Carol I of Romania vs Ntare V of Burundi

Carol of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was elected Prince of Romania on April 20, 1866, following the abdication of Alexandru Ioan Cuza. He arrived in Romania in May and was sworn in, beginning the Hohenzollern dynasty's rule over the country.

Carol I initiated the construction of Romania's first major railway line, connecting Bucharest to Giurgiu. This project expanded into a national network, modernizing transportation and facilitating economic development.

Carol I led Romanian forces alongside the Russian army against the Ottoman Empire in the Russo-Turkish War. The Romanian army played a key role in the Siege of Plevna, and the war resulted in Romania's full independence from Ottoman suzerainty.

Carol I's diplomats secured international recognition of Romania's independence at the Congress of Berlin. The treaty also forced Romania to cede southern Bessarabia to Russia in exchange for the Dobruja region, a controversial territorial swap.

On March 26, 1881, Romania was proclaimed a kingdom, and Carol I was crowned as its first king. This elevated Romania's international status and solidified its independence from the Ottoman Empire, which had been recognized in 1878.

Ntare V was installed as mwami by the military regime that overthrew his father Mwambutsa IV. He was a figurehead monarch, with real power held by the military government led by Michel Micombero. His reign lasted only a few months before the monarchy was abolished.

Later in 1966, Prime Minister Michel Micombero declared Burundi a republic, deposing Ntare V and abolishing the monarchy. Ntare V went into exile in Uganda, where he lived under the protection of President Idi Amin, ending the centuries-old Ganwa dynasty.

Ntare V returned to Burundi in 1972 after negotiations with President Micombero, but was immediately placed under house arrest. During a Hutu uprising that year, he was killed by Tutsi soldiers, possibly on government orders. His death became a symbol of the ethnic violence that engulfed Burundi.