* The Cold War country trends Romania








The Cold War: Country Trends--Romania


Figure 1.--Romania was one of the more independent minded Soviet Eastern European satellire natiins. As long as Romania recognized Soviet authority, the Kremlin after Stalin's death allowed a degree of independence. It also proved the last of the Soviet Empire to fall. After Gorbechev made it clear that the Soviet Union would not use force in Eastern Europe, Communist regimes began to collapse (1989). The Ceausescus attempted to resist the process. Here a young woman waves the Romanian flag with the Communist symbol torn out as the Romanian people rebelled against their hated dictator and his once feared Securitate. The Romanians suffered the highst casualties in lives lost. In the end the Ceausescus were lined up against a wall and shot.

The Red Army occupied Romania (Autumn 1944). There was relatively little support for Communism in Romania. but as the Soviets controlled the country and arrested individuals who criticised their presence, the Communists quickly seized control of the country. The pro-Communist government of Petru Groza seized control. took over power. The World War II dictator Marshal Ion Antonescu was tried and executed (June 1946). The Government forced King Michael I to abdicate. Groza oversaw a rigidly Stalinist regime and any one expressing any opposition to the regime was arrested. Many were shot without trials. Romania became a compliant Soviet sattelite. The Government instituted Soviet-style policies: nationalisation and collectivisation. The state took over the operation of all industrial entreprises, mines, banks and transport facilities and operated them on the basis of a centrally planned economy. The state prepared 5-year plans as part of an industrial development program. The first Five Year Plan was announced (1951). Romania under Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej began to move away from slavishly following Soviet foreign policies (1960s). Nicolae Ceausescu who succeeded him maintained this independent foreign policy. The Romanian Communists, however, did not change domestic policies of state control and industrial development. Romania before World War II had been a largely agrarian country and exporter of natural resources. Communist policies favored the growth of heavy industry resulting in the rapid growth of cities. Ceausescu attempted to accelerate Romania's industrial development and a number of grandiose show-case projects. Major investments were made in industry, extensuvely funded by Western loans. The problem was that much of the industrial development was not well planned or administered. Despite the investment the Communist-era industrial concerbs were inefficent and uncompetitive. Often the cost of production exceeded what the output could be sold for if buyers could be found aT all. In addition virtually no importance was assigned to pollution from the new factories. The inefficency of Romanian industry made it impossible for Romania to pay off its accumulating national debt by exporting. Ceausescu's answer to Romania's growing economic problems was a program of national austerity (1980s). The standard of living for the Romanian people fell precipitously. Romania was forced to export what did sell--its agricultural production and coal and oil. But because of inattention, the agricultural sector had declined. There was thus less to export and a much larger urban production to feed. The result was domestic food and fuel shortages. The Securitate (the Communist secret police) vigorously supressed discent. Ceausescu ignored the growing problems and instead sponsored megalomaniac construction projects in an effort to give his regime an appearance of success. There was also an effort to create a leadership cult for Ceausescu. His writings were published in guge print runs. Despite the national austerity ptogram, Ceausescu, his family, and close supporters lived in luxury. Ceausescu ruled Romania with an iron fist for 25 years. One Romanian historian describes the period, "Ceausescu's regime slowly dragged the Romanians into an economic, social and moral deadlock. All these years were dominated by lies, corruption, terror, violation of human rights, and isolation from the Western world." After Gorbechev made it clear that the Soviet Union would not use force in Eastern Europe, Communist regimes began to collapse (1989). Ceausescu attempted to resist the process. A disturbance in a crowd Ceausescu was speaking to sparked a nation-wide uprising (December 1989). Ceausescu fate was sealed when the Romanian army joined the national uprising. Ceausescu fled Bucarest. He was soon arrested. The new provisional government tried and executed him and his wife (December 25, 1989).

World War II

Romania with its important petroleum resources was a major target of German diplomacy. Germany did not have the petroleum to wage a war of any duration. The basic calculations were stark. The Germans estimated that they needed 12 million tons of oil annually to wage war. The synthetic petroleum industry in the Ruhr based on coal liquidficatioin would by the late 1930s produce about 3 million tons, leaving a defivcit of 9 million tons. Quite simply, NAZI Germany could not go to war without a secure source of additional oil. Romania declared itself neutral after the outbreak of World War II (September 1939). The Soviet Union seized large areas of the country (1940). Having no way of resisting further incursions, the Romanians joined the Axis and made major contributiions to Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The Soviet offensives in the East resulted in enormous Romanian casualties. Hitler failures to authorize timely retreats resulted in even more casualties. The Red Army occupied Romania (Autumn 1944).

Communist Takeover

The Red Army at the end of the wargave the Soviet Union firm control of Romania. There was relatively little support for Communism in Romania. but as the Soviets controlled the country and arrested individuals who criticised their presence, the Communists quickly seized control of the country. The pro-Communist government of Petru Groza took over power. Groza was the leader of the Plougmen's Front and was chosen by Stalin to be Romania's premier and convert the country into a People's Republic police state. One historian was intrigued by Groza, describing him as "... a peculiar character who in his dapper clothes and top hat did not look like the leader of a political party calling itself the Ploughmen's Front." [Gellately] The World War II dictator Marshal Ion Antonescu was tried and executed (June 1946). The Government forced King Michael I to abdicate. Groza oversaw a rigidly Stalinist regime and any one expressing any opposition to the regime was arrested. Many were shot without trials. Thus the Romanian Communists by the end of 1947 had eliminated its rivals,

Compliant Soviet Sattelite

Romania became a compliant Soviet sattelite. At the time any deviation from Stalin's policies were rutlessly supressed. Even Romanian Communuists, however had their own ideas. Most were wise enough not to express them. Party leader Gheorghe Gheorgiu-Dej took advantagevof the Yugolav crisis (Stalin-Tito split) to purge potential opponents from the Romanian Workers Party. Gheorgiu-Dej publically followed the Soviet line with attacks on the Yugoslav 'national road' to socialism. " he was positioning Romania to take its own road while Russia was distracted by Tito. His purges, however, strengrhened his personal control over Romania. Geography that played a role in Tito's success. Mountainous Yigoslavia deap in the Balkans was a difficult place for the Soviets to respnd militarily. Romania on the border of the Soviet Union was not. Tito angered Stalin by adopting not only more flexible than the Soviets, but also nationlistic policies. Gheorgiu-Dej adopted the opposite policy of adopting Stalinist orthodixy and cultivated the Soviets with not only Staliknist economics, but also pro-Russian cultural policies. The Government instituted Soviet-style policies: nationalisation and collectivisation. The state took over the operation of all industrial entreprises, mines, banks and transport facilities and operated them on the basis of a centrally planned economy. The state prepared 5-year plans as part of an industrial development program. The first Five Year Plan was announced (1951). The Government also emphasized Russian and slavic culture. Romania was a country which prized its national, non-Slavic identity. Romanian itself is a langiage with major Latin influences. But during the Stalinist era, all things Russian were promoted. Leading Romanian literary, historical, and cultural figures were deemphasized if not supressed. Russian language and literature was priomoted in schools. The Government carefully rewrote Romanian history in the books given to school children. The effort was emphasize Slavic influences. It was not just history books that were rewritten. Romanian science texts were rewritten to credit Russians with major scientific achievements. Educartion authorities made the Russian langage a required course (1948). This was followed by a spelling reform designed to eliminate words that were too obviously Roman or Latin (1953).

The Securitate

The Securitate (Security) was the term commonlyn used for the Departamentul Securității Statului (Department of State Security)--the secret police in Communist Romania. Romania was an Axis ally during WOrld War II. As the Red Army approached Romania, the Romanian dictator Ion Antonescu was arrested and a new Givernment King Michael tried to organize switched sides. The Soviets proceeded to occupy Romania and install a thinly veiled puppet givernment. Part of that process required a secret police force. The NKVD operated in Romania and then moved toset up a relaible Romanian force. The Romanian Communist secret police was founded as the Siguranța Statului (1948). Given the limited support for Communism, an aggressivesecret poice force was essential. It was organized with the asistance of Stalin's NKVD. The Securitate proved to be in proportion to Romania's population, one of the largest secret police forces in the Soviet Empire, perhaps an indication of the unpopularity of the regime. Under Nicolae Ceaușescu's dictatorial rule, the Securitate employed some 11,000 agents and signed up 0.5 million informers in a country with a population of 22 million (1985). It also prived to be one of the most brutal secret police forces. They were responsible for the arrests, torture and deaths of thousands of Romanians, commonly without any judicial action. The provisional Romanian Government after executing President Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife abolished the Securitate (December 1989).

More Independent Approach

Stalin's death was a major tuning point throughout the Sioviet Empire. The 20th Party Congress and Khrushchev's reforms were willing acceoted in some of the sattelite states. Gheorgiu-Dej took a differentv approach. He rejected Khrushchev's de-Stalinization effort. This posed a quandry for the Soviets. Supressing anti-Comminisdts was one thing, but suppressing orthodox Communists was a problem that Khrushchev had not anticipated. Gheorgiu-Dej move, however,made it impossible for Khrushchev to position his alloes in power. Part of Khrushchev's reforms were to more carefully separate party and government positions. Gheorgiu-Dej took the office of prime minister as well as party first secretary. It is at this time that Romanian Communists began speaking openly of a separate Romanian road to socialism (1955). This essentially meant reducing Soviet Russian influence. Gheorgiu-Dej was careful to slavbishly support Soviet foreign policy. He endiorsed Soviet interventiins in both Hungary and Poland (1956). He was rewarded by the departure of the last remaining Red Army troops (1958). Gheorgiu-Dej at the end of his rule began to move away from slavishly following Soviet foreign policies as well. Nicolae Ceausescu who succeeded him maintained this independent foreign policy.

Comecon

The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon/CMEA) was established by the Soviets (January 1949). The stated purpose was to coordinate the economic development of eastern Europe. In practical terms it allowed the Soviets a mechanism to exploit the captive countries in its new empire. The original members were the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. Albania joined a month later, but later seized to cooperate (1961). The German Democratic Republic was allowed gto join (September 1950). The Mongolian People’s Republic joined (June 1962). Soviet Premier Krushchev reorganized Comecon to rationlize the ecomy of the Soviet empire (1955). The initial empetus throughout Eastern Europe was to industrialize. This essentially reflected a Marxist mindset. This meant, however. that the Eastern European countries were not only promoting inefficent industrial projectsm but competing with each other and more importantly with Soviet industry. Krushchev's reforms were designed to create a more rational economic community. Each country under Krushchev's reforms would develop its economy based on its capabikites as dictated by gepgraphy, natural resources, climate, and other factors. The satellite ciountries, however, had their own ideas about this. Romania before Wiorld War II had been a largfely agricultural country which exported raw materials and grains. Most Romanian Communists saw this as a weakness and dreamed of indistrialization. Soviet planners saw Romania's appropriate place in COMECON was as a source of cereal grains, a kind of Eastern European breadbasket which would feed industrial workers to the north in Czechoslovakia and Poland. This was not what Romanian Communist leaders had invisioned. Romanians wanted to industrialize and pursue economic self-sufficiency rather than play its assigned role in a regional economic community. The Romanians rejected the new Soviet economic directives. They ended joint Russian-Romanian enterprises. The last one closed (1956). Other satellite countries began complaining of Romanian protectionism (1957).

Industrialization

Romania before World War II had been a largely agrarian country and exporter of natural resources. Communist policies promoted the the growth of heavy industry resulting in the rapid growth of cities. Krushchev's efforts to reorganized COMECON failed to divert the Romanian leadership from their goal of vindustrializing the country. But failure to accept its assigned role in COMECON, meant that Soviet credits and other supports were difficult ton obtain. After the depasrture of the Red army (1958), the Romanian leadership was emboldened to approached the West for credits and economic supports. American officials saw this as a way of distancing Romanian from the Soviet Union. And this is just what occurred. Western loans and contracts reduced Russian influence. Western imports doubled, from 21 percent (1958) to 40 percent (1965). Soviet imports fell from 53 percent to 38 percent during the samne poeriod. Russian cultural minfluences also declined. Russian cultural centers closed and the streets and institutions named to honor Russian figures were were renamed for important Romanians.

Soviet Chinese Split

The Soviet-Chinese split was the most momentous development in the Communist world since World War II (1960). The various Communist countries reacted differently. Until the split, Moscow had dominated both Eastern European governments as well as most Comminist parties around the world. Yugoslavia was a rare exception. The reaction in Bucharest by Gheorgiu-Dej was to criticize Khrushchev. Gheorgiu-Dej's calculstions was that the Soviets would not intervene as long as Romania remained steadfastly Communist. And the Soviet economic inflience had been substantially reduced. Gheorgiu-Dej in criticizing Khrushchev was exerting Romania's indedependence. This had a number of advantages. In foreign relstions hHe was able to generate support from those countries threatened by tge Soviet Union, both Communist countries like China and the United States and uits NATO allies. The West in particular was able to back this support with credits and other assistance. In domestic politics he was able to nportray himself as an effective national leader resisting Soviet control. And his popularity abroad at home undermined criticism of the ruthless Stalinist methods.

Nicola Ceausescu (1965)

Gheorgiu-Dej died peacefully (1965). He was succeeded by his own hand-picked protege Nicola Ceausescu. Ceausescu dutifully continued his policies of an independent national road to socialism. And Ceausescu was also commited to industrialization. Ceausescu attempted to accelerate Romania's industrial development and a number of grandiose show-case projects. Ceausescu visited China (1971). Mao had plunged China into the Cultural Revolution. Ceausescu was impressed by Mao Tse-tung and the devotion the Chinese people gave to him. As well as his ability to deal with any dissidents. Ceausescu appears to have decided to pursue similar policies in Romania. He targeted potential sources of opposition. Even before the visit to China, he abolished the autonomous Hungarian minority region in Transylvania (1968). He priceeded to centralize his authority combining the office of President and party chief. He dismissed party rivals, replacing with individuals loyal to him. Members of his family were appointed to important positions. It was a rare attempt at 'dynastic socialism'. His wife Elena was given important positiions as well as his son, three brothers and brother-in-law. Ceausescu sought to foster the 'cult of personality' he observed in China. himself. His birthday became the most ikmportant Romanian national holiday. Communist pilgrims paid homage at his boyhood home. The state media and educational establishment credited both him and Elena with mastery of varied fields of learning, including highly scietific endevors.

Economic Failure

Major investments were made in industry, extensively funded by Western loans. As with other Communist countries, there was a failure to match the economic successes of the Wcapitalist West, Socialist planned economics are inherently inefficent, although acolytes like Chavez in Venezuela continue to try to get them to work. The results vary according to the countries involved, the capacities of the country, and cthe competency of the leadership. In Romsnia not only were socialist polocies ineffuicent and the decesions taken particularly iladvised, but the keasership under Ceausescu was particularly incompetent. The results in Romania were thus worse than in other parts of the Soviet empire. The problem was that much of the industrial development was not well planned or administered. And the Western loans allowed the Romanjians to plunge into these poorly planned projects on a grand scake. Despite the investment the Communist-era industrial concerns were inefficent and uncompetitive. Often the cost of production exceeded what the output could be sold for if buyers could be found aT all. In addition virtually no importance was assigned to pollution from the new factories. The inefficency of Romanian industry made it impossible for Romania to pay off its accumulating national debt by exporting. Only the shoddy industrial output was of little interest to the West.

Austerity (1980s)

Ceausescu's answer to Romania's growing economic problems that he played such an important role in creating was a program of national austerity (1980s). The standard of living for the Romanian people fell precipitously. Romania was forced to export what did sell--its agricultural production and coal and oil. But because of inattention, the agricultural sector had declined. There was less agricukltural production to export as well as a much larger urban production to feed. The result was domestic food and fuel shortages. The Securitate vigorously supressed discent. Ceausescu ignored the growing problems and instead sponsored megalomaniac construction projects in an effort to give his regime an appearance of success. There was also an effort to create a leadership cult for Ceausescu. His writings were published in guge print runs. Despite the national austerity ptogram, Ceausescu, his family, and close supporters lived in luxury. Ceausescu ruled Romania with an iron fist for 25 years. One Romanian historian describes the period, "Ceausescu's regime slowly dragged the Romanians into an economic, social and moral deadlock. All these years were dominated by lies, corruption, terror, violation of human rights, and isolation from the Western world."

Orphanages

Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu prohibited both abortion and contraception. He wanted no limit on population growth. He was convinced that population growth combined with communism would lead to economic growth and prosperity. , He issued Decree 770 which banned abortion (October 1966). The only important exception was if the mother was over 40 years old or was caring for four or more children. As a result birth rates especially rose substantially and in homes where the parents could not or would not care for the children. Later Ceauşescu began to fine people for not having children (1977). The children born as a result of these Gobernment policies became known as 'decreței' (the diminuative of decree) meaning decreed children. This increase in births of children that parents did not want resulted in children being abandoned or turned over to opphanages. At the time the orphanages were the repository for children with disabilities and mental illnesses. The normal children werre mixed in with them. Even before the wave of decretai began arriving, the orphanages were underfunded and comditions were appalling. The wave of new arrivals turned these facilities into what only be describbed as hell houses. The children experienced institutionalized neglect, physical and sexual abuse as well as drug use to control behavior. One repoter explins how, "The supervisors cultivated violence to humiliate and control the children, he said. The older kids hit the smaller ones. The educators beat everybody. The staff preferred to hit them in the face and head." [Odobescu] Children of school age were chained into cribs and rarely allowed outside. Food, clothing, and medical care were minimal. Some 500,000 children appeared to have been involved. No one knows how many died. Ceausescu used the Securitate to hide the awful truth. Many orphanage administrators embessled some of the limited funding provided by the government. When Ceausescu was deposed, the world learned of the horrifying details about the abused Romanian orphanas. Not only were there thousands of them whose developed had been distorted, but there some 3,000 infected with H.I.V. and not being treated. [Perlez]

Collapse

After Gorbechev made it clear that the Soviet Union would not use force in Eastern Europe, Communist regimes began to collapse (1989). Ceausescu attempted to resist the process. A disturbance in a crowd Ceausescu was speaking to sparked a nation-wide uprising (December 1989). Ceausescu fate was sealed when the Romanian army joined the national uprising. Ceausescu fled Bucarest. He was soon arrested. The new provisional government tried and executed him and his wife (December 25, 1989).

individuals

Countless Romanians had their lives ruinued by the Communists in Romania. This of course included millions of children`. Substantial numbers of Romanians were executed or interned into brutal concentration camps. But all Romnians were affected bt changes made to the economy and society, most adversely. Many Romanians had their property confiscation. All Romanians were affected by the fact that Romania like other East Bloc countries did not share in the economic miracles generated by capitalism in Western Europe. Of course children were affcted. Especially tragic were the nameless orphans mentioned above. But even non-orphans had harrowing experiences. One such boy is Peter Geogescu. Unlike most of the chilern who had their lives impaired or ruined by Romanian Comminism and socialist pollcies, Peter's story has a happy outcpme.

Sources

Gellately, Robeet. Stalin's Curse: Battling for Communism in War and Cold War (Knopf: 2013), 496p.

Odobescu, Vlad. "Half a million kids survived Romania's 'slaughterhouses of souls.’ Now they want justice," GlobalPost (December 28, 2015).

Perlez, Jane. "Romanian 'orphans': Prisoners of their cribs," New York Times (March 25, 1996).





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Created: 2:20 AM 7/3/2010
Last updated: 11:59 PM 1/4/2020