Armand Călinescu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Armand Călinescu
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Călinescu in uniform
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| 39th Prime Minister of Romania | |
| In office 7 March 1939 – 21 September 1939 |
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| Monarch | Carol II |
| Preceded by | Miron Cristea |
| Succeeded by | Gheorghe Argeșanu |
| Deputy Prime Minister | |
| In office 1 February 1939 – 6 March 1939 |
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| Prime Minister | Miron Cristea |
| Minister of Interior | |
| In office 29 December 1937 – 21 September 1939 |
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| Prime Minister | Octavian Goga Miron Cristea Himself |
| Preceded by | Richard Franasovici |
| Succeeded by | Gabriel Marinescu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 June 1893 Pitești, Romania |
| Died | 21 September 1939 (aged 46) Bucharest, Romania |
| Cause of death | Assassination |
| Political party | Peasants' Party (1926) National Peasants' Party (1926–1937) Independent (1937–1938) National Renaissance Front (1938–1939) |
| Spouse | Adela Călinescu (1895-1983) |
| Alma mater | University of Bucharest University of Paris |
| Profession | Economist |
Armand Călinescu (born June 4, 1893 – died September 21, 1939) was an important Romanian economist and politician. He became the 39th Prime Minister of Romania in March 1939. He served for six months until he was killed.
Călinescu was a strong opponent of the Iron Guard, a group with fascist ideas. He was seen as a very powerful figure during the time King Carol II ruled. He survived several attempts on his life. However, he was eventually killed by members of the Iron Guard.
Contents
About Armand Călinescu
Early Life and Education
Armand Călinescu was born in Pitești, Romania. His father, Mihai Călinescu, was a wealthy landowner and a veteran of the Romanian Army.
Armand went to high school in his hometown. Later, he studied Law and Philosophy at the University of Bucharest. He also earned a special degree in Economics and Political Sciences from the University of Paris in France.
Starting in Politics
Călinescu first wanted to join a major political group called the National Liberal Party. But his ideas were not accepted by their leader. So, he joined the Peasants' Party (PȚ) instead. This group was growing and was against the government at the time.
In 1926, he was elected to the Romanian Parliament. He was re-elected many times until 1937. The Peasants' Party later joined with another group to form the National Peasants' Party (PNȚ). Călinescu was a leader for this party in his home region.
When the PNȚ came to power in 1928, Călinescu became the head of the local government in Argeș County. He then worked in the Ministry of Agriculture. In 1930, he became a top official in the Ministry of the Interior.
Fighting Extremist Groups
In his role at the Ministry of the Interior, Călinescu took action against illegal groups. He ordered arrests during a miners' strike in 1929. He also ordered troops to act during a railway workers' strike in 1933.
Călinescu was also very firm against the rise of the fascist Iron Guard. He helped make this group illegal in 1931. His strong opposition to the Iron Guard led to the fall of the government he was part of in 1933. The Iron Guard's leader, Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, even sent threats to him.
Călinescu warned others about the government being too soft on the Iron Guard. He called them "an association of assassins."
Working for the King
Călinescu was a strong supporter of France and the United Kingdom. He was also a firm opponent of the Iron Guard. He supported King Carol II's efforts to stop the Iron Guard's growing power.
In 1937, Călinescu became the Minister of the Interior. This was against his party's wishes, and he was removed from the PNȚ. He started preparing for a major conflict with the Iron Guard. He limited their public messages and closed down their newspapers. This led to violent clashes.
Călinescu stayed in his role when King Carol II took more control of the government in 1937. He was seen as very close to the King. He was also a founder of the National Renaissance Front, which became the only legal political party.
In May 1939, Călinescu ordered the arrest of the Iron Guard's leaders, including Codreanu. Many members were also arrested. Codreanu and other leaders were killed while in custody. Other members were forced to publicly say they no longer supported the Iron Guard. Many leaders, like Horia Sima, fled to Germany.
On March 7, 1939, Călinescu became Prime Minister. He was known as the "man of steel." This nickname showed that he was seen as strong enough to stop the Iron Guard and keep Romania neutral in the coming war. He was also the Minister of the Interior and Minister of Defense.
After Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, some Iron Guard members claimed Călinescu and King Carol planned to destroy Romania's oil fields. This was supposedly to stop Germany from using them.
Armand Călinescu allowed the Polish government and many Polish civilians to find safety in Romania. He also sent Romanian trains to Poland to help move Polish national treasures to England. This action made Germany very angry with Romania.
Death
Călinescu was killed on September 21, 1939, in Bucharest. Members of the Iron Guard, led by Sima, carried out the attack. This was not the first attempt on his life. Earlier attempts, like an attack on the Romanian Athenaeum, were stopped by the police.
It is believed that Germany approved and helped with the assassination.
Aftermath
After Călinescu's death, the government took strong action against the Iron Guard. His killers were immediately executed. Over 300 Iron Guard members were killed without a trial across the country.
One year later, when the Iron Guard took power, many politicians, including those who had ordered the executions, were killed. Călinescu's family tomb was destroyed, and a statue of him was dragged through the streets. His wife, Adela, was forced to hand over his personal documents and was often bothered by secret police.
See Also
- Assassination of Armand Călinescu
Images for kids
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Călinescu in uniform
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Armand Calinescu Assassination.jpg
The car in which Călinescu was assassinated.
