Image Source: ARCEN Association, facebook.com/AsociatiaARCEN/
In the 1980s, Ceausescu continued the forced industrialization of Romania’s largely agrarian economy. He began massive construction projects, and attempted to pay off his nation’s debts as quickly as possible. This decreased the standard of living in the nation, which in turn depressed Ceaucescu’s support from both the Romanian public and the Communist party. The wages of the average Romanian worker stagnated and shortages of essential products were common. Additionally, as the Soviet regime continued to open up with the policies of Mikhail Gorbachev, Ceausescu doubled down and continued on his own path toward totalitarianism, following the example of North Korea (Moses, 2018).
Many of the external policies of Ceausescu alienated former allies who wanted reforms to the way the country was run.. In December of 1989, widespread protests began after the secret police, the “Securitate'', attempted to evict and deport a Protestant minister and Hungarian national living in Timișoara, Transilvania. The encounter turned into a bloody protest when the neighbors of the reverend responded violently to the eviction; this protest left thousands injured or dead. (Ceausescu is Overthrown, 2012). These demonstrations spread to Bucharest, where they evolved first into a riot and then into a full revolution. Revolutionary fever had reached a boiling point. Much of the population was forced into nationalized housing built on seized land. In addition, the people of Romania had struggled through rationing of food, electricity, and oil which led to citizens freezing to death. As much as Ceausescu claimed that these things were not a problem, the Romanian people knew otherwise, and Ceausescu’s national address on the topic did not go over well. He and his wife were executed following a show trial on December 25, 1989 (Ceausescu is Overthrown, 2012).
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