Communism has cast a long shadow over Romania. The passage of little over a quarter of a century since the overthrow in December 1989 of Romania's last Communist leader, Nicolae Ceausescu, offers a symbolic standpoint from which to penetrate that shadow and to throw light upon the entire period of Communist rule in the country. An appropriate point of departure is the observation that Romania's trajectory as a Communist state within the Soviet bloc was unlike that of any other. That trajectory has its origins in the social structures, attitudes and policies in the pre-Communist period. The course of that trajectory is the subject of this inquiry.
Author(s): Dennis Deletant
Series: Routledge Histories Of Central And Eastern Europe
Publisher: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group
Year: 2019
Language: English
Pages: 623
Tags: Romania, Communism
Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Dedication......Page 6
Table of Contents......Page 8
Acknowledgements......Page 10
Biographies of key figures......Page 12
List of abbreviations......Page 31
Introduction......Page 34
Notes......Page 36
1. The early years of the Romanian Communist Party (1921–1944)......Page 37
Notes......Page 50
2. The coup of 23 August 1944 and the path to power of the Romanian Communist Party......Page 59
Notes......Page 76
3. The application of the totalitarian blueprint......Page 82
Notes......Page 112
4. The Securitate as an instrument of coercion......Page 122
Notes......Page 139
5. Gheorghiu-Dej’s path to dominance......Page 147
Notes......Page 170
6. Gheorghiu-Dej’s consolidation of power......Page 186
Notes......Page 209
7. The Romanian Gulag......Page 215
Notes......Page 233
8. Armed resistance......Page 238
Notes......Page 245
9. Asserting autonomy, 1956–1965......Page 249
Notes......Page 265
10. The ascent of Nicolae Ceauşescu......Page 270
Notes......Page 285
11. Ceauşescu’s development of autonomy......Page 288
Notes......Page 304
12. The paradox of foreign policy......Page 309
Notes......Page 323
13. Promoting national identity: Transylvania and Bessarabia......Page 328
Notes......Page 359
14. Compliance towards the regime......Page 365
Notes......Page 395
15. Dissent......Page 403
Notes......Page 467
16. Repression, degeneration and isolation......Page 476
Notes......Page 507
17. Revolution......Page 517
Notes......Page 545
18. Epilogue......Page 552
Notes......Page 557
19. Conclusion......Page 559
Notes......Page 563
Appendix 1. The Report of V. Lesakov......Page 564
Appendix 2. The organization of the Romanian Security Service 1948–1965......Page 568
Appendix 3. The statement of Gheorghe Pintilie, former head of the Securitate, dated 15 May 1967 and presented to the Party Commission charged with investigating the death of Ştefan Foriş......Page 570
Appendix 4. The Romanian Foreign Ministry......Page 574
Appendix 5. The formation of the Groza government......Page 576
Accommodation......Page 579
Treatment......Page 580
Notes......Page 581
Appendix 7. The arrest and interrogation of Herbert (Belu) Zilber......Page 582
Appendix 8. UM 0920/A, redesignated UM 0110 in August 1978......Page 584
Operational objectives of UM 0920/A......Page 587
Notes......Page 588
Appendix 9. The organization of the Securitate at 22 December 1989......Page 589
Notes......Page 592
Select bibliography......Page 593
Index......Page 614
