Ion Antonescu
Ion Antonescu was a Romanian military and political leader who played a significant role during World War II. He graduated from military schools and quickly ascended the ranks, participating in key military actions, including the repression of a peasant revolt and defending against an invasion during World War I. In 1940, Antonescu became prime minister, leveraging his position to form an alliance with Nazi Germany, which was motivated by access to Romania's oil resources. Under his regime, he aligned with the ultra-nationalist Iron Guard, which was notorious for its anti-Semitic policies and violence against Jewish communities.
Antonescu's government was responsible for the deportation and murder of hundreds of thousands of Jews, viewing them as potential threats and scapegoats during the war. His power waned after major military defeats, leading to his arrest in 1944. Following a trial for war crimes in 1946, Antonescu was executed. His legacy remains controversial; some argue that his actions contributed to the rise of communism in Romania, influencing the political landscape for decades following his death.
Subject Terms
Ion Antonescu
Prime minister of Romania (1940-1944)
- Born: June 15, 1882
- Birthplace: Pitesti, Romania
- Died: June 1, 1946
- Place of death: Jilava, Romania
Major offenses: War crimes, specifically the murder of Jews
Active: 1940-1945
Locale: Romania
Sentence: Death by firing squad
Early Life
Ion Antonescu (I-on an-tohn-EHS-kyew) attended military schools in Craiova and Iaşi and graduated from the Cavalry school at the top of his class. As a lieutenant, Antonescu took part in the repression of the 1907 peasants’ revolt in and around the city of Galaţi. In 1913, he won Romania’s highest military decoration for his role in the Second Balkan War. During World War I, he served as chief of staff for Marshal Constantin Prezan (1916-1918). Antonescu was considered the primary reason for Romania’s successful defense against the attempted invasion of Moldavia by Field Marshal Mackensen in the second half of 1917.
Military and Political Career
Between 1922 and 1926, Antonescu served as military attaché to Romania in France and Great Britain. Upon returning to Romania, he was made commander of the Scoala Superioara de Razboi (Upper School of War) between 1927 and 1930, chief of the Great Headquarters of the Army between 1933 and 1934, and defense minister between 1937 and 1938.
He was appointed prime minister by King Carol II in September, 1940, immediately after Romania had surrendered both Bessarabia and northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union on June 28, 1940. The northern half of Transylvania was ceded to Hungary on August 30. Forty-eight hours after his appointment, Antonescu forced King Carol to abdicate, with his son becoming the new king (though the post was devoid of power). Antonescu faced war on three separate fronts (the Soviet Union to the east, Germany to the west, and Bulgaria to the south). He finally decided to enter into an alliance with the Nazis. This partnership was welcomed by the Germans, who wanted open access to Romania’s huge oil reserves.
Once he attained power, Antonescu formed an alliance with the Fascist Iron Guard, an ultranational, highly anti-Semitic group that sought political power. Like Adolf Hitler and the Schutzstaffel (SS) in Germany, Antonescu wanted the paramilitary guard under his direct control, as their activities undermined the state’s authority. He offered them seats in the government. Once in office, the Iron Guard enacted anti-Semitic legislation: Soldiers (as well as common citizens) could initiate pogroms against Romania’s Jews with impunity. Also, political assassination and blackmail of those in both financial and commercial sectors occurred commonly.
More than sixty former dignitaries or officials were executed in Jilava prison before ever being tried. Famed historian and former prime minister Nicolae Iorga and economist Virgil Madgearu, also a former government official, were assassinated without even the pretense of an arrest.
The Iron Guard, like its German counterpart, was particularly adept at killing Jews. It was reported that in some situations the Germans restrained the Romanians; in other words, the Iron Guard was moving so fast it was commanded to slow its pace. Antonescu authorized special units, really death squads, to target the Jewish population. More than one hundred thousand massacres were staged for effect. During his tenure in office, Antonescu was responsible for the murders of some 280,000 to 380,000 Jews in Romania and the various territories occupied by the army.
In 1941, as the Romanian army advanced, rumors spread about how Jewish “resistance groups” attacked and killed Romanian soldiers. Antonescu ordered the “deportation” to Transnistria of the Bessarabian and Bukovinian Jews (approximately 80,000 to 150,000 individuals), who were considered “Communist agents.” The term “deportation” was misleading, as the government’s primary goal was not to move the people; rather, it was to eliminate as many Jews as possible. Only a small coterie of those deported ever made it back to Romania.
After the Romanian army suffered huge losses in the Battle of Stalingrad, Antonescu’s influence declined sharply. In 1944, as the Germans also lost ground to the Soviets, King Michael was able to dismiss Antonescu and have him arrested.
Legal Action and Outcome
On May 17, 1946, after a ten-day trial in a Romanian court, Antonescu and twelve of his associates were convicted on charges of war crimes and sentenced to death. Both the supreme court and the king refused Antonescu’s appeal for clemency. The former dictator was executed by firing squad.
Impact
After Ion Antonescu’s execution, a leftist government won a rigged election in November, 1946. Many complained that the Communists took power because of Antonescu’s barbaric behavior toward Jews (as well as his relationship with Hitler). On April, 13, 1948, two years after Antonescu’s death, the government proclaimed itself the Romanian People’s Republic and adopted a Stalinist constitution. Romania remained under Communist rule until December, 1989, when dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu was overthrown in a violent revolution. Ceauşescu stated that without Antonescu, Communism would not have gained power in Romania and, thus, a debt of gratitude was owed him.
Bibliography
Braham, R. L. The Destruction of the Romanian and Ukrainian Jews During the Antonescu Period. New York: Columbia University Press, 1997. Details the wanton destruction of the Jews in Romania and the Ukraine.
Ioanid, R. The Holocaust in Romania: The Destruction of Jews and Gypsies Under the Antonescu Regime, 1940-1944. New York: Ivan Dee, 2000. Shows that Jews were not the only ethnic minority who suffered during World War II; likewise, Hitler was not the only dictator who believed in genocide.
Watson, L. Antonescu, Marshal of Romania: From the Great War to World War II. London: Center for Romanian Studies, 2003. Excellent book, lucidly written; of interest to anyone studying World War II.