By right, one of the most controversial political figures of the 20th century was Nikolai Ceausescu. There is no denying the fact that he truly led his country, Romania, to the "golden age", as well as the fact that he ruled under the yoke of tyranny for twenty-four years. A huge number of oppressed people paved the way for the scaffold of Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena. It would seem that the people should have been jubilant, and he did this, but only not for long. After the death of the dictator, who ruled the country with an iron fist, anarchy ensued. The new authorities were completely indifferent to the ordinary people, corruption and theft began to flourish even in the highest posts. But the ruler was already dead and long buried. This article will briefly describe the biography of Nicolae Ceausescu and his gradual road to execution.
Tyrant's childhood
Since he was a rather odious person, asking a question on the street about which country president Nicolae Ceausescu was easy enough to hear in response - Romania. However, in order to understand exactly how he gained power and the reasons for many of his decisions, it is necessary to find out where he started. Ceausescu's childhood passed in a small village called Skornicesti, where he was born on January 26, 1918 in the family of a poor peasant who, in addition to Nicolau, had ten more children. Although they lived incredibly poorly, the father still managed to give his children primary education, but he did not have enough for more. The biography of Nikolai Ceausescu begins here, where during his childhood he was subjected to the oppression of the landowners, and at the age of 15 he became an apprentice in Bucharest, that is, he began to lead an adult life by all standards. Now this seems somewhat unrealistic, since he was barely a teenager, but, as is known from official sources, it was at this age that he became a communist and a member of the Komsomol, and also began to actively advocate for the rights of workers.
The political situation in the country
In the early years of Nicholas Ceausescu's life, Romania was on the verge of disaster. The small size and weak economy of the country were especially clearly visible against the backdrop of three powerful empires that surrounded it - the Russian (which at that time gradually became the Soviet Union), Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman. However, at that time they already lost their influence and gradually disintegrated, but all the same, Romania from the very beginning of its formation had to conduct a very cautious policy so as not to be crushed.
All this led to the fact that almost 80% of the country's inhabitants lived in small villages and were completely illiterate. They adhered mainly to the traditions and dogmas of religion, which over time did not even modernize, as in other countries. In the 30s, when Nikolai Ceausescu began to operate, there were only about a dozen parties in the country, almost all of which adhered to nationalism, and some even to fascism. It was then that the phrase “make Romania clean of all other nationalities” came to light — it was this pro-fascist propaganda that led to the execution of Nikolai Ceausescu, because throughout his career, he was not so explicit, but still defended this dogma.
Ascension to the throne
Perhaps the tyrannical tendencies of Nikolai Ceausescu were influenced by the fact that his youth was spent in Romania, which was under the command of the royal government. Although the dynasty was short-lived - it lasted less than a hundred years, but still it existed. The last ruler of the dynasty, Mihai, first entered the throne as early as 6 years old, although his father soon returned from his next escapade and re-occupied the throne, supported by Marshal Ion Antonescu. However, gradually his popularity among the people fell, and after a series of defeats in the war came the end of his dictatorship. Soon the monarchy itself was overthrown.
It was against the backdrop of the unrest that was taking place at that time that Ceausescu's political career began. At first he was an ardent rebel, a revolutionary, and several times he was even arrested and sat in the country's darkest prison - Doftane. However, it was here that a fateful meeting took place for him with veterans of Romanian communism and with the first communist of the country. Becoming his close, almost trusted person, he gradually made his way to power. The photo of Nicholas Ceausescu does not convey what he had to go through later to become president.
Viva, communism!
In the Russian film "Soldiers of Freedom," Nikolai Ceausescu was shown as the leader of the Communist Party of Romania, but in reality this is not true. He really held responsible posts and belonged to the top of the party, but he achieved this with hard work. Moreover, after Stalin's death, relations between the Soviet Union and Romania became more strained. Khrushchev, trying to reject the cult of the former leader, also tried to remove the leaders of other socialist countries, which did not suit Romania very much, and therefore they began to move away from Moscow. In the 1950s, a new doctrine began to take shape - the Romanian road to socialism, which the party members were going to adhere to - a new course of the party movement began.
When in 1965, the ruler of the country, Gheorghiu-Dej, gradually began to give up his position due to his health condition, his successor was chosen. And it was they who became Nikolai Ceausescu, who was already 47 years old. He was a kind of compromise figure, as he was responsible for the army and state security, and in addition he enjoyed the support of Prime Minister Maurer.
Great Conductor
Nikolai Ceausescu became Secretary General almost simultaneously with Leonid Brezhnev, who was in some ways considered his colleague in socialism. In the early years, his policy was incredibly cautious, as he understood that he was a kind of “interim leader,” a compromise between factions. But the fact that he fully realized his opportunity and rules for 24 years already speaks in his favor. Although the board led to the execution of Nicholas and Elena Ceausescu, before that, he was able to completely change the existing situation in the country.
Ceausescu politics
The decision to pursue a fairly liberal policy in the first years of power was the main advantage of the future dictator. It was because of this that he was able to gain a large number of supporters among the country's intelligentsia, as the current policy was noticeably different from the cruel regime of his predecessor. Books, newspapers, magazines began to be actively published in the country. Radio programs could be more freely transmitted, and creative thoughts were also expressed. However, this does not mean that he decided to fight against illiteracy - he completely left this question to nationalism and the independence of the country.
As Ceausescu himself said at political speeches, he strove to create an independent and great state that would be completely independent of other socialist countries. Of course, Moscow did not like this at all, and therefore the crack between the Soviet Union and Romania became larger. However, this helped them stabilize friendly relations with China, which was guided by the ideas of Maoism.
Strengthening his power gradually, Ceausescu put on the active roles of his supporters. They took the position of secretaries of the Central Committee - including at the beginning Ion Iliescu, who at first was an ardent supporter of Ceausescu himself, adjoined them. So for the next meeting of the congress in 1969, almost the entire political bureau consisted of people faithful to the conductor.
However, Nikolai Ceausescu understood that even the most faithful people could betray over time, and therefore he carefully watched the mood inside the party and, if necessary, changed people at posts.
But the last step on the path to gaining power was the occupation by the troops of the socialist countries of Czechoslovakia. Ceausescu sharply condemned them, which attracted the attention of the famous American journalist Edward Baer, ​​who was in the country at that time. It is no secret that relations between the USSR and the USA after World War II were not just tense, but went down in history under the name of the Cold War; therefore, the mood prevailing at that time, which had a negative attitude towards the USSR, was only welcomed by the Americans. In his article, Baer directly wrote that a very popular leader has appeared in the Romanian public.
The formation of the cult of personality
As Ceausescu's power strengthened, his character began to change. In the photo, Nikolai Ceausescu looks like a true ruler, a kind of "father" of the people. Gradually, he began to add more and more new titles to his name as Secretary-General, and the indifference of the people of the country further aggravated the "cult of the leader" that had begun to appear. “People like me appear once every 500 years” - that’s how the dictator said to the whole country in his interview. Propaganda is gaining momentum.
When Ceausescu celebrated his 60th birthday in 1978, the whole country was preparing for this “glorious” event. It seemed that according to the then officially existing literature, the country's leader simply did not make any mistakes, and his policy was the most ideal option. At this time, the book “Omajiu” (or “Dedication”, in translation) was born, which was intended for the servile glorification of the actions of the leader. Television and journalism were entirely aimed precisely at improving its image in the eyes of the public.
Reality situation
The lack of unrest among the people of Romania at this time of Ceausescu’s rule can be explained by a number of factors - at that time the people were already quite submissive, since they were somehow used to being under the centuries-old yoke of the Turks. In addition, the personality of an ordinary person had practically no meaning either in the legal or in the economic sense. Romania demanded at the head of power a Strong Father, and Ceausescu met this requirement. In addition, nationalism was constantly propagated throughout the country.
However, the situation in the country was getting worse for ordinary people. Earlier, positively writing about the leader, Baer simply did not understand why Ceausescu took seriously everything that was written about him, since he was surrounded only by a crowd of flatterers. Indeed, the behavior of Nicholas and Elena Ceausescu, especially in the last years of their power, was rather strange. They seemed to rush about in some way, trying to show people that they were worthy of worship.
Now it has become common belief that in reality the leader committed his actions, sometimes even suicidal, only because his inner circle dosed the information that came to him very heavily. Ceausescu himself, who was preoccupied with other matters, simply could not follow up on his own. Moreover, such a dire financial situation of the country, which led to austerity regime, can be explained by the fact that he tried to pay off all the country's external debts as quickly as possible, which he did succeed.
Another interesting fact is that the number of victims of the regime, indicated at the court, which sentenced Nikolai Ceausescu to be shot, was noticeably exaggerated. In fact, it’s not even exaggerated, but simply false - in fact the figure of 60 thousand people was indicated, although in reality, this truth surfaced only after the death of the leader, only 1300 people died. Such a difference is enormous.
Becoming President
The most significant year for the conductor was 1974. It was then that all power was concentrated in his hands, and therefore it was decided to elect Nikolai Ceausescu as the President of Romania. After that, at the next congress, it was decided to build developed socialism, and then a direct transition to communism. The party itself gradually became an important link in the totalitarian system of government, which is why it is often associated with the Ceausescu regime. Opponents of his regime at this time simply did not exist. Despite the fact that he had many trusted people, he fully trusted only relatives and family, through whom he controlled the main state bodies: the army, the State Planning Commission, trade unions and much more. In fact, the whole clan ruled the country, so nepotism reigned.
Family life
At the beginning of his career, Nikolai Ceausescu met his future wife, Elena. It was she who later became his main adviser, and it is often believed that he was completely influenced by her strong personality. He called her respectfully - "mother of the nation", and the personality cult surrounding her was almost stronger than that of her husband. Baer in her notes said that she was quite similar in nature to Jing Qing, wife of Mao Zedong.
Both women have indeed been familiar since 1971 and were distinguished by similar traits: lack of education, denial of the intelligentsia, cruelty, straightforwardness, and primitivism of ideas. But the most important thing was that they really were indispensable companions of their spouses. Ascended to the heights of power, they wanted more. Elena Ceausescu only in 1972 began to become a major politician. Of course, her rapid rise was primarily due to her husband.
In addition, official literature exalted the cult of some ideal leader family. This was truly untrue, as the problems in the family were numerous. The eldest son, Valentin, completely cut off ties with his family, daughter Zoe generally led a dissolute life, and only his son Niku had a wonderful relationship with both parents. It was he who was considered the heir to the family, although he was more inclined not to public service, but to entertainment. All this led to the fact that the people of the Ceausescu clan did not like it, which contrasted sharply with the opinion of the media. All of this had a significant impact on the leader’s reputation.
But perhaps the biggest blow to his international reputation was received by Nikolai Ceausescu in London in 1978. During his visit to the UK, he severely insulted the royal family during an important reception. He, in plain sight, demanded that his servant try the cooked food, expressing this distrust. In addition, there is an opinion that he came to the palace with his own sheets. It was a complete fiasco in the international arena.
The Golden Age of Romania
The very idea of ​​Romanian socialism was built solely on the personality of Ceausescu. He did not rework the idea of ​​Marxism-Leninism, but simply adjusted it to suit himself and the country. He was distinguished by a clear scientific approach, which can be seen in speeches at meetings, but which, unfortunately, was quite torn off from the people. Tight control of the people, dictatorship in domestic politics and the dominance of the Securitate, the control body - all this is associated with the reign of Ceausescu in the 80s. Although it should really be recognized that, despite 25 years of rule, the regime of this dictator was never bloody, like Hitler or Stalin. Ceausescu preferred a kind of psychological terror, which was often much more effective. It is also impossible to deny the fact that he considered himself the true and united ruler of his country, and also had the opportunity to subsequently build a certain dynasty. The palace of Nicholas Ceausescu, which was built in 1985, spoke of such creeps. Now it is the building of the Parliament and is considered the largest administrative building in Europe. It may not have a centuries-old history, but it has greatness and size.
The apogee of reign
Like any tyrannical regime, the Ceausescu dictatorship also had to fall sooner or later. It began in 1989 at the next meeting of the Communist Party - this one, the 14th congress, was the very last. In many ways, the situation was influenced by the international picture. Only recently the Berlin Wall was destroyed, and the Soviet Union flowed to its destruction. Ceausescu did not react to the reforms that appeared in the world, but on the contrary, said that the socialist countries are returning back to capitalism, and therefore more emphasis needs to be placed on building communism.
The people closest to power - the chief of the Securitate Yulian Vlad, the ministers of defense and internal affairs, in whose hands most of the power was concentrated, also chose to do nothing, which was strange enough and later it was assumed that they also made plans to overthrow the government Ceausescu.
However, what led to the huge discontent of the people was precisely an economic lie. Trying to quickly update the economy, Ceausescu took large Western loans, although he repaid them later, but because of this there was no money in the country, and therefore the situation practically threatened with hunger. The shelves were simply empty. It is not known for certain whether the dictator really understood the situation in the country, but, according to Western politicians and people who met with him in the last years of his reign, he was already a broken man and lived in a certain world of dreams. There are rumors that during his flight during the revolution he was shocked by the situation and constantly muttered: "I gave them everything, I gave them everything."
The execution of a tyrant
There is a photo from the execution of Nicholas Ceausescu. There, he and his wife crouched at the moment when they began to be shot. So what led to the execution of the leader? In many ways, it must be recognized, he himself provoked the people. Gathering a rally in the Palace Square, he did not expect that he would have to run away from the people thirsting for blood. However, for the court itself, which passed the verdict, events in the small town of Timisoara became a significant reason. It was the unrest that took place in him that led the ruling elite to begin to separate. And after Timisoara, the leader immediately went to Iran. He returned back to a country that did not support him. Forced to flee, he was detained on December 22.
A few days later a trial was held, which in modern times would be a complete farce. The couple CeauĹźescu was even accused of such unrealistic things that there was no proof of them and could not have been. In fact, these were ordinary conjectures. Ceausescu completely denied all allegations against him. However, this simulated court sentenced in the form of execution, which was immediately carried out. A video of the execution itself was subsequently shown on television.
Conclusion
The tomb of Nicholas Ceausescu, like his wife, is located on the outskirts of Bucharest. There was no mausoleum or other structure built - it is very modest. Ordinary residents often leave small bouquets of flowers or candles to honor the leader. The revolution in Romania was a real disaster, and even now many recall that although Ceausescu was a dictator, it was much easier to live with him than in subsequent years.
Also interesting is the question of whether the murderers Nikolai Ceausescu were brought to justice. The answer to this is rather ambiguous, since there was no court. However, the people did not leave this. The participants in the trial of the dictator constantly receive threatening letters, and people who directly detained him are called killers. According to Colonel Ion Maresh, who was directly involved in the events, they even refuse to serve him in stores. In general, this court is seen by the people only as shameful.