Țara Loviștei, especially the commune of Câineni, located near Romania’s border with Austria-Hungary, held great strategic importance and was the site of intense battles, particularly at the beginning of World War I.
Due to its location in the northern part of Vâlcea County, bordering Austria-Hungary, and the presence of important communication routes (the Râmnicu Vâlcea–Sibiu road and railway), Câineni became a focal point of military actions by the Romanian army. The primary goal was to defend the country against the German-Austro-Hungarian invasion, with measures taken to secure the Olt Gorge in the Turnu Roșu–Câineni sector.
In mid-September 1916, General David Praporgescu arrived in the operational area of the Romanian army in Câineni. He was tasked with reopening communication lines for troops in the northern Făgăraș and Lotru Mountains. Commanding the “Lotru Detachment,” General Praporgescu was responsible for repelling enemy forces already present in the Olt Gorge.
On September 18, 1916, he was appointed commander of the First Army Corps, with the mission of preventing German troops from crossing the border into Romania. During the September 1916 battles in Câineni, Romanian troops were supported by local villagers, who helped shield them from enemy fire, housed soldiers overnight in homes and mountain huts, and guided them along hidden paths unknown to the German enemy. One such path, built by locals, began near Râu Vadului station and led to Pleașa before descending into valleys toward the Greblești–Boișoara–Titești–Perișani–Sălătruc–Curtea de Argeș road. This old route, known as Calea Mare (“The Great Road”), bypassed the southern part of the Turnu Roșu Pass, allowing Romanian troops to retreat across the mountains to Curtea de Argeș.
On September 22, 1916, German forces advanced after an attack. On September 23, General Praporgescu ordered the 23rd Division to strengthen its positions on Mount Pleașa. By September 27, 1916, he issued orders to prepare two resistance positions—one on Mount Coti and another on Mount Măgura.
In an order issued on September 25, 1916, General Praporgescu declared:
“After over 40 days of battle, the First Army Corps stands on the country’s borders, face to face with the eternal enemy. Now, it is the sacred duty of each one of us to remain steadfast at our post. … No one has the right to retreat, no one is allowed to waver, but, clinging with determination to the mountains that have always protected and shielded us, we shall prevail or die gloriously for our country.”
On September 29, 1916, General Praporgescu arrived in Greblești, assigned the local troops, and spoke with officers and soldiers. The next day, he decided to personally visit the Romanian troops’ positions on Mount Coti.
At 1:00 PM, near the source of the Câinenilor Valley, a German shell was fired from the mountain. Some officers shouted, “Get down, General!” but the general remained standing. After the shell exploded, he managed to ask, “Is anyone injured?” before blood poured from his nose and mouth. Gravely wounded alongside five other officers, he succumbed to his injuries later that day.
To honor those who gave their lives for the realization of Greater Romania, commemorative monuments have been erected in every village of Țara Loviștei, paying tribute to the thousands of Romanians—known and unknown—who died for this ideal.
