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Assassination of Armand Călinescu
AnomieBOT: Rescuing orphaned refs ("ciobanu56" → "ciobanu565758" from Armand Călinescu)
[[Armand Călinescu]], at the time the [[Prime Minister of Romania]], was assassinated on 21 September 1939 in [[Bucharest]] by [[Iron Guard]] members under the direct leadership of [[Horia Sima]] (exiled in [[Steglitz]] at the time), the last of several attempts<ref name=ciobanu565758>Ciobanu, p. 56.</ref><ref>Ignat & Matei, pp. 71, 72, 75; Savu, pp. 69–70.</ref> (which included an attack on the [[Romanian Athenaeum]] and bombing a bridge over the [[Dâmboviţa River]] — both of which were uncovered by police).<ref name=ignatmatei72>Ignat & Matei, p. 72.</ref> Călinescu was on a secret blacklist at the same time as [[Nicolae Titulescu]], [[Dinu Brătianu]], and General [[Gabriel Marinescu]],<ref name="ciobanu565758" />
==Assassination==
It seems that the action was carried out with German approval and assistance.<ref>Ciobanu, pp. 57, 58, 59; Ignat & Matei, pp. 71–73; Savu, p. 69.</ref><ref name=veiga262>Veiga, p. 262.</ref> On 1 September, representatives of Germany, [[Fascism in Italy|Fascist Italy]], and the Iron Guard met in [[Copenhagen]] with [[Mihail R. Sturdza]] (Romania's ambassador to [[Denmark]] and a supporter of Sima), to discuss Călinescu's killing.<ref name=ciobanu58>Ciobanu, p. 58.</ref><ref name=ignatmatei73>Ignat & Matei, p. 73.</ref> (Some details of the subsequent plan were offered to Romanian authorities by a renegade member of the Iron Guard, Mihai Vârfureanu.<ref>Ciobanu, p. 57; Ignat & Matei, pp. 71–72.</ref>) A [[death squad]] was formed, having as its members the lawyer Dumitru "Miti" Dumitrescu (who had been trained by the [[Gestapo]] and returned to Romania through [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]]),<ref name=ciobanu58/><ref name=ignatmatei72/> the students Cezar Popescu, Traian Popescu, Ion Moldoveanu, Ion R. Ionescu, and the draftsman Ion Vasiliu.<ref name=ciobanu58/> Contacting each other in the area around [[Ploieşti]], they initially planned to kill Călinescu, King Carol and General Marinescu together, and probably aimed to accomplish this in the [[Prahova Valley]].<ref name=ciobanu58/><ref>Ignat & Matei, pp. 71, 72, 73.</ref>
On 21 September, while passing through the [[Cotroceni|Eroilor area]] on its return from the [[Cotroceni Palace]], Călinescu's [[Luxury vehicles|luxury automobile]], a [[Cadillac]], was ambushed by that of the assassins, who shot Călinescu, his bodyguard Radu Andone, and his driver (Miti Dumitrescu drove his car into the Premier's, which came to sudden stop as it ran into a cart — Andone was gunned down as he stepped out of the car, and Călinescu as he was waiting on the back seat; over twenty bullets were recovered from his body).<ref>Ciobanu, pp. 58–59; Ignat & Matei, pp. 74–75.</ref><ref name=veiga261>Veiga, p. 261.</ref> Sima, who is known to have crossed the border illegally in August of that year,<ref name=ciobanu59>Ciobanu, p. 59.</ref><ref name=ignatmatei73/> was alleged to have disguised himself as a woman in order to witness the actions from nearby;<ref name=ciobanu59/> other sources indicate a certain Marin Stănculescu as the covert supervisor.<ref name=ignatmatei74>Ignat & Matei, p. 74.</ref> Ironically, Călinescu had never trusted the safety of his Cadillac, and had repeatedly asked Gavrilă Marinescu to allow him use of an [[Armored car (VIP)|armored car]].<ref name=ignatmatei74/>
The group of assassins left the vicinity before the arrival of police forces, and stormed into offices of the [[Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company|Radio Broadcasting Society]], holding the employees at gunpoint and cutting short the live airing of a [[waltz]]. Traian Popescu announced that the group had killed the Premier.<ref name=ciobanu59/><ref>Ignat & Matei, p. 71.</ref> The message was not broadcast, as, unbeknownst to the assassins, transmission had already been interrupted by radio staff.<ref name=ciobanu59/>
==Legacy==
The vast majority of sources reacting to the events made ample mention of German backing for Călinescu's killers, with the exception of German media. German sources alleged that [[Second Polish Republic|Polish]] and British political forces had supported the assassination as a means to pressure Romania into abandoning its neutrality — this version was supported by, among others, [[Hans Fritzsche]].<ref>Ignat & Matei, p. 76.</ref><ref name=veiga262/>
An even more severe repression of the Iron Guard followed under the provisional leadership of [[Gheorghe Argeşanu]] — it was inaugurated by the immediate execution of the assassins and the public display of their bodies at the murder site, for days on end.<ref name=ciobanu60>Ciobanu, p. 60.</ref><ref name=ignatmatei75>Ignat & Matei, p. 75.</ref><ref name=veiga261/> A placard was set up on the spot, reading ''De acum înainte, aceasta va fi soarta trădătorilor de ţară'' ("From now on, this shall be the fate of those who betray the country"), and students from several Bucharest high schools were required to visit the site (based on the belief that this was going to dissuade them from affiliating with the Guard).<ref>Veiga, pp. 261–262.</ref> Executions of known Iron Guard activists were ordered in various places in the country (some were hanged on [[telegraph]] poles, while a group of Legionnaires was shot in front of [[Ion G. Duca]]'s statue in [[Ploieşti]]);<ref name=veiga262/> in all, 253 were killed without trial.<ref>Iordachi, p. 39.</ref> Călinescu was succeeded by Marinescu as Minister of the Interior and by [[Ioan Ilcuş]] as Minister of Defense.
One year later, under the [[National Legionary State]] (the Iron Guard's government), Marinescu and Argeşanu, alongside other politicians, were executed in [[Jilava]] (September 1940); it was also at that time that the Călinescu family crypt in [[Curtea de Argeş]] was dynamited,<ref name=ciobanu60/><ref name=ignatmatei75/><ref>"Rumania Tries Arms Maker in Guard Revolt", in ''[[The Washington Post]]'', 29 January 1941.</ref> while a bronze bust of him which awaited unveiling was chained and dragged through the streets of Piteşti.<ref name=ciobanu60/> Călinescu's wife Adela was required to hand all of her husband's personal documents, and, in a letter to ''[[Conducător]]'' [[Ion Antonescu]], claimed to have been repeatedly harassed by agents of [[Siguranţa Statului]].<ref>"Din arhiva..."</ref>
==References==
==Assassination==
It seems that the action was carried out with German approval and assistance.<ref>Ciobanu, pp. 57, 58, 59; Ignat & Matei, pp. 71–73; Savu, p. 69.</ref><ref name=veiga262>Veiga, p. 262.</ref> On 1 September, representatives of Germany, [[Fascism in Italy|Fascist Italy]], and the Iron Guard met in [[Copenhagen]] with [[Mihail R. Sturdza]] (Romania's ambassador to [[Denmark]] and a supporter of Sima), to discuss Călinescu's killing.<ref name=ciobanu58>Ciobanu, p. 58.</ref><ref name=ignatmatei73>Ignat & Matei, p. 73.</ref> (Some details of the subsequent plan were offered to Romanian authorities by a renegade member of the Iron Guard, Mihai Vârfureanu.<ref>Ciobanu, p. 57; Ignat & Matei, pp. 71–72.</ref>) A [[death squad]] was formed, having as its members the lawyer Dumitru "Miti" Dumitrescu (who had been trained by the [[Gestapo]] and returned to Romania through [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]]),<ref name=ciobanu58/><ref name=ignatmatei72/> the students Cezar Popescu, Traian Popescu, Ion Moldoveanu, Ion R. Ionescu, and the draftsman Ion Vasiliu.<ref name=ciobanu58/> Contacting each other in the area around [[Ploieşti]], they initially planned to kill Călinescu, King Carol and General Marinescu together, and probably aimed to accomplish this in the [[Prahova Valley]].<ref name=ciobanu58/><ref>Ignat & Matei, pp. 71, 72, 73.</ref>
On 21 September, while passing through the [[Cotroceni|Eroilor area]] on its return from the [[Cotroceni Palace]], Călinescu's [[Luxury vehicles|luxury automobile]], a [[Cadillac]], was ambushed by that of the assassins, who shot Călinescu, his bodyguard Radu Andone, and his driver (Miti Dumitrescu drove his car into the Premier's, which came to sudden stop as it ran into a cart — Andone was gunned down as he stepped out of the car, and Călinescu as he was waiting on the back seat; over twenty bullets were recovered from his body).<ref>Ciobanu, pp. 58–59; Ignat & Matei, pp. 74–75.</ref><ref name=veiga261>Veiga, p. 261.</ref> Sima, who is known to have crossed the border illegally in August of that year,<ref name=ciobanu59>Ciobanu, p. 59.</ref><ref name=ignatmatei73/> was alleged to have disguised himself as a woman in order to witness the actions from nearby;<ref name=ciobanu59/> other sources indicate a certain Marin Stănculescu as the covert supervisor.<ref name=ignatmatei74>Ignat & Matei, p. 74.</ref> Ironically, Călinescu had never trusted the safety of his Cadillac, and had repeatedly asked Gavrilă Marinescu to allow him use of an [[Armored car (VIP)|armored car]].<ref name=ignatmatei74/>
The group of assassins left the vicinity before the arrival of police forces, and stormed into offices of the [[Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company|Radio Broadcasting Society]], holding the employees at gunpoint and cutting short the live airing of a [[waltz]]. Traian Popescu announced that the group had killed the Premier.<ref name=ciobanu59/><ref>Ignat & Matei, p. 71.</ref> The message was not broadcast, as, unbeknownst to the assassins, transmission had already been interrupted by radio staff.<ref name=ciobanu59/>
==Legacy==
The vast majority of sources reacting to the events made ample mention of German backing for Călinescu's killers, with the exception of German media. German sources alleged that [[Second Polish Republic|Polish]] and British political forces had supported the assassination as a means to pressure Romania into abandoning its neutrality — this version was supported by, among others, [[Hans Fritzsche]].<ref>Ignat & Matei, p. 76.</ref><ref name=veiga262/>
An even more severe repression of the Iron Guard followed under the provisional leadership of [[Gheorghe Argeşanu]] — it was inaugurated by the immediate execution of the assassins and the public display of their bodies at the murder site, for days on end.<ref name=ciobanu60>Ciobanu, p. 60.</ref><ref name=ignatmatei75>Ignat & Matei, p. 75.</ref><ref name=veiga261/> A placard was set up on the spot, reading ''De acum înainte, aceasta va fi soarta trădătorilor de ţară'' ("From now on, this shall be the fate of those who betray the country"), and students from several Bucharest high schools were required to visit the site (based on the belief that this was going to dissuade them from affiliating with the Guard).<ref>Veiga, pp. 261–262.</ref> Executions of known Iron Guard activists were ordered in various places in the country (some were hanged on [[telegraph]] poles, while a group of Legionnaires was shot in front of [[Ion G. Duca]]'s statue in [[Ploieşti]]);<ref name=veiga262/> in all, 253 were killed without trial.<ref>Iordachi, p. 39.</ref> Călinescu was succeeded by Marinescu as Minister of the Interior and by [[Ioan Ilcuş]] as Minister of Defense.
One year later, under the [[National Legionary State]] (the Iron Guard's government), Marinescu and Argeşanu, alongside other politicians, were executed in [[Jilava]] (September 1940); it was also at that time that the Călinescu family crypt in [[Curtea de Argeş]] was dynamited,<ref name=ciobanu60/><ref name=ignatmatei75/><ref>"Rumania Tries Arms Maker in Guard Revolt", in ''[[The Washington Post]]'', 29 January 1941.</ref> while a bronze bust of him which awaited unveiling was chained and dragged through the streets of Piteşti.<ref name=ciobanu60/> Călinescu's wife Adela was required to hand all of her husband's personal documents, and, in a letter to ''[[Conducător]]'' [[Ion Antonescu]], claimed to have been repeatedly harassed by agents of [[Siguranţa Statului]].<ref>"Din arhiva..."</ref>
==References==
April 19, 2019 at 04:03PM
