Politics, Not a Commemoration?
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by Razvan Amariei 30 August 2004
Romania celebrates an 'act of national salvation,' but opponents see the commemoration of the ouster of Romania's pro-German wartime leader as an act in a pre-election game.
BUCHAREST, Romania--For the first time since 1989, Romania has commemorated the ouster of its wartime dictator, a key moment that transformed the country from a military ally of Hitler's Germany into an active partner of the Allied powers.
The ceremonies were attended by ex-King Michael I, the leading character in the events 60 years ago and the only European head of state from that period who is still alive.
King Michael I had been the nominal head of state since his coronation in September 1940, at the age of 18. However, real power during the war rested in the hands of General Ion Antonescu, who had seized power in September 1940 and immediately forced Michael’s father to abdicate. Then, on 23 August 1944, with the support of leading figures in the army and the major political parties, the king overthrew Antonescu and his dictatorship.
The toppling of Antonescu enabled Romania, which had been heavily involved in Nazi Germany’s campaign against the Soviet Union, to end the war on the victorious side. However, that did not enable it to regain territory earlier annexed by the Soviet Union. Over the course of three years it was gradually transformed into a Soviet satellite.
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