Ștefan Fălcoianu

Ștefan Fălcoianu (June 6, 1835–January 22, 1905) was a Romanian army general who served as Chief of the General Staff and War Minister.

Biography

Origins and early career

Born in Bucharest, he belonged to a boyar family originating in Romanați County. His father Ioniță was a serdar, while his mother was Ralița Lipoveanu. He had a twin brother, Ioan, who became a mathematician. Ștefan was born second, making him the last of eight children. After completing secondary school in his native city, he entered its military officers' school in 1854 and graduated two years later. His abilities during four years of training attracted notice, and, with the backing of domnitor Alexandru Ioan Cuza, he was sent to the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr. An assistant to Achille Baraguey d'Hilliers, he remained with the French General Staff until 1864, when he returned home with the rank of captain. Meanwhile, from 1862 to 1864, he attended the École Polytechnique in Paris.

In 1865, he married the 16-year-old Alexandrina Bâscoveanu. Two of their four children died young; a daughter became lady-in-waiting to Queen Elisabeth, while a son was killed in action during World War I. Alexandrina died in 1870, aged 28; her widower hired Antoine-Augustin Préault to carve the gravestone at Bellu Cemetery. Within the Romanian Land Forces, Fălcoianu attained the following ranks: second lieutenant (1856), lieutenant (1860), captain (1862), major (1865), lieutenant-colonel (1868), colonel (1877), brigadier general (1883) and divisional general (1892). His first commanding role came from 1856 to 1859, when he led a platoon within a line infantry regiment.

After returning from France in 1864, he was named cabinet chief to War Minister Savel Manu. He taught at the military officers' school from 1864 to 1868. From 1866 to 1868, he was assistant to the chief of artillery emplacements and general staff chief of an infantry division. Sent to the reserves in early 1869, he was called back to active duty in a line regiment later that year. In 1872, he was again placed in reserve.

In October 1878, he was named Romania's representative to the commission charged by the Treaty of Berlin with dividing Dobruja between Romania and the Principality of Bulgaria. In 1880, he became the first director of Căile Ferate Române state railway carrier. He was involved in the company leadership until 1883, and again headed its administration from 1895 to 1899. In 1883, he was Senator for Tecuci. As such, he repeatedly spoke of the need to increase the country's defense capabilities, refuting the idea that the fortifications then under construction were useless. The Higher War School opened in 1889, and Fălcoianu was its first commander. Under his orders, every summer between 1891 and 1894, officers from the school traveled to different sections of the border with Austria-Hungary in order to study their military potential.

Publications and recognition He authored several books on military theory and history: Explicări generale (1880), Răspuns (1889), Conferință asupra disciplinei, subordinațiunii și îndatoririlor ierarhice (1890), Despre scrisori și raporturi (1892) and Istoria Războiului din 1877–1878 ruso-româno-turc (1895). In 1891, he was among those who relaunched România Militară magazine, and in subsequent years helped ensure its continued printing.

Fălcoianu was awarded a number of orders and medals, including the Order of Osmanieh, third class (1878); the Benemerenti medal, first class; officer, Order of the Star of Romania (1878); grand officer, Order of the Crown; the gold Military Virtue Medal (1888); commander, Order of the Star of Romania (1888); grand cross, Order of the Crown (1891).

He died in Bucharest and was buried at Bellu Cemetery.