary and Romania from 13 November 1918 to 3 August 1919. The conflict had a complex background, with often contradictory motivations for the parties involved. The Allies of World War I intended ...
. Zadik and his troops finally left the region to be annexed by Poland, on August 17 or 18, 1919. On his departure, the General thanked Pokuttians for their friendly behavior toward his troops.Filipciuc III, pp. 644 Only four Romanian soldiers had died in combat throughout the entire operation, though three others were lost to accidents.


Bessarabian mission and retirement

Later in 1919, Zadik became a divisional general. On the first-year anniversary of the Bukovina union, he addressed its people a proclamation, thanking them for their cooperation; the document mentioned Flondor's rival
Ion Nistor Ion I. Nistor (August 16, 1876 – November 11, 1962) was a Romanian historian and politician. He was a titular member of the Romanian Academy from 1915 and a professor at the universities of Cernăuți and Bucharest, while also serving as Minis ...
, but not Flondor himself, contributing to the latter's resentment toward the Romanian regime. Nistor himself rarely referred to Zadik's contribution, which he left out of topical work, ''Unirea Bucovinei''.Filipciuc I, p. 621 Zadik continued to be well regarded by the Bukovina Jews and
Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...
, with the newspaper ''Das Volk'' describing him as an "honorable defender and supporter" of the ethnic minorities. On December 14, Zadik was at Cernăuți, attending a ''
parastas A memorial service (Greek: μνημόσυνον, mnemósynon, "memorial"; Slavonic: панихида, panikhída, from Greek παννυχίς, ''pannychis'', "vigil"; Romanian: parastas and Serbian парастос, parastos, from Greek παρ ...
'' service held by the
Romanian Orthodox Church The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; ro, Biserica Ortodoxă Română, ), or Patriarchate of Romania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches, and one of ...
in memory of Bukovinians killed in action throughout the war. That same day, the cultural club known as '' Societatea Academică Junimea'' inducted Zadik as an honorary member. In June of the following year, Zadik was in
Soroca Soroca (russian: link=no, Сороки, Soroki, uk, Сороки, Soroky, pl, Soroki, yi, סאָראָקע ''Soroke'') is a city and municipality in Moldova, situated on the Dniester River about north of Chișinău. It is the administrative ...
, where he inaugurated work on a monument to Stan Poetaș, killed in action during the
Khotyn Uprising The Khotyn Uprising ( ro, Răscoala de la Hotin or ; uk, Хотинське повстання, Khotyns'ke povstannya) was a Ukrainian-led insurrection in the far-northern tip of Bessarabia region, nestled between Bukovina and Podolia. It occur ...
. Returning as commander of the 4th Corps, he made the news again in February 1921, after being held up by armed robbers while traveling between Iași and
Vaslui Vaslui (), a city in eastern Romania, is the seat of Vaslui County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia. The city administers five villages: Bahnari, Brodoc, Moara Grecilor, Rediu, and Viișoara. History Archaeological surveys indicate ...
. During July, he lectured at the Priests' Conference in Iași, convened by
Pimen Georgescu Pimen (Russian Пи́мен, Пими́н) ( gr , ποιμήν — shepherd) is a Greek male given name. Used by Russian Orthodox church monastics. It may refer to: * Pimen, Metropolitan of Moscow, aka Pimen the Greek, Metropolitan of Moscow from 13 ...
, about the activities of the
Seventh-day Adventists The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventism, Adventist Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the Names of the days of the week#Numbered days of the week, seventh day of the ...
, whom he regarded as dangerous. A month later, he traveled in
Hotin Khotyn ( uk, Хотин, ; ro, Hotin, ; see other names) is a city in Dnistrovskyi Raion, Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine and is located south-west of Kamianets-Podilskyi. It hosts the administration of Khotyn urban hromada, one of the ...
and Soroca Counties, where he supervised the backlash against "criminal gangs". In the years following his expeditions, Zadik acquired an international reputation, which reached the
Republic of Armenia A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
. In a report he compiled for the latter's government in 1919, Bessarabian Armenian activist Artyom Tumanyan noted that Zadik was one of Romania's most prominent "indigenous Armenians"—though he also indicated that such Armenians had fully assimilated into Romanian life. Again withdrawn from active duty, Zadik served on the Superior Council of the Romanian Army (1922–1924) and a review board for would-be generals. In April–November 1924, he was Military Commander of Bessarabia. In 1923, the year when he welcomed to Romania
Ferdinand Foch Ferdinand Foch ( , ; 2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929) was a French general and military theorist who served as the Supreme Allied Commander during the First World War. An aggressive, even reckless commander at the First Marne, Flanders and Art ...
, Zadik was made a Commander of the
Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
, a Grand Officer of the
Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus ( it, Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro) (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the wo ...
, and a Grand Officer of the Star of Romania. In 1925, he attended a commemoration of the Council of Nicaea, and appears in the collective portrait done by
Gheorghe Popovici Gheorghe Popovici (5 October 1859, Iași - 24 February 1933, Iași) was a Romanian painter and designer in the Academic art, Academic style. Biography He spent his childhood in Hotin. Later, he attended the secondary schools in Iași, graduating ...
. By 1928, he was also a vice president of ''Cultul Eroilor'' ("Heroes' Cult") society, in which capacity he obtained that a World War memorial be erected at
Galata Galata is the former name of the Karaköy neighbourhood in Istanbul, which is located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn. The district is connected to the historic Fatih district by several bridges that cross the Golden Horn, most notabl ...
. In January 1929, as commander of the 4th Army Corps, Zadik issued an ordinance introducing the state of siege all along Romania's border with the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. This drew controversy in Romania, as creating a precedent for generals legislating against
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
; as noted by the newspaper ''
Adevărul ''Adevărul'' (; meaning "The Truth", formerly spelled ''Adevĕrul'') is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in Iași, in 1871, and reestablished in 1888, in Bucharest, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published dur ...
'', this was also a way to bypass the anti-censorship laws advanced by the
National Peasants' Party The National Peasants' Party (also known as the National Peasant Party or National Farmers' Party; ro, Partidul Național Țărănesc, or ''Partidul Național-Țărănist'', PNȚ) was an agrarian political party in the Kingdom of Romania. It w ...
and the Maniu cabinet. According to a front-page critique in that same newspaper, the ordinance also made Zadik a hero to the Romanian far-right, who argued that his intervention was justified by communist infiltration in Bessarabia and Bukovina. Zadik became an old-age pensioner in October 1929, but continued to work for government, serving as a delegate on the board of the Aircraft Construction Enterprise (December 1929–June 1938). In 1930, he became an Officer in the
Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on al ...
. In 1935 he was one of the inaugural holders of the Order of Ferdinand I (as Grand Officer), also being recognized as an honorary citizen of Cernăuți in autumn 1937 (though some reports suggest that this distinction was bestowed upon him in 1918). The General and his wife Rosa had two sons, both officers (the second of whom was named Ioan-Cristea) and a daughter, Margareta.Antonian, p. 140 By 1927, they were in-laws with Grigore Kessim, a prosecutor at the
High Court of Cassation and Justice The High Court of Cassation and Justice ( ro, Înalta Curte de Casație și Justiție) is Romania's supreme court, and the court of last resort. It is the equivalent of France's Cour de Cassation and serves a similar function to other courts of ...
, also crdited as the chief physician of Bucharest. Of Iacob's progeny, Grigore took high positions in the military, serving as
Ion Antonescu Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and marshal who presided over two successive wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister and ''Conducător'' during most of World War II. A Romanian Army career officer who made ...
's aide on mission to the
League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...
(1936); a Major in 1937, he spent the years 1937–1939 training with France's 11th Artillery Regiment, and, like his father, was inducted into the Legion of Honor. With his training in both artillery and aviation, he commanded and organized Bucharest's anti-aircraft defense during the early stages of World War II, when Romania was aligned with the
Axis Powers The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...
(1940–1942). He was then moved to the Eastern Front, where he similarly contributed to the defense of
Rostov Rostov ( rus, Росто́в, p=rɐˈstof) is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, northeast of Moscow. Population: While t ...
against the
Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
.


Communist imprisonment and recovery

In 1967, the General recalled that he approved of the anti-Axis coup of August 1944;Filipciuc II, p. 238; Firoiu, p. 20 in its immediate aftermath, Grigore Zadik served as a liaison between the Romanian Army and
Fyodor Tolbukhin Fyodor Ivanovich Tolbukhin (russian: Фёдор Ива́нович Толбу́хин; 16 June 1894 – 17 October 1949) was a Soviet military commander and Marshal of the Soviet Union. Early life and military career Tolbukhin was born into ...
's
4th Ukrainian Front The 4th Ukrainian Front (Russian: Четвёртый Украинский фронт) was the name of two distinct Red Army strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The front was first formed on 20 October 1943, by ...
. In 1948, the family home on Aleea Alexandru, Bucharest became nationalized property, though Zadik Sr still continued to reside in it. After being sent to the reserves, he had written a pamphlet titled "The
Dniester The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and th ...
, Romanian Land", stating the Romanian claim to Bessarabia against the Soviets. This later drew the ire of the
communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...
, which imprisoned him in the 1950s.Antonian, p. 141 Colonel Zadik, meanwhile, was forced to resign from his position as head of the Air Defense Directorate, and lived out of the public eye. His father was still occasionally mentioned in works of history, including Eliza Campus' 1958 article on the
Polish–Romanian alliance The Polish–Romanian alliance was a series of treaties signed in the interwar period by the Second Polish Republic and the Kingdom of Romania. The first of them was signed in 1921 and, together, the treaties formed a basis for good foreign rela ...
, which appeared in ''Studii''. Zadik Sr was finally released and rehabilitated in the early 1960s. In October 1967, the
State Council State Council may refer to: Government * State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of South Korea, headed by the President * State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative auth ...
, under
Chivu Stoica Chivu Stoica (the family name being Chivu; 8 August 1908 – 18 February 1975) was a leading Romanian Communist politician, who served as 48th Prime Minister of Romania. Early life Stoica was born in Smeeni, Buzău County, the sixth child of a ...
, awarded him the Order of the Fatherland's Defense, Second Class, "on the occasion of his 100th birthday , for feats of war accomplished during World War I". This was followed by ''Sabia de Onoare'' Medal in December. On August 12, 1967, his wartime recollections appeared in ''
Scînteia ''Scînteia'' (Romanian for "The Spark") was the name of two newspapers edited by Communist groups at different intervals in Romanian history. The title is a homage to the Russian language paper ''Iskra''. It was known as ''Scânteia'' until th ...
'', mouthpiece of the
Romanian Communist Party The Romanian Communist Party ( ro, Partidul Comunist Român, , PCR) was a communist party in Romania. The successor to the pro-Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to a communist revolution that woul ...
. Military historian Vasile Arimia reports that, at some point before 1976, Zadik was living in
Piatra Neamț Piatra Neamț (; german: Kreuzburg an der Bistrița (Siret), Bistritz; hu, Karácsonkő) is the capital city of Neamț County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in northeastern Romania. Because of its privileged location in the Easter ...
and working as a coach driver. Arimia claims that he knew this to be true from General
Emil Bodnăraș Emil Bodnăraș (10 February 1904 – 24 January 1976) was a Romanian communist politician, an army officer, and a Soviet agent, who had considerable influence in the Romanian People's Republic.''Final Report'', p. 646 Early life Bodnăraș was ...
, the communist potentate, who claimed to have taken his carriage ride while visiting Bisericani Monastery. Arimia also recalls that
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Nicolae Ceaușescu Nicolae Ceaușescu ( , ;  – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian communist politician and dictator. He was the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and the second and last Communist leader of Romania. He was ...
and Bodnăraș both took care of restoring Zadik to a more fitting social position, and ordered his home to be restored. The same author dismisses this account as an urban legend meant to improve Bodnăraș's public image for posterity. Colonel Grigore Zadik lived with his father at Carol Davila Street 24, in the Bucharest neighborhood of
Cotroceni Cotroceni is a neighbourhood in western Bucharest, Romania located around the Cotroceni hill, in Bucharest's Sector 5. The nearest Metro stations are Eroilor, Academia Militară, and Politehnica. History The Hill of Cotroceni was once covered ...
."Uriașa urnă a inimilor și conștiinței noastre. Momente trăite—în casele oamenilor, pe mări, pe meleaguri pitorești", in ''
Scînteia ''Scînteia'' (Romanian for "The Spark") was the name of two newspapers edited by Communist groups at different intervals in Romanian history. The title is a homage to the Russian language paper ''Iskra''. It was known as ''Scânteia'' until th ...
'', March 3, 1969, p. 3
In old age, Iacob Zadik donated his memorabilia to the National Military Museum, and "three hundred of my valuable books, as well as forty-four music sheets—old songs and romanzas" to the
Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ro, Academia Română ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its byl ...
. The donation included several manuscripts of his memoirs. Filipciuc notes that Iacob, as a "contemporary of five wars" still kept informed of political developments as a centenarian, and was upset by the
invasion of Czechoslovakia The Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia refers to the events of 20–21 August 1968, when the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was jointly invaded by four Warsaw Pact countries: the Soviet Union, the Polish People's Republic, the People's Rep ...
in August 1968. ''Scînteia'' reporters visited him and his son at their home during the legislative election of March 1969, alongside a team carrying the mobile ballot box. They quoted Zadik Sr as saying that his interest as a former soldier was in supporting
world peace World peace, or peace on Earth, is the concept of an ideal state of peace within and among all people and nations on Planet Earth. Different cultures, religions, philosophies, and organizations have varying concepts on how such a state would ...
on the basis of
non-interventionism Non-interventionism or non-intervention is a political philosophy or national foreign policy doctrine that opposes interference in the domestic politics and affairs of other countries but, in contrast to isolationism, is not necessarily opposed ...
; his son added that they had both been impressed by Ceaușescu's "extremely realistic foreign policy, with its rooting in truly reasonable principles". The General died on April 8, 1970, in Bucharest. He is credited by Firoiu as the "first Romanian general to have reached the age of 103", though Filipciuc corrects this inaccuracy by noting Zadik was nine months short of reaching that age; he is buried at
Bellu Cemetery Șerban Vodă Cemetery (commonly known as Bellu Cemetery) is the largest and most famous cemetery in Bucharest, Romania. It is located on a plot of land donated to the local administration by Baron Barbu Bellu. It has been in use since 1858. T ...
."Բուխարեստում յարգել են ռումինական բանակի յայտնի հայազգի գեներալ Յակոբ Զատիկի յիշատակը", in ''
Alik Alik may refer to: People Given name *Alik Arakelyan (born 1996), Armenian footballer *Alik Cavaliere (1926–1998), Italian sculptor *Alik Gershon (born 1980), Ukraine-born Israeli chess grandmaster *Alik Gunashian or Gyunashyan (born 1955), Armen ...
'', December 5, 2018, p. 5
Including his interview in a 1974 anthology, Firoiu looked back on Zadik as "the very first one who, in front of his troops, has entered and liberated sweet Bukovina". As noted by Filipciuc, any other details on this expedition, as well as any mention of Zadik's stay in Pokuttia, were absent from Firoiu's published interview. Grigore survived his father only to February 1974, dying at age 76. His father the general was still entirely omitted from the 1983 reference work on Romanian military commanders; his memory was preserved by the Armenian community and the local
Gregorian Church , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...
—by 1991, its Romanian Diocese Museum had a Zadik display case. Although the December 1989 Revolution had toppled Ceaușescu, the Aleea Alexandru home was never returned to the family. General Zadik was formally commemorated by the Armenian community in Romania, represented by
Varujan Vosganian Varujan Vosganian (; hy, Վարուժան Ոսկանեան, born on 25 July 1958) is a Romanian politician, economist, essayist and poet of Armenian origin. Vosganian was Romania's Minister of Economy and Commerce (2006–2008) in the Tăriceanu ...
and Gregorian bishop Tadev Hakobyan-Muradyan, with a special service held at Bellu on November 27, 2018. As noted by writer Magda Ursache, in November 2021 the anniversary of Bukovina's union was entirely omitted from the national calendar. In that context, "nobody as much as mentioned General Iacob Zadic's 8th Division, which entered Cernăuți on Nov mber11, to curb Ukrainian terrorism."Magda Ursache, "Clio între slujitori și detractori", in ''Revista Acolada'', Issue 12/2021, p. 11


Notes


References

*Narcis E. Ștefan Antonian, "Generalul Iacob Zadik – un erou armean al Marelui Război și al României Mari", in ''Muzeul Național'', Vol. 32, 2020, pp. 139–141. *Alexandru Baboș, "100 de ani de la Marea Unire. Acțiunile armatei române în sprijinul Unirii Bucovinei cu Regatul României", in ''Rezervistul Sibian'', Issue 19, 2018, pp. 51–54. *Stepan Borchuk, Andrii Korolko, Alexander Reient, "Accession of Part of Eastern Galicia to Romania in 1919: Military and Political Aspects", in ''Codrul Cosminului'', Vol. 26, Issue 1, 2020, pp. 169–186. *Ion Filipciuc, "Generalul Iacob Zadik în Bucovina", in ''Analele Bucovinei'', Vol. XXII, Issue 2, 2015, pp. 599–623 (Part I); Vol. XXIII, Issue 1, 2016, pp. 227–252 (Part II); Issue 2, 2016, pp. 635–644 (Part III). *V. Firoiu, ''...și eu am fost recrut''. Bucharest:
Editura Militară Editura Militară (Military Publishing House) is a publishing house based in Bucharest, Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the so ...
, 1974. *
Ilie Lazăr Ilie Lazăr (born December 12, 1895, Giulești, Maramureș County - d. November 6, 1976 Cluj-Napoca) was a Romanian jurist and politician, a leading member of the National Peasants' Party in the interwar period and the right-hand man of Iuliu Maniu ...
, "Memorii. Cernăuții ajung în mâinile românilor", in ''Apeiron. Revista pentru Inimă, Minte și Suflet de Mateist'', Vol. IV, Issue 9, 2018, pp. 33–35. *Visarion Neagoe, "Pionieri ai artileriei antiaeriene", in ''Document. Buletinul Arhivelor Militare Române'', Vol. XX, Issue 2, 2017, pp. 22–30. *Constantin Nicolau, ''Proba de foc. Amintiri. Iunie 1916 — ianuarie 1918''. Bucharest: Editura Albatros, 1983. *Marian Olaru, "Bucovina în primul război mondial (II)", in ''Cetatea de Scaun. Revista Profesorilor de Istorie din Județul Suceava'', Vol. 14, Issue 14, 2017, pp. 13–30. * Sextil Pușcariu, "Acum zece ani în Bucovina", in '' Societatea de Mâine'', Nr. 22–24/1928, pp. 396–399. *Dumitru Seserman, "Divizia 8 Infanterie în Pocuția. Mai 1919 – August 1919", in ''Buletinul Universității Naționale de Apărare'', Issue 3, 2004, pp. 30–41. {{DEFAULTSORT:Zadik, Iacob 1867 births 1970 deaths Romanian Land Forces generals Romanian military personnel of the Second Balkan War Romanian Army World War I generals People of the Polish–Ukrainian War Officers of the Order of the Star of Romania Grand Officers of the Order of the Crown (Romania) Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Romania) Commandeurs of the Légion d'honneur Grand Officers of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Officers of the Order of Polonia Restituta 20th-century memoirists Romanian memoirists Romanian book and manuscript collectors People from Iași County Romanian people of Armenian descent Carol I National Defence University alumni People detained by the Securitate Romanian prisoners and detainees Prisoners and detainees of Romania Socialist Republic of Romania rehabilitations Romanian centenarians Burials at Bellu Cemetery