 In order to further his history studies, Bălcescu went to France and Italy, and was, together with August Treboniu Laurian, the editor of a magazine entitled "Magazin istoric pentru Dacia", which was first published in 1844; that year also marked the publishing (in a different magazine) of his historical essay "Puterea armată și arta militară de la întemeierea Prințipatului Valahiei și până acum" ("The Military Strength and Art of Warfare from the Creation of the Wallachian Principality to This Day", which argued for a strong military as a guarantee of self-determination).While in Paris (1846), he became leader of the Romantic nationalists and liberal-radical group "Societatea studenților români" (the Society of Romanian Students), which reunited Wallachians and Moldavians — it also included Ion Brătianu, Alexandru C. Golescu, Ion Ionescu de la Brad, C. A. Rosetti, and Mihail Kogălniceanu.