Nicolae Radescu
Encyclopedia
Nicolae Rădescu was a Romania
n army officer and political figure. He was the last pre-communist rule
Prime Minister of Romania, serving from December 7, 1944 to March 1, 1945.
Before World War II
, he was the leader of a far right
party called Cruciada Românismului ("The Crusade of Romanianism"), the splinter group of the Iron Guard
created by Mihai Stelescu
.
In 1942, during Ion Antonescu
's dictatorship, Rădescu wrote an article critical of the German
ambassador Manfred Freiherr von Killinger
and his constant intrusion in the internal affairs of Romania. He was interned as a political prisoner
in the Târgu Jiu
camp. On August 23, 1944, immediately after Antonescu's downfall, Rădescu was released from prison and appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Romanian Army.
He became prime minister on December 7, 1944. In this position he tried to adopt strong anti-Communist
policies modelled on those of the George Papandreou
Greek
government. At the end of February 1945, the Communist Party of Romania and its allies organised a mass rally in front of the Royal Palace
to call for his resignation. As the protest carried on, unknown persons opened fire from the Interior Ministry building situated across the street, killing some ten persons. Held responsible for this by the Soviets
and the Romanian Communists, Rădescu was forced to resign. Joseph Stalin
had Andrey Vyshinsky
communicated the warning that the Soviet Union would not allow Northern Transylvania
to be awarded back to Romania if Rădescu were to remain prime minister. He resigned his position on March 1.
On March 6, 1945, the first Communist-dominated government of Romania took office under the direction of Petru Groza
. Over the next few years, the Communists would completely consolidate their power.
Pursued by the Communist authorities, in 1946 Rădescu sought refuge in the British
embassy, and ultimately left Romania not for the United Kingdom but for the United States
. Once in America, he and other exiled Romanian political figures, including Augustin Popa, Mihail Fărcăşanu
, Grigore Gafencu
, and Constantin Vişoianu
, came together to form a united anti-communist opposition in exile called Romanian National Committee
. They never received major support from any of the Free World
governments. At the Yalta Conference
, the United States and the United Kingdom had conceded the dominant role in Romania to the Soviet Union, and the Soviet occupation of Romania
had assured that concession. Rădescu died in 1953 in New York City.
At the initiative of Prime Minister Mugur Isărescu
, the remains of General Rădescu were brought back to Romania in 2000. Following the wishes expressed in his testament, he was reburied in the Orthodox
Bellu
Cemetery in Bucharest on November 23, 2000.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n army officer and political figure. He was the last pre-communist rule
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
Prime Minister of Romania, serving from December 7, 1944 to March 1, 1945.
Before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was the leader of a far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
party called Cruciada Românismului ("The Crusade of Romanianism"), the splinter group of the Iron Guard
Iron Guard
The Iron Guard is the name most commonly given to a far-right movement and political party in Romania in the period from 1927 into the early part of World War II. The Iron Guard was ultra-nationalist, fascist, anti-communist, and promoted the Orthodox Christian faith...
created by Mihai Stelescu
Mihai Stelescu
-With the Iron Guard:Born in Galaţi, he joined, while still in high school, the Legion of the Archangel Michael , an ultra-nationalist, Fascist, and anti-Semitic political movement led by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu....
.
In 1942, during Ion Antonescu
Ion Antonescu
Ion Victor Antonescu was a Romanian soldier, authoritarian politician and convicted war criminal. The Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II, he presided over two successive wartime dictatorships...
's dictatorship, Rădescu wrote an article critical of the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
ambassador Manfred Freiherr von Killinger
Manfred Freiherr von Killinger
Manfred Freiherr von Killinger was a German naval officer, Freikorps leader, military writer and Nazi politician. A veteran of World War I and member of the Marinebrigade Ehrhardt during the German Revolution, he took part in the violent intervention against the Bavarian Soviet Republic...
and his constant intrusion in the internal affairs of Romania. He was interned as a political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
in the Târgu Jiu
Târgu Jiu
Târgu Jiu is the capital of Gorj County, Oltenia, Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu. Eight villages are administered by the city: Bârseşti, Drăgoeni, Iezureni, Polata, Preajba Mare, Româneşti, Slobozia and Ursaţi.-History:The city takes its name...
camp. On August 23, 1944, immediately after Antonescu's downfall, Rădescu was released from prison and appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Romanian Army.
He became prime minister on December 7, 1944. In this position he tried to adopt strong anti-Communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
policies modelled on those of the George Papandreou
George Papandreou (senior)
Georgios Papandreou was a Greek politician, the founder of the Papandreou political dynasty. He served three terms as Prime Minister of Greece...
Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
government. At the end of February 1945, the Communist Party of Romania and its allies organised a mass rally in front of the Royal Palace
National Museum of Art of Romania
The National Museum of Art of Romania is located in the former royal palace in Revolution Square, central Bucharest, Romania, completed in 1937...
to call for his resignation. As the protest carried on, unknown persons opened fire from the Interior Ministry building situated across the street, killing some ten persons. Held responsible for this by the Soviets
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and the Romanian Communists, Rădescu was forced to resign. Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
had Andrey Vyshinsky
Andrey Vyshinsky
Andrey Januaryevich Vyshinsky – 22 November 1954) was a Soviet politician, jurist and diplomat.He is known as a state prosecutor of Joseph Stalin's Moscow trials and in the Nuremberg trials. He was the Soviet Foreign Minister from 1949 to 1953, after having served as Deputy Foreign...
communicated the warning that the Soviet Union would not allow Northern Transylvania
Northern Transylvania
Northern Transylvania is a region of Transylvania, situated within the territory of Romania. The population is largely composed of both ethnic Romanians and Hungarians, and the region has been part of Romania since 1918 . During World War II, as a consequence of the territorial agreement known as...
to be awarded back to Romania if Rădescu were to remain prime minister. He resigned his position on March 1.
On March 6, 1945, the first Communist-dominated government of Romania took office under the direction of Petru Groza
Petru Groza
Petru Groza was a Romanian politician, best known as the Prime Minister of the first Communist Party-dominated governments under Soviet occupation during the early stages of the Communist regime in Romania....
. Over the next few years, the Communists would completely consolidate their power.
Pursued by the Communist authorities, in 1946 Rădescu sought refuge in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
embassy, and ultimately left Romania not for the United Kingdom but for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Once in America, he and other exiled Romanian political figures, including Augustin Popa, Mihail Fărcăşanu
Mihail Farcasanu
Mihail Fărcăşanu was a Romanian journalist, diplomat and writer. He was president of the National Liberal Youth from 1940 to 1946. Pursued by the authorities due to his anticommunist actions, he managed to flee the country in 1946, and was later sentenced to death...
, Grigore Gafencu
Grigore Gafencu
Grigore Gafencu was a Romanian politician, diplomat and journalist.-Political career:Gafencu studied law and received his Ph.D. in law from the University of Bucharest. During World War I, he participated as a lieutenant and received the Mihai Viteazul Order for courage in battle...
, and Constantin Vişoianu
Constantin Visoianu
Constantin Vișoianu was a Romanian jurist, diplomat and politician....
, came together to form a united anti-communist opposition in exile called Romanian National Committee
Romanian National Committee
Romanian National Committee was an anti-communist organization of Romanian post-World War II exilés in the West. It claimed to represent a government in exile.-History:...
. They never received major support from any of the Free World
Free World
The Free World is a Cold War-era term often used to describe states not under the rule of the Soviet Union, its Eastern European allies, China, Vietnam, Cuba, and other communist nations. The term often referred to states such as the United States, Canada, and Western European states such as the...
governments. At the Yalta Conference
Yalta Conference
The Yalta Conference, sometimes called the Crimea Conference and codenamed the Argonaut Conference, held February 4–11, 1945, was the wartime meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, represented by President Franklin D...
, the United States and the United Kingdom had conceded the dominant role in Romania to the Soviet Union, and the Soviet occupation of Romania
Soviet occupation of Romania
The Soviet occupation of Romania refers to the period from 1944 to August 1958, during which the Soviet Union maintained a significant military presence in Romania...
had assured that concession. Rădescu died in 1953 in New York City.
At the initiative of Prime Minister Mugur Isărescu
Mugur Isarescu
Mugur Isărescu is the Governor of the National Bank of Romania. From 22 December 1999 to 28 November 2000 he served as Prime Minister. He is a member of the Romanian Academy....
, the remains of General Rădescu were brought back to Romania in 2000. Following the wishes expressed in his testament, he was reburied in the Orthodox
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
Bellu
Bellu
Bellu is the most famous cemetery in Bucharest, Romania.It is located on a plot of land donated to the local administration by Baron Barbu Bellu...
Cemetery in Bucharest on November 23, 2000.