The Impact of the Romanian Armed Forces on Daily Life in Bessarabia (1930s)

The article presents the impact of the Romanian Armed Forces, as a state institution, not only on the daily life in Bessarabia during the 1930s, but also on Romanian society as a whole. Thus, the factors and means by which the military institution contributed, to a certain extent, to the change in the way of life in both rural and urban environments are discussed. In approaching the topic, certain elements have been taken into account as follows: the interwar national construction programme; the multi-ethnic identity configuration; the management and interaction in the cultural, economic, educational fields; the recruitment and the military service; the hygiene and health care. Interpreted unitarily, the mentioned elements had the role of modernizing the daily life of the province. The research objective is to provide an overview of the way the Armed Forces managed to meet the challenges specific to the region.