The work „Tsarism and the Romanian National Movement in Basarabia" by Gheorghe Negru, is written on the basis of new documents found in archives of Chişinău, Moscow, Sankt-Petersburg and Bucharest. It deals with events related to Romanian culture in Basarabia and its struggle to survive, the situation of Basarabian schools, tsarist government's actions to isolate Basarabia from Romania, Romanian national consciense and national movement in Basarabia.
Gheorghe Negru underlines two periods of Russian ethnic policy in Basarabia: after the annexation in 1812 until the 1850, when Russia applied a relativly flexible ethnic policy, and later, when this policy became very restraining. The strategy of step by step russification was replaced by strategy of forceful, accelerated russificaton.
Similarly to the European national movement peoridization, the development of the Romanian national movement in Basarabia shows three phases. The first, after 1812 until the end of the 19th century, was generally of „cultural and literary" character, aimed to preserve their ethnic identity. The second, 1905–1916, when the Romanians were more active from the political point of view, organizing nationalistic" groups to work for the accomplishment of the „naţional ideal". The third, 1917–1918, when the ideas and plans of the Moldavian Party gained massive support.
