Război și teatru pe o scenă deschisă (Aurel Onciul în anii 1902, 1903, 1904 ș.a.m.d. (I)

The study aims to reconstruct aspects of public social, political, and moral life in early 20th century Bukovina by problematizing the perceiving of Aurel Onciul as a “traitor”, rejected by the Romanian community in Bukovina. The purpose of the study is not rehabilitation but rather an understanding of Aurel Onciulʼs ideas and actions, as well as an interpretation of the psychological mechanisms behind them. Motivated by the need for social and electoral reforms, political alliances with Ukrainians and Jews, made against his compatriots, materialized in his entry into active political life in Bukovina and in transforming Bukovina into a violent battleground grounded in slander, blackmail, intimidation, etc. This initial sequence of the study analyzes general aspects of the periodical “Privitorul” (1902–1903), the press organ of Aurel Onciulʼs political platform, and in detail, the study “The Condition of the Existence of Romanians” published by Aurel Onciul in the early issues of the periodical, which triggered strong reactions in the Bukovinian community of the time, one of these reactions being Zaharia Voroncaʼs response, published in the later issues of “Privitorul”, entitled “Rutenization of Bukovina”.