Defense Geospatial Information Agency "Division General Constantin Barozzi"

NICOLAE DONA

Lieutenant - 1862-1865 - Chief of the 2nd Section of the General Staff

Major - 1868-1870 - Chief of the Scientific War Depot

Colonel - 1882-1883 - Chief of the 2nd Section of the Great General Staff Service

Colonel - 23.05.1884-13.01.1886 - Chief of the Great General Staff

Nicolae Dona was born on August 6, 1833, in Bucharest, to parents Constantin and Elena Dona.
He graduated from the Infantry Military School in Bucharest on April 7, 1856, with the rank of second lieutenant and was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Regiment.
In 1858, he was appointed to an Engineering Bureau, the same one that Constantin Barozzi was part of, within the Ministry of War.
On December 14, 1859, Second Lieutenant Nicolae Dona was promoted to Assistant Head of the 2nd Section of the General Staff.
On February 20, 1860, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, and on October 9, 1862 (by Decree No. 202), he was appointed Head of the 2nd Section of the General Staff.
Starting on October 13, 1860 (by Decree No. 210), he was also appointed as a professor of topography and topographic drawing at the Infantry and Cavalry Military School in Bucharest.
After a training stint in France, on October 2, 1867, he was promoted to the rank of major.
In 1868, he was appointed Head of the Scientific War Depot, and on April 1, 1871, he became Deputy Director of Studies at the Military School in Bucharest, after being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on January 1 of the same year.
On April 1, 1872, he returned to the War Depot and, starting March 9, 1873, became Deputy Director at the Infantry and Cavalry Military School.
On January 1, 1876, he was appointed Head of the 2nd Section of the General Staff Corps.
In April 1877, he was promoted to Colonel and appointed, starting May 1, 1877, as Commander of the 5th Dorobanți Regiment.
On September 11, 1877, he was promoted to Commander of the 2nd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division (Commander of the Grivița Assault Group).
On December 16, 1878, he returned to his position as Head of Section in the General Staff Corps, and on July 19, 1879, he was appointed Director-General of the General Administration of the Ministry of War.
On April 24, 1880, he was appointed Commander of the 21st Dorobanți-Ilfov Regiment, and on August 1, 1880, he became President of the Permanent Commission of the Superior Council of the Ministry of War.
From April 1, 1882, he was appointed Head of the 2nd Section of Topography, Photography, Lithography, and Library within the War Depot.
On March 16, 1883, he was appointed Head of the 3rd Section of the Great General Staff, and from May 25, 1884, he served as Deputy Chief of the General Staff and Head of the 3rd Section of the same service, holding this position until 1885.
From May 1, 1885, to January 13, 1886, he was appointed Chief of the General Staff.
On February 20, 1886, he became Commander of the 6th Infantry Division.
On June 1, 1887, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and appointed Commander of the 3rd Infantry Division. On April 8, 1888, he became Commander of the 4th Infantry Division.
From April 15, 1898, he was appointed Commander of the 1st Army Corps.
On July 5, 1898, he was transferred to the reserve.
In 1907, he was retired due to age limits.
On May 5, 1910, he was promoted to the rank of Division General in retirement.
Nicolae Dona was one of the prominent figures who supported the pioneering period of organizing the first military topogeodetic institution.
He passed away on February 25, 1916, at the age of 83.