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| Romanian People's Republic (1947–1965) Republica Populară Romînă Socialist Republic of Romania (1965–1989) Republica Socialistă România | |
|---|---|
| 1947-1989 | |
.png) Flag
 Coat of arms
| |
Motto: Proletari din toate țările, uniți-vă! Workers of the World, Unite! | |
Anthem: Zdrobite Cătușe (1948 - 1953) Te slăvim, Românie (1953 - 1977) Trei Culori (1977 - 1989) | |
 | |
| Capital | Bucharest |
| Official languages | Romanian |
| Dominant mode of production | Socialism |
| Government | Unitary Marxist-Leninist socialist republic |
| General Secretary | |
• 1944-1954 | Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej |
• 1954-1955 | Gheorghe Apostol |
• 1955-1965 | Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej |
• 1965-1989 | Nicolae Ceaușescu |
| President | |
• 1947-1952 (first) | Constantin Ion Parhon |
• 1967-1989 (last) | Nicolae Ceaușescu |
| Prime Minister | |
• 1947-1952 (first) | Petru Groza |
• 1982-1989 (last) | Constantin Dăscălescu |
| Legislature | Grand National Assembly (Marea Adunare Națională) |
| History | |
• Proclamation of the Republic | 30 December 1947 |
• First Constitution | 13 April 1948 |
• Second Constitution | 24 September 1952 |
• Third Constitution | 21 August 1965 |
• De facto disestablished | 27 December 1989 |
• De jure disestablished | 8 December 1991 |
| Area | |
• Total | 238,397 km² |
| Population | |
• 1989 estimate | 23,151,564 |
• Density | 97.11 per km² |
| HDI (1989) | 0.863 |
| Currency | Romanian Leu |
| Calling code | 40 |
The Socialist Republic of Romania (Romanian: Republica Socialistă România, RSR) was a socialist state that existed from 1947 to 1989. Prior to 1965, the nation's official name was the Romanian People's Republic (Republica Populară Romînă (until 1964) or Republica Populară Română (to 1965), RPR). The Marxist-Leninist government ruled until 1989, when the Romanian leader Nicolae Ceaușescu was overthrown and the government replaced with one aligned with Western capitalist interests.
History
August 1944 coup d'état
On the night of the 13–14 June 1944, representatives of the Romanian Communist Party (PCR) presented their plan for the removal of fascist leader Ion Antonescu from power to the representatives of the King.
The proposed plan would have King Michael order Antonescu to sign an armistice with the Allies and, if he refused, have him arrested on the spot.
The coup was carried out on 23 August 1944, following the plan proposed by the PCR. After an hour-long discussion with the King, Antonescu refused to sign the armistice, and was arrested by a colonel and four soldiers. Antonescu was executed two years later, on 1 June 1946.
After Antonescu's arrest, the Romanian army switched sides and began fighting against the Nazis along with the Soviet Union.[1] Following this, a government formed by the National Democratic Front (consisting of the Communist Party, as well as the National Liberal Party (PNL), the National Peasants' Party (PNȚ) and the Social Democratic Party (PSD)) would take power.[2]
Socialist rule
In 1946, Romania held its largest election ever and nearly 7 million people voted for the Communist-led National Democratic Front. The new government forced King Michael to abdicate. In 1947, the PCR and PSD merged to form the Romanian Workers' Party, led by Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej. The country began an electrification plan and confiscated farmland, mansions, and castles from the nobility. Under socialism, industrial output increased by more than seven times and the life expectancy rose by 30 years. By 1980, the socialist government had built 4.6 million houses.
Romania joined the Warsaw Pact in 1955. With Chinese support, it negotiated the removal of Soviet soldiers from Romania and was neutral during the Sino-Soviet Split.
Gheorghiu-Dej died in 1965 and Nicolae Ceaușescu succeeded him as General Secretary. Ceaușescu ran the country on a platform of Romanian nationalism, wanting to make Romania a world power, and sought out Western financial aid from institutions such as the IMF and World Bank. In the 1980s, Romania had to ration electricity and food due to IMF austerity measures.[1]
Counterrevolution
In April 1989, Romania finished paying its debt to the IMF and banned taking any further loans from the West. On 21 December 1989, Ceaușescu announced he would raise wages and pensions.[1]
In December 1989, protestors attacked police and began a brief civil war that overthrew the socialist government of Romania. Hundreds of police and soldiers were killed as well as 142 protestors. The CIA-backed Western media claimed that Romania killed over 60,000 peaceful protestors.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Patricia Gorky (2019-12-26). "Romania: 30 years removed from socialism" Liberation News. Archived from the original on 2022-03-19. Retrieved 2022-10-08.
- ↑ Silviu Brucan (1993). The Wasted Generation: Memoirs of the Romanian Journey from Capitalism to Socialism and Back (pp. 20-21). Westview Press.
- ↑ Austin Murphy (2000). The Triumph of Evil: 'The Documented Facts about Eastern Europe and Communism: A Refutation of Popular Myths about the True Good Guys' (p. 74). [PDF] Fucecchio, Italy: European Press Academic Publishing. ISBN 8883980026