Post by Ivan Kolev on Dec 5, 2017 23:45:11 GMT
King Michael I (Mihai I) of Romania died today.
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Michael served as King of Romania from 1940-1947 (He also served from 1927-1930, but he was only 6-9 years old so a regency was really in power then). He took power from his father, Carol II, in 1940 after he was ousted by the Nazi supported Ion Antonescu. Antonescu was a dictator, and a genocidal one at that, killing 400,000 people, Jews, Gypsies, Ukrainians, and Romanian dissenters. Antonescu's Romania was a police state, and was also an Axis ally. During his rule (And Carol's), Romania was devastated. Her armies suffered annihilation at the hands of the Soviet Union at Stalingrad, they gave up half of Transylvania and Southern Dobruja to Hungary and Bulgaria respectively, and 400,000 died as previously mentioned.
Michael, instead of acquiescing to the strong man, took action.
On August 23rd, 1944, 3 days after the Soviet Army entered the country, he launched a successful coup against Antonescu, and his new government restored democracy. He then had Romania withdraw from the Axis and join the Allies. This was an incredibly courageous move, one which could have resulted in his death if it failed. Michael received the American Legion of Merit and the Soviet Order of Victory for the coup, and due to the fact that Romania changed allegiance, Stalin arranged for Northern Transylvania to be returned to Romania after the end of the war.
Michael circa WWII
After the war, however, disaster struck. A fascist regime was replaced with a communist one, as the Soviets forced Michael to adopt a communist cabinet. Michael attempted to resist by refusing to sign any communist legislation, but Soviet pressure forced him to back off. Michael slowly became little more than a figurehead, and on December 30th, 1947, he abdicated and left the country.
Michael became a symbol of the Romanian resistance to communism, and when the communist regime finally fell in the Romanian Revolution of 1989, many wished for him to return to power. The new Romanian government refused, however, and even restricted his access to the country. He would live in Italy and Switzerland instead. He died today at Aubonne, Switzerland.
With Michael I dead, there now remain only two heads of state who were alive during WWII: Simeon II of Bulgaria who reigned as Tsar from 1943-1946 as a young child and the 14th Dalai Lama who has ruled since 1940. This is frightening evidence that the Second World War is rapidly escaping from our lives, and that means we must try our hardest to preserve the stories of those who lived through it while we still can.
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God Bless Romania and God Bless Michael who is now in another world.
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[/url]Michael served as King of Romania from 1940-1947 (He also served from 1927-1930, but he was only 6-9 years old so a regency was really in power then). He took power from his father, Carol II, in 1940 after he was ousted by the Nazi supported Ion Antonescu. Antonescu was a dictator, and a genocidal one at that, killing 400,000 people, Jews, Gypsies, Ukrainians, and Romanian dissenters. Antonescu's Romania was a police state, and was also an Axis ally. During his rule (And Carol's), Romania was devastated. Her armies suffered annihilation at the hands of the Soviet Union at Stalingrad, they gave up half of Transylvania and Southern Dobruja to Hungary and Bulgaria respectively, and 400,000 died as previously mentioned.
Michael, instead of acquiescing to the strong man, took action.
On August 23rd, 1944, 3 days after the Soviet Army entered the country, he launched a successful coup against Antonescu, and his new government restored democracy. He then had Romania withdraw from the Axis and join the Allies. This was an incredibly courageous move, one which could have resulted in his death if it failed. Michael received the American Legion of Merit and the Soviet Order of Victory for the coup, and due to the fact that Romania changed allegiance, Stalin arranged for Northern Transylvania to be returned to Romania after the end of the war.
Michael circa WWII
After the war, however, disaster struck. A fascist regime was replaced with a communist one, as the Soviets forced Michael to adopt a communist cabinet. Michael attempted to resist by refusing to sign any communist legislation, but Soviet pressure forced him to back off. Michael slowly became little more than a figurehead, and on December 30th, 1947, he abdicated and left the country.
Michael became a symbol of the Romanian resistance to communism, and when the communist regime finally fell in the Romanian Revolution of 1989, many wished for him to return to power. The new Romanian government refused, however, and even restricted his access to the country. He would live in Italy and Switzerland instead. He died today at Aubonne, Switzerland.
With Michael I dead, there now remain only two heads of state who were alive during WWII: Simeon II of Bulgaria who reigned as Tsar from 1943-1946 as a young child and the 14th Dalai Lama who has ruled since 1940. This is frightening evidence that the Second World War is rapidly escaping from our lives, and that means we must try our hardest to preserve the stories of those who lived through it while we still can.
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[/url]God Bless Romania and God Bless Michael who is now in another world.
