Alexandru G. Golescu

From Freepedia

Alexandru G. Golescu (1819 – 1881) was a Romanian politician that served as a Prime Minister of Romania in 1870 (between 14 February and 1 May).

Born in the Golescu family in Bucharest, he was the cousin of the Golescu brothers (Ştefan and Nicolae). He studied at the Saint Sava Academy and then in Paris, at the School of Arts and Crafts and returned to be an engineer in Wallachia.

Golescu was a founding member of the "Frăţia" (Brotherhood) secret society in 1843, of which Nicolae Bălcescu also belonged. He returned to Paris in 1845 to be a member of a revolutionary society of the Romanian students.

He and Bălcescu participated at the Romanian revolution of 1848, where with the "Frăţia" society formed a Revolutionary Committee, of which he with Ion Ghica and Bălcescu were members.

He was chosen by the new Provisional Government of Wallachia to represent the revolution to the European governments, in order to receive their support. His efforts in Transylvania and Vienna had failed, so he was sent to Paris to obtain arms and specialists, needed to fight the Ottomans.

After the revolution failed, he stayed in exile until 1856 when he returned to sustain for the unification of Wallachia and Moldavia, which was successful in 1859 when Alexander John Cuza was chosen common ruler of the two principalities. He later served several times as minister and once for half a year as Prime Minister.