The process usually follows this path. And the next moment he was lying in the dust. All Rights Reserved. They are shooting at children; they are shooting arbitrarily into the apartments. , Now career military personnel are speaking out through gritted teeth, insisting they speak for active-duty personnel who cannot talk without being punished. They used to fetch people from orphans' homes or from abroad whom they trained in special institutions to become murderers of their own people. The Man at the Top increasingly pulls on disconnected controls, yet still imagines he is in charge. ELENA CEAUSESCU: Accounts in Switzerland? But those who shot at the young people were the security men, the terrorists. Ceauescu claims that the putsch was organized from abroad. First their narratives become so infested with lies they go out of sync with their own administrators on the ground. Later reports suggested the couple had been captured. This is our home. Nicolae Ceauescu (Romanian pronunciation: [nikola.e ta.uesku]; 26 January 1918 25 December 1989) was a Romanian politician who was the Secretary Gener. The day began as it ended with vehement anti-Ceauescu demonstrations. At the beginning, Ceauescu claimed that it is a provocation to be asked whether he was sick. The next he was a hunted man. Elena keeps whispering to him. This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. But rebellion begins involuntarily, at the Hayekian level. PROSECUTOR: That is to say, as a deputy prime minister you did not know about the genocide? NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will not sign anything. You need not admit your mistakes, mister. The Defence Minister, General Vasile Milea, was said to have committed suicide although it is equally possible he was shot by a member of the Ceauescu retinue. The entire intelligentsia of the country ran away. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Mr. President, I would like to know something: the accused should tell us who the mercenaries are. PROSECUTOR: Please, ask Nicolae and Elena Ceauescu whether they have ever had a mental illness. Because of this indictment, I call for the death sentence and the impounding of the entire property of the two accused. Dressed in a black Persian lamb hat with matching coat collar, Ceausesecu, 71, was . And today you are acting in the same megalomaniac way. This is a vulgar provocation. It is a historic time, given that no military member goes public to speak negatively about the ultimate commander. PROSECUTOR: Let us now talk about the accounts in Switzerland, Mr. Ceausescu. Copyright 2023 PJMedia.com/Salem Media. You are guilty of these offenses even if you do not want to admit it. Only a few hours before the Genius of the Carpathians had been in apparently complete command. I would not call for the death sentence, but it would be incomprehensible for the Romanian people to have to go on suffering this great misery and not to have it ended by sentencing the two Ceausescus to death. They were only busy enslaving the people and building up an apparatus of power. The catastrophic situation of the country is known all over the world. 105). ELENA CEAUESCU: We will not sign any statement. Sooner or later an administration neuters itself from sheer implausibility. Elena and Nicolae reject this. This demonstrates their lack of understanding. PROSECUTOR: Did you hear the charges? As the crowd becomes more unruly, Ceausescu becomes more confused and he begins arguing with the unseen hecklers. He answers: I am the president of Romania, and I am the commander in chief of the Romanian army. The slippage that attracts the most attention of course, is discontent within the United States military. [1], His security guard appeared, disappeared and, finally, hustled Ceauescu off the balcony. In fact, his speech on August 21, 1968 in defiance of the military actions taken by Moscow and a few of her allies in Czechoslovakia roused quite a considerable amount of support for not only himself, but for the Patriot Guards as well. Watching the "Video of Ceausescu's Last Speech" on the Making the History of 1989 website, a speech which Nikolae Ceausescu made on 21 December 1989, I was curious to see what the disturbance was that so rattled Ceausescu because by the end of the speech it appears a semblance of order had returned. As hard as it may be to believe, there was a time when . The trial of Nicolae and Elena Ceauescu was held on 25 December 1989 by an Exceptional Military Tribunal, a drumhead court-martial created at the request of a newly formed group called the National Salvation Front. Sections in italic type are from Austrian television comentary: You, as a scientist, did you know about it? Stanley double-crossed Richard at the crucial moment. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this court. Tell us! The prosecutor says: The world already knows what has happened here. PROSECUTOR: Did you hear the charges? They are not only accused of offenses committed during the past few days, but of offenses committed during the past 25 years. It is as if, in that moment, everyday Romanian's saw the possibility, saw the reality of the weakness of Ceausescus regime. COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENSE: Even though he like her committed insane acts, we want to defend them. PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Nicolae Ceauescu refuses to cooperate with the court-appointed counsel for the defense. Why do the peasants then buy their bread in Bucharest? Transcriptul "procesului" Nicolae si Elena Ceausescu. This is where President Ceausescu gave his final speech in December 1989, before fleeing Bucharest. The prosecutor turns to Elena: You have always been wiser and more ready to talk, a scientist. Elena and Nicolae reject this. Workers, military units and other popular organizations were bused to the capitol and given orders on where to stand, when to applaud and what to sing. Tax experts say the best it can do is withhold the penalty amount from any tax refund due. I have done everything to create a decent and rich life for the people in the country, like in no other country in the world. Then follows the reading of the indictment. What about the accounts? They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity, and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people. Paper is patient. You cannot talk to me in such a way! As a simple citizen, I tell you the following: For the first time I guaranteed that every peasant received 200 kilograms of wheat per person, not per family, and that he is entitled to more. He then tried to placate the crowd by offering to raise workers salaries He did not realize, however, that a real revolution was starting before his eyes. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. . This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. The bill of indictment contains the following points: Genocide, in accordance with Article 356 of the penal code. I do not recognize this court. You should have stayed in Iran where you had flown to. PROSECUTOR: We have wonderful programs. I have so many issues with the presidents policies, including the most recent ones, he told me ruefully. However, why are your programs not implemented? Elena answers: The intellectuals of this country should hear you, you and your colleagues. They used to fetch people from orphans' homes or from abroad whom they trained in special institutions to become murderers of their own people. The prosecutor quotes Ceausescu, Ceausescu's program. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: This is not possible at all. Finally, I would like to refer once more to the genocide, the numerous killings carried out during the past few days. CEAUSESCU: Nu recunosc nici un tribunal in afara de Marea Adunare Nationala. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize this new forum. Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality Captive: My Time as a Prisoner of the Taliban TheWashington Timesreports that a top intelligence official is accusing the Obama admininistration of funding a terror network for the next ten years, alleging the administration paid a cash ransom to redeem Bowe Bergdahl. ALISON SMALE December 21, 1989. Since the old government has been dissolved and Ceausescu has lost his functions, he no longer has the right to be treated as the president. Immediately before them were plainclothes Securitate agents and a row of police militia, who kept the mass of the crowd about thirty yards back from the front of the Central Committee building. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this court. PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Ceauescu does not recognize the new legal structures of power of the country. We have ensured an apartment for every citizen through corresponding laws. No truth, no survival. All their property will be impounded. They not only killed children, young people and adults in Timisoara and Bucharest; they allowed Securitate members to wear military uniforms to create the impression among the people that the army is against them. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Her scientific papers were published abroad! One of the fundamental defenses of a democracy is the truth. The Lion and the Unicorn: Gladstone vs. Disraeli ELENA CEAUESCU: I will not answer. Ceauescu refused to answer. Eight minutes into the speech, some in the crowd actually began to jeer, boo and whistle at hima reaction considered unthinkable for most of Ceauescus 24 years in power. Not a single shot. We have sacrificed all our lives to the people. The great Ceauescu escape attempt came after it had become clear that most of the army had gone over to the people. As the other primary sources reveal, the Ceausescus were tried a few days later and executed as enemies of the new Romanian state. The story ofCeauescus final speech is a textbook example. Its not that we dont want to respect the commander-in-chief, one told me sadly. As the crowd becomes more unruly, Ceausescu becomes more confused and he begins arguing with the unseen hecklers. Sudden realizations are like a crash; its not the fact of deceleration that is fatal so much as the suddenness of it. These two defendants procured the most luxurious foodstuffs and clothes from abroad. I will not answer anymore. A little noticed article in the Sydney Morning Herald notes that Australia will support Japans effort to repeal its pacifist constitution. As a result, the prosecutor says: Elena has always been talkative, but otherwise she does not know much. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this new forum. It doesnt happen as one big wave. . PROSECUTOR: Why do you think that people are fighting today? And you might perhaps have achieved the understanding of the Romanian people if you had now admitted your guilt. You were the most important aide, the number two in the cabinet, in the government. No one can dissolve the National Assembly. Its provisional leader is the 73-year-old former Foreign Minister, Mr Corneliu Mnescu. I only recognize the working class and the Grand National Assembly -- no one else. Another question . One of the first acts of the new leadership was to place the security forces, the dreaded Securitate, under control of the army. The hardship exemption rules, for example, let anyone who experienced domestic violence avoid the mandate, without providing any documentation of abuse. I am talking to you as simple citizens at the least, as simple citizens, and I tell you: I am the president of Romania. One announcer called it the heart of our nation. Why did you make the peasants starve? For example, George Ciampa, an 89-year old D-Day veteran refused an invitation to meet with President Obama at the White House. Romania's dictator Nicolae Ceausescu's final speech (executed 12/25) More Notable Events on December 21: 1997 Detroit Lions Barry Sanders is 3rd to run for 2,000 yards in a season 1991 U.S. actress Jane Fonda marries CNN-director Ted Turner 1989 Dan Quayle sends out 30,000 Xmas cards with word beacon spelled beakon PROSECUTOR: Whether you have ever had a mental illness. The atmosphere was one of jubilation, and the over-riding feeling among the thousands celebrating in the city centre before the shooting began was one of undiluted triumph. PROSECUTOR: We have wonderful programs. They were not really interested in the people. The National Salvation Front is now our supreme body. The workers were augmented by bystanders who were rounded up on Calea Victoriei. PROSECUTOR: Children cannot even buy plain candy, and you are living in the palaces of the people. Despite this, I ask the court to make a decision which we will be able to justify later as well. Because of the crimes they committed against the people, I plead, on behalf of the victims of these two tyrants, for the death sentence for the two defendants. We must not allow the slightest impression of illegality to emerge. JUDECATORUL: Va rog sa luati loc. Storm Over The South China Sea These two defendants have robbed the people, and not even today do they want to talk. The Rise of Ceausescu Nicolae was a member of the communist youth movement. The two defendants should also know that they are entitled to a counsel for defense, even if they reject this. You need not admit your mistakes, mister. A tyrant stops knowing the difference. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Mr. President, I would like to know something: The accused should tell us who the mercenaries are. Teams of doctors with emergency medical supplies were being flown in from Geneva last night. Nobody has the right to abolish the Grand National Assembly. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: As a citizen, as a simple citizen, I tell you the following: At no point was there such an upswing, so much construction, so much consolidation in the Romanian provinces. 20072021 Roy Rosenzweig Center for History & New Media PROSECUTOR: But not of our army, you are not the commander in chief of our army. Usurpers have been punished severely during the past centuries in Romania's history. Elena and Nicolae Ceauescu should be punished in a really legal trial. He always claimed to act and speak on behalf of the people, to be a beloved son of the people, but he only tyrannized the people all the time. Grandiose plans are announced, pivots are ordered, Red Lines are drawn, all manner of schemes are announced with a maximum of hoopla but everybody ignores it they know the latest fad will pass and the regime will Move On. The War of the Words for $3.99, Understanding the crisis of the early 21st century in terms of information corruption in the financial, security and political spheres No Way In at Amazon Kindle $8.95, print $9.99. You have information about it. He then tried to placate the crowd by offering to raise workers' salaries by 200 lei per month (about 18 U.S. dollars at the time, yet a 10%-20% raise for a modest salary) and student scholarships from 100 to 110 lei while continuing to praise the achievements of the past 42 years. CEAUSESCU: This is not possible at all. Video of Ceausescu's Last Speech, December 1989 Annotation One of the most decisive moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was Ceausescu's December 21st speech (or lack thereof). PROSECUTOR: Note: He does not recognize the points mentioned in the bill of indictment. As a simple citizen, I tell you the following: For the first time I guaranteed that every peasant received 200 kilograms of wheat per person, not per family, and that he is entitled to more. PROSECUTOR: The people are fighting against you, not against the new forum. The charges are incorrect, and I will not answer a single question here. The notorious programme of razing villages in the countryside would be halted. The prosecutor says: The world already knows what has happened here. "Video of Ceausescus Last Speech, December 1989," in World History Commons, https://worldhistorycommons.org/video-ceausescus-last-speech-december-1989 [accessed March 4, 2023], Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media. CEAUSESCU: You as officers should know that the government cannot give the order to shoot. Those moments of Ceausescus weakness and the power of popular pressure explain why, a mere 48 hours later, Ceausescu was attempting to flee Romania, all power lost. PROSECUTOR: In all district capitals, which you grandly called municipalities, there is shooting going on. I only recognize the working class and the Grand National Assembly no one else. The people only received 200 grams per day, against an identity card. You have acted in a very irresponsible manner; you led the country to the verge of ruin and you will be convicted on the basis of the points contained in the bill of indictment. He also refuses to recognize the new forum. The History: Last Speech, Trial and Execution Decades of brutal oppression under the Ceausescu regime came to a head in Timisoara, earlier that same December. Elena and Nicolae Ceasescu state: Well, you told us about it. Ceauescu's speech of 21 August 1968 was a public address by Nicolae Ceauescu, General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party and President of the State Council of Romania, strongly condemning the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. The Soviet Parliament expressed its approval of the fall of President Ceauescu and sent to the Romanian people a special message of support proposed by President Gorbachev. The people were slaves. It is simply an accumulation of multitudes ignoring the official line bit by bit and thereby gradually placing themselves unwittingly in opposition to it. ELENA CEAUSESCU: How can one tell us something like this? And Elena says: It is incredible what they are inventing, incredible. All strategic points in the country were said to be under the control of the people. The balcony where Ceauescu delivered his last speech, taken over by the crowd during the Romanian Revolution of 1989 The speech was typical of most of Ceauescu's speeches over the years. PROSECUTOR: Who gave the order to shoot in Bucharest, for instance? Every honest citizen who worked hard here until 22 December knows that we do not have medicines, that you two have killed children and other people in this way, that there is nothing to eat, no heating, no electricity. His country passed from traditional monarchy to troubled democracy to royal dictatorship to military control to occupied territory. The Idiot Vote: The Democrats Core Constituency The prosecutor turns to Elena: You have always been wiser and more ready to talk, a scientist. This shows again how false the charges are. What do you say as a citizen? The prosecutor cites all academic titles she had always claimed to have. ELENA CEAUESCU: Incredible. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize this court. Bucharests Broadcasting House was the main source of information yesterday for Romanians about the countrys liberation and the means by which politicians, military officers and dissidents tried to influence the situation. However, they will be indicted, and a sentence will be passed on the basis of the new legal system. Ceauescu's final speech is a speech delivered by Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauescu on 21 December 1989. We have sufficient data on this period. The front rows of the assembly were made up of low-level Communist Party officials and members who acted as cheer-leaders. The counsel for the defense now takes the floor and instructs the Ceauescus once again that they have the right to defense and that they should accept this right. Ti-mi-oa-ra!a chant that was soon picked up by others in the crowd. I have done everything to create a decent and rich life for the people in the country, like in no other country in the world. About You, as a scientist, did you know about it? He always claimed to act and speak on behalf of the people, to be a beloved son of the people, but he only tyrannized the people all the time. PROSECUTOR: Why do you think that people are fighting today? The prosecutor asks the counsel for the defense to ask Ceausescu whether he knows that he is no longer president of the country, that Elena Ceausescu has also lost all her official state functions and that the government has been dissolved. Ceauescu's speech of 21 August 1968 [English Subtitles] Transcrierea discursului lui Ceauescu: 01:08 Nicolae Ceauescu: Dragi tovari. ELENA CEAUESCU: Such impudence! PROSECUTOR: Will you sign the statement now or not? 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We want a legal trial. "This is the final battle," he said. Decembrie 25 1989 - Garnizoana Tirgoviste. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, no. We have sacrificed all our lives to the people. The final speech of the prosecutor follows: PROSECUTOR: It is very difficult for us to act, to pass a verdict on people who even now do not want to admit to the criminal offenses that they have committed during 25 years and admit to the genocide, not only in Timisoara and Bucharest, but primarily also to the criminal offenses committed during the past 25 years. Earlier, joyful crowds had paraded through the city after reports that Mr Ceauescu had been arrested after trying to flee from the roof of the party headquarters by helicopter. Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu appeared on the balcony of the Central Committee of Comunmunist Party of Romania building, in Bucharest, Romania, on 21 December 1989, and began as he had in years past, with a speech laden with the usual `wooden language`. A photo of a television screen of Nicolae Ceauescu delivering his last public speech from the balcony of the Romanian Communist Party headquarters, 21 December 1989. Nobody has the right to abolish the Grand National Assembly. Only a president who is still confirmed in his position can demand to speak at the Grand National Assembly. The recent Bergdahl prisoner swap in which five hardened Taliban terrorists were released from prison is rubbing a lot of the military veterans attending D-Day events the wrong way. Recent items of interest by Belmont readers based on Amazon click-throughs. No one can deprive me of these functions. Soon afterwards, Bucharest television reported that Mr Ceauescu and his wife were no longer in the country. PROSECUTOR: Nicolae Ceauescu should tell us why he does not answer our questions. Judecator Gica POPA. No, no, he says. Now the counsel for the defense, who was appointed by the court, asks whether Nicolae and Elena Ceauescu know the aforementioned facts that he is no longer president, that she has lost all official functions. A later article shows that Australia is moving toward. Why did you make the peasants starve? I guaranteed that every village has its schools, hospitals and doctors. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. Ceauescu answers: As I said before, the people are fighting for their freedom and against this putsch, against this usurpation. PROSECUTOR: That is to say, as a deputy prime minister you did not know about the genocide? PROSECUTOR: And who wrote the papers for you, Elena? What about the accounts? There is still shooting going on, the prosecutor says. And I also do not recognize the counsel for the defense. How can one say something like this? PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Ceausescu does not recognize the new legal structures of power of the country. You held monologues and the people had to applaud, like in the rituals of tribal people. PROSECUTOR: You have never been able to hold a dialogue with the people. PROSECUTOR: But not of our army, you are not the commander in chief of our army. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, we had no palaces. ELENA CEAUESCU: The terrorists are from Securitate. Ceausescu begins his address to the people as he had in years past but this year the tide turned. It was one of the most pivotal moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989.
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