Transnistria War: Moldova's Pro-Soviet Insurgency

The Transnistria War broke out between Moldova and its separatist, pro-Soviet republic Transnistria, shortly after the fall of the USSR in 1992.

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[kinai]

I am from Moldova I think I want to mention one very important thing. For everybody who frames this as an ethnic conflict that's barking up the wrong tree. We've lived together for centuries and we've never bickered we've always visited we have family in each other's countries there was never an ethnic tension or ethnic hate. This is a politically motivated conflict that was dictated and directed from Moscow. This conflict was imposed on us by Kremlin. And then Frozen also buy them.

[drakko]

Some time ago, at a conference, the Romanian president at the time, Traian Basescu, was asked by a Russian dignitary: we hear that Romania has plan to annex Moldova, what do you have to say about that.
Basescu waddled over to the microphone, with a sh...cheese eating grin, from ear to ear, and says: I'd like the Russian dignitary to write this down: Romania, unlike Russia, has no experience in annexing other states....*mic drop*

[mattcromwell]

Love hearing about Soviet and Russia conflicts. The Soviet Afghan and Georgian War videos left me wanting more! Great video

[william]

As a citizen of the country you are making a video about, I would like to make few comments:

- First. In the cases of serial killers, in order to identify other victims, you use the patterns to the murders you know it was commited to other in unresolved murders in the past, thus, linking those two. So, in the case of Russia, by applying the cases of Georgia and Ukraine to the case of Moldova, you can see a lot of similar patterns that were used in Moldova's case.

I am talking about using some local dispute in order to punish the leadership of the country for their strategic decision. You have the same elements - mercenaries fighting for the separatists, russian proxies, armed "polite men" using babushkas as human shields and so on.

- The constitution of Moldova in 1994 and still states that Moldova is a unitary country. For Gagauzia they offered a special autonomy. For Transnistria they offered few deals with different degrees of autonomy. By the time passing it became profitable for everyone the status quo. - the ones who ruled Tiraspol because they have their own gray area for shady business, the ones in Chișinău because they can offer a gateway for the shady business from Tiraspol, the ones in Kiev for the same reason as the ones in Chisinau. Profitable was also for Odessa, for obvious reasons. And off course a small degree of profit went to the community of international mediators that express concern untill the shit hits the fan and have to deliver weapons. I am talking about those that dream of putting in their CV „a dossier that is solved”, meanwhile, the way it is solved give you the worst possible outcome.

- Moldova is not a model for frozen conflicts. The whole security situation in the moment is stable because the CEO of Sheriff company, the backbone of the separatist economy, have economical and corrupt interest in Ukraine and the West. At the moment, the current elite is in conflict with radical pro-russian, that does not understand why they are not fighting Ukrainians yet. They are not fighting Ukrainians because it is bad for business. However, I dont know how stable is this „architecture of security” for local businessman given the high fatality rate of pro Kremlin business-people as of lately.

Bottom-line - the only reason for Transnistria to exist is just the corruption and contraband that was done for 30 years. FYI - close to 90% if not more, of the citizen living in Transnistria have Moldovan documents issued by authorities in Chisinau. They can move anywhere in Moldova, vote in the elections and be elected in the Parliament. There is no division among political lines (the region, politically and ideologically is no different than Balti or Comrat). There is no religious divide. In terms of ethnicity - the vast majority of the population in Transnistria are the same as in the rest of the country. So, why this problem exist? It is not because of a frozen conflict, but because it is profitable for everyone.

[hanglee]

Can u do one on the Chinese Civil War, 1945-1949?

[ShubhamMishrabro]

You should make video on Tajikistan civil war. Very unknown war

[ignitionfrn]

1:15 - Chapter 1 - The edge of empire
5:45 - Chapter 2 - End of empire
10:50 - Chapter 3 - Ignition points
14:05 - Chapter 4 - Burning bridges
18:25 - Chapter 5 - The unwinnable war
22:05 - Chapter 6 - Aftermath

[mammuchan]

Love that you are doing some more niched material from history, I hadn’t even heard of this war 🫣

[ZeroCGR]

Thiese are strange times indeed. I pray the war in Ukraine ends quickly and does not escalate to Transnistria, Moldova or anywhere else.

[Chonkyraccoon]

Great content, would love to see some of the less talked about wars such as sino Vietnamese war

[orestisdionyssiosvonk]

Simon can you do one on the Greek civil war? 1944-1949! It’s very interesting how a country resisted the Italians and Germans so hard was plunged in to civil war. In Greece where Winston Churchill is considered a hero for most he has left as some scars in how he let the country down in the riots of Athens in December 1944. Hope you dive in to it with passion as enthousiasme like you always do! Respect!

[Loki_Morningstar]

Good video as always and very appropriate timing. I wish my history teachers in high school were half as interesting as you.

[stanciuflorin]

It was not Russia that called the area Bessarabia! The name is given by the first ruler of the Romanian country (valahia), Basarab I...

[mongothedestroyer]

Love how Simon casually makes a Simpsons reference like we wouldn’t notice.

[GenoBady]

The whole of Basarabia and North Bucovina belongs with their Romanian brothers.

[sebresludolf]

*Please make a video on the Chechen wars, yugoslav wars, Nagorno Karabakh war.*

[roc]

It used to be insurgency three decades ago now it is just a mafie state in Tiraspol. Imagine Russian oligarchs concentrated in a single family firm.

[njdevilku]

Mistake at 23:35. Says the war of 1922, instead of 1992.

[J_Ignition]

This was a good video, but it needed more map views

[Pikaling]

I'm a German but My grandmother was born in Romanian Bessarabia in 1919 therefore I'm also a Romanian citizen. I want reunification to happen at some point in my lifetime i'm sad that Ukraine was attacked by Russia but it could open an opportunity to finally become one country