The Republic of Moldova claims a European lineage reaching back in time
long before its 14th century accession to statehood. In the 15th
century, it managed against all odds to avoid being conquered by Islam
and--albeit an intermittent vassal after 1485--it maintained its
autonomy and was never turned into a province of the Ottoman Empire.
After this period, however, Moldova would not be so fortunate, as it
altered between Russian, Romanian, and Soviet control until it finally
gained its independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union. The second
edition of the Historical Dictionary of Moldova, through its chronology,
introduction, appendixes, maps, bibliography, and hundreds of
cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places,
events, and institutions and significant political, economic, social,
and cultural aspects, traces the history of this small, but densely
populated country, providing a compass for the direction it is heading.