Nicolae Ceaușescu

Nicolae Ceaușescu - Former President of Romania, Family and Childhood

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Nicolae Ceaușescu's Personal Details

Nicolae Ceaușescu was the General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party, Romania’s last Communist leader

InformationDetail
BirthdayJanuary 26, 1918
Died onDecember 25, 1989
NationalityRomanian
FamousCommunists, Leaders, Dictators, Former President of Romania, Romanian Men
IdeologiesCommunists
SpousesElena Ceaușescu
SiblingsElena Bărbulescu, Florea Ceaușescu, Ilie Ceaușescu, Ion Ceaușescu, Maria Agachi, Marin Ceaușescu, Nicolae Andruță Ceaușescu, Niculina Rusescu
ChildrensNicu Ceaușescu, Valentin Ceaușescu, Zoia Ceaușescu
Cause of death
  • Execution
Birth PlaceScornicești
Political IdeologyPolitical party - Romanian Communist Party
ReligionAtheism, Romanian Orthodox Church
GenderMale
FatherAndruță Ceaușescu
MotherAlexandrina Ceaușescu
Sun SignAquarius
Born inScornicești
Famous asFormer President of Romania
Died at Age71

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Nicolae Ceaușescu's photo

Who is Nicolae Ceaușescu?

Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician who served as the General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party. He became the leader of Romania in 1965 and ruthlessly ruled over the country for more than two decades before he was overthrown and killed in a revolution. Though the initial years of his regime were moderate, he grew increasingly brutal and dictatorial over the years casing great distress to the citizenry who longed for freedom and peace. Under his administration, media freedom was heavily curtailed and there was no tolerance for internal dissent. In fact, the condition of the common people had deteriorated so much that they did not even have access to basic amenities like nutritious food, medicinal facilities, fuel or education. As someone who began his political career as a member of the Romanian Communist youth movement during the early 1930s, Nicolae Ceaușescu rose up through the ranks in Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej's Socialist government. When Gheorghiu-Dej died in 1965, he succeeded him as the country’s leader, assuming the position of the General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party. His brutal rule gave rise to violent uprisings throughout the country leading to the Romanian Revolution of 1989 which culminated in the execution of Ceaușescu

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Childhood & Early Life

Nicolae Ceaușescu was born on 26 January 1918 in the village of Scornicești, Olt County. His father, Andruță Ceaușescu was a farmer who also worked as a tailor in his spare time to supplement his income; he was also an abusive alcoholic. Nicolae was one of the ten children in his family.

He received his primary education from the village school where he studied until he was 11. Tired of his abusive father, he ran away from home and went to live with his sister.

As a teenager, he became an apprentice shoemaker in the workshop of Alexandru Săndulescu. His master was an active member in the Communist Party which was then illegal. Soon Ceaușescu too became involved in the activities of the Communist Party which he joined in 1932.

Career

His involvement in the party’s activities increased manifold over the years and by the mid-1930s he had been arrested numerous times and had participated in missions in Bucharest, Craiova, Câmpulung, and Râmnicu Vâlcea.

By this time he was named "a dangerous Communist agitator" and "distributor of Communist and antifascist propaganda materials" and was convicted by the Brașov Tribunal to two years in prison, an additional six months for contempt of court, and one year of forced residence in Scornicești in 1936.

He was released in 1940 though he was arrested again and sentenced for "conspiracy against social order". After spending time in prisons at Jilava, and Văcărești, he was transferred to Târgu Jiu internment camp where he shared a cell with Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, a well-known communist activist who took Nicolae Ceaușescu as his protégé.

He served as the secretary of the Union of Communist Youth in 1944–45 after the World War II.

In 1947, Gheorghiu-Dej and Prime Minister Petru Groza forced King Michael to abdicate, and Gheorghiu-Dej seized power in Romania. He appointed Ceaușescu as the head of the ministry of agriculture.

Being a trusted associate of the leader, he was promoted to the post of a major-general and he became the deputy minister of the armed forces under the Gheorghiu-Dej regime.

He became a member of the Central Committee in 1952, again at the behest of his mentor. By 1954 he became a full member of the Politburo and eventually rose to occupy the second-highest position in the party hierarchy, holding important posts in the Politburo and the Secretariat.

Gheorghiu-Dej died on 19 March 1965, leading to internal conflicts within the Politburo regarding the succession to leadership. Three days after Gheorghiu-Dej's death, Nicolae Ceaușescu was elected General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party.

Upon assuming power he declared the country a socialist republic rather than a people's republic. Within two years, he consolidated his power and became the President of the State Council, thereby becoming the de jure head of state.

Initially he became popular for openly challenging the dominance of the Soviet Union over Romania and for his independent foreign policy. He eased press censorship and ended Romania's active participation in the Warsaw Pact.

In 1974, he elevated the presidency of the State Council to a full-fledged executive presidency, thus creating the office of President. First elected to this post in 1974, he would be reelected every five years until 1989.

During the 1980s his popularity began to wane as he became increasingly dictatorial and implemented policies that severely restricted the personal freedom of the people. His export policies led to domestic shortages of basic necessities like food, medicines, and fuel and the living conditions of the Romanians declined considerably.

Soon the citizens began to rebel against his repressive regime, giving rise to the Romanian Revolution in 1989. The violent revolution finally succeeded in overthrowing his government in December the same year.

Personal Life & Legacy

He met Elena Petrescu in 1940 and was immediately attracted to her. She too reciprocated his feelings but their relationship was interrupted by Ceaușescu's frequent stints in prison. The couple ultimately got married in 1946 and had three children. Elena would play a significant role in her husband’s political life and the two would remain deeply in love till the very end.

After the collapse of his regime, Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena fled the capital with Emil Bobu and Manea Mănescu in a helicopter. But they were captured and tried before a kangaroo court convened on orders of the National Salvation Front, Romania's provisional government. Both Nicolae and Elena were sentenced to death and were executed by a gathering of soldiers on 25 December 1989.

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Nicolae Ceaușescu's awards

YearNameAward

Other

0Olympic Order - 1984
0Order of the Southern Cross - 1975
0Order of the October Revolution - 1983
0Order of the Liberator General San Martín - 1974
0Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany - 1971
0Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria - 1969
0Order of Saint James of the Sword - 1975
0jubilee medal thirty years of victory in the great patriotic war 1941-1945
0Order of Karl Marx - 1988
0 Order of Lenin - 1988-1973
0 Order of José Martí - 1973

Nicolae Ceaușescu biography timelines

  • // 26th Jan 1918
    Nicolae Ceaușescu was born on 26 January 1918 in the village of Scornicești, Olt County. His father, Andruță Ceaușescu was a farmer who also worked as a tailor in his spare time to supplement his income; he was also an abusive alcoholic. Nicolae was one of the ten children in his family.
  • // 1932
    As a teenager, he became an apprentice shoemaker in the workshop of Alexandru Săndulescu. His master was an active member in the Communist Party which was then illegal. Soon Ceaușescu too became involved in the activities of the Communist Party which he joined in 1932.
  • // 1936
    By this time he was named "a dangerous Communist agitator" and "distributor of Communist and antifascist propaganda materials" and was convicted by the Brașov Tribunal to two years in prison, an additional six months for contempt of court, and one year of forced residence in Scornicești in 1936.
  • // 1940
    He was released in 1940 though he was arrested again and sentenced for "conspiracy against social order". After spending time in prisons at Jilava, and Văcărești, he was transferred to Târgu Jiu internment camp where he shared a cell with Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, a well-known communist activist who took Nicolae Ceaușescu as his protégé.
  • // 1940 To 1946
    He met Elena Petrescu in 1940 and was immediately attracted to her. She too reciprocated his feelings but their relationship was interrupted by Ceaușescu's frequent stints in prison. The couple ultimately got married in 1946 and had three children. Elena would play a significant role in her husband’s political life and the two would remain deeply in love till the very end.
  • // 1944
    He served as the secretary of the Union of Communist Youth in 1944–45 after the World War II.
  • // 1947
    In 1947, Gheorghiu-Dej and Prime Minister Petru Groza forced King Michael to abdicate, and Gheorghiu-Dej seized power in Romania. He appointed Ceaușescu as the head of the ministry of agriculture.
  • // 1952 To 1954
    He became a member of the Central Committee in 1952, again at the behest of his mentor. By 1954 he became a full member of the Politburo and eventually rose to occupy the second-highest position in the party hierarchy, holding important posts in the Politburo and the Secretariat.
  • // 19th Mar 1965
    Gheorghiu-Dej died on 19 March 1965, leading to internal conflicts within the Politburo regarding the succession to leadership. Three days after Gheorghiu-Dej's death, Nicolae Ceaușescu was elected General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party.
  • // 1974 To 1989
    In 1974, he elevated the presidency of the State Council to a full-fledged executive presidency, thus creating the office of President. First elected to this post in 1974, he would be reelected every five years until 1989.
  • // 1989
    Soon the citizens began to rebel against his repressive regime, giving rise to the Romanian Revolution in 1989. The violent revolution finally succeeded in overthrowing his government in December the same year.
  • // 25th Dec 1989
    After the collapse of his regime, Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena fled the capital with Emil Bobu and Manea Mănescu in a helicopter. But they were captured and tried before a kangaroo court convened on orders of the National Salvation Front, Romania's provisional government. Both Nicolae and Elena were sentenced to death and were executed by a gathering of soldiers on 25 December 1989.

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Nicolae Ceaușescu's FAQ

  • What is Nicolae Ceaușescu birthday?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu was born at 1918-01-26

  • When was Nicolae Ceaușescu died?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu was died at 1989-12-25

  • Where was Nicolae Ceaușescu died?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu was died in Târgoviște

  • Which age was Nicolae Ceaușescu died?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu was died at age 71

  • Where is Nicolae Ceaușescu's birth place?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu was born in Scornicești

  • What is Nicolae Ceaușescu nationalities?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu's nationalities is Romanian

  • What is Nicolae Ceaușescu ideologies?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu's ideologies is Communists

  • Who is Nicolae Ceaușescu spouses?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu's spouses is Elena Ceaușescu

  • Who is Nicolae Ceaușescu siblings?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu's siblings is Elena Bărbulescu, Florea Ceaușescu, Ilie Ceaușescu, Ion Ceaușescu, Maria Agachi, Marin Ceaușescu, Nicolae Andruță Ceaușescu, Niculina Rusescu

  • Who is Nicolae Ceaușescu childrens?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu's childrens is Nicu Ceaușescu, Valentin Ceaușescu, Zoia Ceaușescu

  • What is Nicolae Ceaușescu's cause of dead?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu dead because of Execution

  • What is Nicolae Ceaușescu's political ideology?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu's political ideology is Political party - Romanian Communist Party

  • What is Nicolae Ceaușescu's religion?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu's religion is Atheism, Romanian Orthodox Church

  • Who is Nicolae Ceaușescu's father?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu's father is Andruță Ceaușescu

  • Who is Nicolae Ceaușescu's mother?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu's mother is Alexandrina Ceaușescu

  • What is Nicolae Ceaușescu's sun sign?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu is Aquarius

  • How famous is Nicolae Ceaușescu?

    Nicolae Ceaușescu is famouse as Former President of Romania