: The 1774 Treaty of Kuchuk Kainardji between Russia and the Ottoman Empire gave Russia a "protectorate" status over the Romanian Principalities, beginning the erosion of Ottoman control.

: Bukovina was annexed by the Habsburgs in 1775, and Bessarabia was taken by Russia in 1812.

This era is defined as a distinct "nation-building" stage where the Romanian people transitioned from medieval agrarian structures toward a modern European nation-state.

Based on the foundational work The Romanians, 1774-1866 by Keith Hitchins , this period centers on the shift from and Ottoman suzerainty to Western European political and cultural models . 1. Breaking the Imperial Grip (1774–1829)