Nicolae Rădescu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nicolae Rădescu
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| 45th Prime Minister of Romania | |
| In office 7 December 1944 – 1 March 1945 |
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| Monarch | Michael I |
| Deputy | Petru Groza |
| Preceded by | Constantin Sănătescu |
| Succeeded by | Petru Groza |
| Chief of the Romanian General Staff | |
| In office 15 October 1944 – 6 December 1944 |
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| Monarch | Michael I |
| Preceded by | Gheorghe Mihail |
| Succeeded by | Constantin Sănătescu |
| Minister of Internal Affairs | |
| In office 14 December 1944 – 28 February 1945 |
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| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Constantin Sănătescu |
| Succeeded by | Teohari Georgescu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 March 1874 Călimănești, Romania |
| Died | 16 May 1953 (aged 79) Manhattan, New York, New York County, New York |
| Resting place | Bellu Cemetery, Bucharest |
| Political party | People's Party Crusade of Romanianism |
| Spouse | Gizela Ettinger |
| Children | Nicu Rădescu |
| Alma mater | Higher War School |
| Profession | Military |
| Awards | Order of Michael the Brave |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Romania |
| Branch/service | Romanian Land Forces |
| Rank | General de Corp de Armată (Lieutenant General) |
| Battles/wars | Second Balkan War World War I World War II |
Nicolae Rădescu (Romanian pronunciation: [nikoˈla.e rəˈdesku]; born March 30, 1874 – died May 16, 1953) was a Romanian army officer and an important political figure. He served as the last Prime Minister of Romania before the country came under Communist rule. His time as prime minister was short, from December 7, 1944, to March 1, 1945.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Military Training
Nicolae Rădescu was born on March 30, 1874, in Călimănești, a town in Vâlcea County, Romania. His parents were small landowners. He chose a military career and attended the Military School for Officers, finishing his studies on July 1, 1898. He continued his training at the Cavalry School and later at the Higher War School in Bucharest. Throughout these years, he steadily rose through the ranks, becoming a captain by 1909.
Military Service in Early Conflicts
In the summer of 1913, Rădescu took part in the Second Balkan War as part of the 1st Cavalry Division. He was promoted to major in 1916. During World War I, he fought bravely in the Romanian Campaign of 1916. He led the 5th Regiment Călărași against German forces in the Carpathian Mountains. For his courage and skill at the Battle of Sălătrucu, he received the Order of Michael the Brave, a high military honor, in January 1917. He continued to serve as Chief of Staff for the 2nd Cavalry Division and was promoted to colonel in 1919.
Between the Wars: A Time of Change
After World War I, Rădescu became an adjutant to King Ferdinand in 1920. He then worked as a military attaché in London from 1926 to 1928. Upon his return, he was promoted to brigadier general in 1928. He commanded the 4th Brigade Roșiori and later the 1st Cavalry Division.
In 1933, he resigned from the army. He stated that he disagreed with how politics and a group of advisors around King Carol II were affecting military life.
After leaving the army, Rădescu joined the People's Party. In the mid-1930s, he became involved in nationalist politics. He supported a group called Cruciada Românismului ("The Crusade of Romanianism"). This group wanted to promote Romanian culture among German and Hungarian communities in Transylvania. Because of his political views and his criticism of the royal court, the secret police began to watch him.
World War II and the Rise of Communism
During World War II, Rădescu openly criticized dictator Ion Antonescu for working with Nazi Germany. He also opposed Romanian troops moving beyond the Dniester River after they had taken back Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina from the Soviet Union in 1941. In 1942, he wrote an article criticizing the German ambassador for interfering in Romania's affairs. This led to him being held as a political prisoner in the Târgu Jiu camp.
On August 23, 1944, after Antonescu's government fell in King Michael's Coup, Rădescu was released from prison. The Soviet government, which saw him as independent and anti-fascist, supported his appointment as Chief of the Romanian General Staff on October 15, 1944.
He became Prime Minister on December 7, 1944. At first, the Soviet government supported him. However, problems soon arose, especially over the armistice agreement and Soviet demands for money. Rădescu also resisted Soviet orders to send Germans from Romania to the Soviet Union.
To help establish a communist government, Soviet and Romanian communists supported groups called Patriotic Defense Guards. These groups were led by Emil Bodnăraș. On January 15, 1945, Rădescu ordered these Guards to be disbanded, but his orders were ignored.
On February 24, 1945, the Communist Party of Romania organized a large protest demanding Rădescu's resignation. During the protest, shots were fired from a building, killing several people. Rădescu blamed communist leaders Ana Pauker and Vasile Luca for the violence. The Communist Party then started a strong campaign against him. His son, Nicu, who had joined the Communist Party, wrote a letter accusing his father of ordering the shooting. Radio Moscow also called Rădescu the "Butcher of Palace Square."
At the same time, Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Vyshinsky arrived in Bucharest. He demanded that King Michael remove Rădescu from office. Vyshinsky warned that the Soviet Union would not allow Northern Transylvania to be returned to Romania if Rădescu remained prime minister. Under this pressure, Rădescu resigned on March 1, 1945.
On March 6, 1945, the first Communist-dominated government of Romania took power under Petru Groza. Over the next few years, the Communists gained full control of the country.
Life in Exile
One of the first actions of the new Communist government was to place General Rădescu under house arrest. Rădescu managed to escape and sought safety in the British legation (a type of embassy). After about two months, he was handed over to Romanian authorities, who had promised his safety but still kept him under house arrest.
On June 17, 1946, he managed to escape again, flying to the British Crown colony of Cyprus. He was held in a refugee camp there until the Paris Peace Treaties were signed in 1947. From Cyprus, he traveled through Lisbon and Paris before finally reaching the United States.
In America, Rădescu joined other Romanian political figures who were also in exile. They formed the Romanian National Committee, an anti-communist group. In 1950, after some disagreements, he helped create a new group called the Liga Românilor Liberi ("The League of Free Romanians").
Nicolae Rădescu died from tuberculosis on May 16, 1953, in New York City. He was buried in Calvary Cemetery there. In 2000, his remains were brought back to Romania at the request of Prime Minister Mugur Isărescu. Following his wishes, he was reburied in the Bellu Cemetery in Bucharest on November 23, 2000.
Images for kids
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Rădescu and King Michael I listening to Simion Stoilow, Rector of the University of Bucharest, at the opening celebration for the 1945–1946 academic year
See also
In Spanish: Nicolae Rădescu para niños
