Nicolae Ionescu și Fracțiunea Liberă și Independentă de la Iași

This work aims to shed light on an episode of Iași history that prominently features Nicolae Ionescu, the leader of the Free and Independent Faction in Iași. Nicolae Ionescu was an academic figure closely tied to the Iași community, serving as a professsor at the University. Thus, the connection between the two became inexorable, as the factionists shaped through their activity the way of action of the intellectual world in Iași. By tracing Nicolae Ionescuʼs educational background and evolution, we intend to highlight the ideological roots of the faction and, at the same time, reconstruct its main characteristics. The faction primarily consisted of intellectuals active in the academic environment of the former capital of Moldavia. It was marked by unionist sentiments, opposition to the foreign prince Carol I, negative attitudes towards the Jewish community, and support for the educational processes. We will also analyze the factionʼs disputes and affiliations with various local and national political groups, which were often influenced by a sense of frustration due to the marginalization of the Iași elite and faction leaders by those in Bucharest. Lastly, we will compare the faction with other political groups of the era to identify key elements that set them apart during their active period.