The defendant has not recognized us. CEAUSESCU: No, no. It was one of the most pivotal moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989. PROSECUTOR: The Grand National Assembly has been dissolved. They will receive a link in their email and it will automatically give them access to a Kindle reader on their smartphone, computer or even as a web-readable document. You were not used to talking to the people. And Elena says: It is incredible what they are inventing, incredible. It can go on for a long time shedding parts, but eventually the axle falls out. ELENA CEAUSESCU: We will not sign any statement. ELENA CEAUSESCU: How can one tell us something like this? The workers were augmented by bystanders who were rounded up on Calea Victoriei. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Nobody can change the state structures. 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. Tell the people that I will answer all their questions. The two defendants should also know that they are entitled to a counsel for defense, even if they reject this. And Elena says: It is incredible what they are inventing, incredible. ELENA CEAUSESCU: I will not answer. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize this court. I have no statement to make, and I will not sign one. The following is a transcript of the closed trial of Romanian Dictator Nicolae Ceauescu and his wife, Elena, as shown on Romanian and Austrian television. PROSECUTOR: In the same way he refused to hold a dialogue with the people, now he also refuses to speak with us. But rebellion begins involuntarily, at the Hayekian level. One of the fundamental defenses of a democracy is the truth. . You should have stayed in Iran where you had flown to. If you had had a mental illness and admitted this, you would not be responsible for your acts. In response, Ceauescu raised his right hand in hopes of silencing the crowd; his stunned expression remains one of the defining moments of the end of Communism in Eastern Europe. Sections in italic type are from Austrian television comentary: Ti-mi-oa-ra! They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity, and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people. The prosecutor quotes Ceauescu, Ceauescu's program. In one speech, a Romanian politician likened Ceausescu to Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Peter the Great, Abraham Lincoln and other major historical figures. The streets and squares of Bucharest were littered with torn portraits and shattered busts of the President and his wife. One announcer called it the heart of our nation. What prevents him from doing so? Share . COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENSE: Even though he -- like her -- committed insane acts, we want to defend them. The Ceauescu administrations Prime Minister, Mr Constantin Dsclescu, and his government were said to have resigned. Only a president who is still confirmed in his position can demand to speak at the Grand National Assembly. The prosecutor wants to find out on which basis the trial can be continued. I am talking to you as simple citizens at the least, as simple citizens, and I tell you: I am the president of Romania. Elena and Nicolae reject this. PROSECUTOR: We have wonderful programs. Centralized regimes may seem to collapse suddenly, yet in reality they have been coming apart for a long time. Elena keeps whispering to him. Now we finally saw your villa on television, the golden plates from which you ate, the foodstuffs that you had imported, the luxurious celebrations, pictures from your luxurious celebrations. 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. ELENA CEAUESCU: We will not sign any statement. PROSECUTOR: The people are fighting against you, not against the new forum. You have information about it. Sooner or later an administration neuters itself from sheer implausibility. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Is it possible that we are facing such charges? Why did you ruin the country so much: Why did you export everything? PROSECUTOR: Will you sign the statement now or not? They are cowards. The crimes against the people grew year by year. Rebranding Christianity (The World of Information) Stanley double-crossed Richard at the crucial moment. And you might perhaps have achieved the understanding of the Romanian people if you had now admitted your guilt. ALISON SMALE December 21, 1989. PROSECUTOR: Children cannot even buy plain candy, and you are living in the palaces of the people. [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. 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`. 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. Tell us! It must be cleared up whether Ceauescu wants to, should, must or can answer at all. Elena keeps whispering to him. What should he ask us? I have so many issues with the presidents policies, including the most recent ones, he told me ruefully. 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. Shakespeare dramatized the turnabout in his famous scene. Workers from a Bucharest power plant started chanting "Ti-mi-oa-ra! This demonstrates their lack of understanding. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I repeat: I am the president of Romania and the commander in chief of the Romanian army. By 6 pm, Romanian television was broadcasting live reports of victory rallies attended by thousands in Bucharest. It is as if, in that moment, everyday Romanian's saw the possibility, saw the reality of the weakness of Ceausescus regime. I will not speak with you provocateurs anymore, and I will not speak with the organizers of the putsch and with the mercenaries. ELENA CEAUSESCU: The intelligentsia of the country will hear what you are accusing us of. As hard as it may be to believe, there was a time when . 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. Fiction. Fanatics, whom you are paying. A tyrant stops knowing the difference. Workers from a Bucharest power plant started chanting Ti-mi-oa-ra! NICOLAE CEAUESCU: This is not possible at all. When the crisis comes the Leader Maximus discovers to his absolute surprise that all support has vanished. Ceauescu's speech of 21 August 1968 [English Subtitles] Transcrierea discursului lui Ceauescu: 01:08 Nicolae Ceauescu: Dragi tovari. The people only received 200 grams per day, against an identity card. And I also do not recognize the counsel for the defense. 23 December 1989: Nicolae Ceauescus overthrow follows a week of carnage in which thousands of protesters against his regime were killed in cold blood. Why did you starve the people? 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. Therefore, it is a mistake for the two accused to refuse to cooperate with us. PROSECUTOR: Do you not know anything about the order to shoot? We are all equal. 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. Then follows the reading of the indictment. This is not possible. And that assumes more dont simply dodge paying the penalty because of the ease with which they can claim a hardship exemption, or because the law places strict limits on the IRS ability to collect the money. 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. The entire intelligentsia of the country ran away. Bucharest television said that they had left the country. You see, there is no use in talking to these people. PROSECUTOR: The Grand National Assembly has been dissolved. Nicolae Ceauescu (Romanian pronunciation: [nikola.e tea.uesku]; 26 January 1918 -- 25 December 1989) was a Romanian Communist politician. All their property will be impounded. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, the people are fighting for freedom and against the new forum. PROSECUTOR: We have wonderful programs. The prosecutor turns to Elena: You have always been wiser and more ready to talk, a scientist. PROSECUTOR: Let us now talk about the accounts in Switzerland, Mr. Ceausescu. Here Nicolae Ceausescu steps in and defends her. They wanted to separate the people from the army. This was a coup d'etat. And you might perhaps have achieved the understanding of the Romanian people if you had now admitted your guilt. Nobody has the right to abolish the Grand National Assembly. "a chant that was soon picked up by others in the crowd. In response, Ceauescu raised his right hand in hopes of silencing the crowd; his stunned expression remains one of the defining moments of the end of Communism in Eastern Europe. I will not speak with you provocateurs anymore, and I will not speak with the organizers of the putsch and with the mercenaries. His talks with Dubcek focused primarily on the events that had unfolded in Czechoslovakia over the last several months. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. PROSECUTOR: This situation is known. PROSECUTOR: Who gave the order to shoot in Bucharest, for instance? 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. The destruction of buildings and state institutions, undermining of the national economy, in accordance with Articles 165 and 145 of the penal code. The people were slaves. They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people. The defendant has not recognized us. Some people will continue to believe the narrative, but even among the acolytes, the fatal smoke of doubt has entered the temple. This page was last modified on 10 April 2016, at 21:40. One in four of the population is believed to have a member. It must be cleared up whether Ceausescu wants to, should, must or can answer at all. PROSECUTOR: Will you sign the statement now or not? Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality 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. PROSECUTOR: We now have another leading organ. Ceauescu's final speech is a speech delivered by Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauescu on 21 December 1989. We have data concerning both of them. I have nothing to do with them. Nobody is likely to rise up and become a Man on Horseback. PROSECUTOR: By now, there have been 34 casualties. Elena answers: The intellectuals of this country should hear you, you and your colleagues. PROSECUTOR: This is how you worked with the people and exercised your functions! You were the most important aide, the number two in the cabinet, in the government. The story of Ceauescu's final speech is a textbook example. Elena says: Look, and that they are calling genocide. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this court. The crowd, now totaling up to 80,000, were given orders on where to stand, when to applaud and what to sing. But we are not talking about people. I will only speak at the Grand National Assembly. However, there is a difference between real sickness that must be treated and mental insanity which leads to corresponding actions, but which is denied by the person in question. The destruction of buildings and state institutions, undermining of the national economy, in accordance with Articles 165 and 145 of the penal code. 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. We have sacrificed all our lives to the people. They cultivated the soil in line with your orders and had nothing to eat. Its not that we dont want to respect the commander-in-chief, one told me sadly. If you had had a mental illness and admitted this, you would not be responsible for your acts. . His country passed from traditional monarchy to troubled democracy to royal dictatorship to military control to occupied territory. The bill of indictment contains the following points: Genocide, in accordance with Article 356 of the penal code. This gang will be destroyed. Sections in italic type are from the austrian television comentary: Thousands of workers were bused into the square under threat of being fired. CEAUSESCU: Nobody can change the state structures. The problem with the Narrative is that it suppresses the dispersed information by insisting on the centralized knowledge, on stories the elite make up themselves. Later reports suggested the couple had been captured. Finally, I would like to refer once more to the genocide, the numerous killings carried out during the past few days. Ceauescu answers: As I said before, the people are fighting for their freedom and against this putsch, against this usurpation. Why do the peasants then buy their bread in Bucharest? Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The Land of Green Plums, Mller, Herta at the best online prices at eBay! 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: Nicolae Ceausescu should tell us why he does not answer our questions. I do not recognize this court. No one can deprive me of these functions. Two: Armed attack on the people and the state power, in accordance with Article 163 of the penal code. CEAUSESCU: Nu recunosc nici un tribunal in afara de Marea Adunare Nationala. I will not say anything here. Sections in italic type are from Austrian television comentary: NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I only recognize the Grand National Assembly. The produce which the peasants grew was exported, and the peasants came from the most remote provinces to Bucharest and to the other cities in order to buy bread. His security guard appears, disappears and, finally, hustles Ceausescu off the balcony. By the morning of 22 December, the rebellion had already spread to all major cities across the country. Ceauescu claims that the putsch was organized from abroad. PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Ceauescu does not recognize the new legal structures of power of the country. 105). PROSECUTOR: In the same way he refused to hold a dialogue with the people, now he also refuses to speak with us. PROSECUTOR: So you know the new forum. How can one say something like this? I told you right at the beginning that I will not answer a single question. If he no longer has a certain function, he cannot demand anything at all. By the way, I will not answer any more questions. They organized the putsch. ELENA CEAUESCU: Incredible. It should be stated once and for all that this military court is absolutely legal and that the former positions of the two Ceauescus are no longer valid. 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. 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. Because of this indictment, I call for the death sentence and the impounding of the entire property of the two accused. And we will not betray our people here. This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. Who are these fanatics? This page was last edited on 8 October 2016, at 23:48. Paper is patient. Central planning in economics leads to a mismatch in prices and a collapse in the economy while a Central Narrative in politics leads to an increased incidence of involuntary rebellion. I guaranteed that every village has its schools, hospitals and doctors. All their property will be impounded. We have sufficient data on this period. They were even worse than the king, the former king of Romania. They were given red flags, banners and large pictures of Ceauescu. PROSECUTOR: Nicolae Ceauescu should tell us why he does not answer our questions. It is simply an accumulation of multitudes ignoring the official line bit by bit and thereby gradually placing themselves unwittingly in opposition to it. That is why the people are fighting all over the country. They were given red flags, banners and large pictures of Ceauescu and his wife. You have information about it. However, they will be indicted, and a sentence will be passed on the basis of the new legal system. This is where President Ceausescu gave his final speech in December 1989, before fleeing Bucharest. You have destroyed the Romanian villages and the Romanian soil. This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. No one was shot. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide or did you, as a chemist, only deal with polymers? PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Ceausescu does not recognize the new legal structures of power of the country. He refused to undergo a psychiatric examination. Dressed in a black Persian lamb hat with matching coat collar, Ceausesecu, 71, was . Ceausescu begins his address to the people as he had in years past but this year the tide turned. No one can deprive me of these functions. You were not used to talking to the people. The details are known. In the uprising by people against Ceausescu during this speech and in subsequent days 1,058 people lost there lives. I am talking to you as simple citizens at the least, as simple citizens, and I tell you: I am the president of Romania. Witnesses saw scores of people shot down in the centre of Bucharest in the evening and around the burning royal palace where the Ceauescu family had made their home. The new committee declared its immediate aim was an end to the cult of personality which had developed around the Ceauescu family. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, no. George thought about it for awhile and concluded he just couldnt. The process usually follows this path. This demonstrates their lack of understanding. He still considers himself to be the country's president and the commander in chief of the army. Nicolae Ceausescu delivers his last public speech in Bucharest on December 21, 1989. The truth shall set you free, even if it makes you miserable. Elena and Nicolae reject this. This source is a part of the The Romanian Revolution of 1989 teaching module. We are all equal. Perhaps the biggest example of thisis a CBO report that while 30 million people will technically be liable to pay the Obamacare Individual Mandate fine but in practice all but 4 million will have their fines waived or exempted. A flight into peril, flashbacks to underground action. We will speak only at the National Assembly, because we have worked hard for the people all our lives. Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu must be held fully responsible for this. This shows how little patriotism there is, how many treasonable offenses were committed. It is a lie that I made the people starve. What about the accounts? You cannot talk to me in such a way! Have you understood them? Ceausescu and his wife were later captured, tried, and executed. In response, the two laugh, and she says: We do not stay abroad. The crimes against the people grew year by year. Former President Donald Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, on March 4, 2023. I am a member and the chairwoman of the Academy of Sciences. And today you are acting in the same megalomaniac way. I will only speak in front of it. The palaces belong to the people. Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway The collapse of the narrative doesnt happen in a single big step, but through an accumulation of small, personal, often innocuous refusals. 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. Like a jalopy falling apart on the road, dropping a screw here and a spring there, the Obama administration is gradually shaking itself to pieces. 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. I ask the chairman of the prosecutor's office to read the bill of indictment. Bundled in drab winter clothing, she was shoved around by armed guards inside a cold, empty building. Yet there is a big difference between grousing, which is endemic to the military, and actual rebellion. Storm Over The South China Sea NICOLAE CEAUESCU: We had no account in Switzerland. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: She was not a deputy prime minister, but the first deputy prime minister. CEAUSESCU: I will not answer this question. They are shooting at children; they are shooting arbitrarily into the apartments. A horse or a hearse? Lech Walesa has openly accused president Obama as unable to lead in world. This shows again how false the charges are. CHIEF PROSECUTOR: Esteemed chairman of the court, today we have to pass a verdict on the defendants Nicolae Ceausescu and Elena Ceausescu who have committed the following offenses: Crimes against the people. Its just that he makes it so hard to do so.. But who gave the order to shoot? This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. In the wake of growing tension over an uprising in Timioara in which thousands were reportedly killed, Ceauescu decided to give a nationally televised speech before a crowd in Palace Square (now known as Revolution Square) in Bucharest. Furnish proof! ELENA CEAUESCU: Accounts in Switzerland? Not a single shot was fired in Palace Square. Military base Tirgoviste - December 25th 1989. Nicolae Ceauescu (Romanian pronunciation: [nikola.e ta.uesku]; 26 January 1918 25 December 1989) was a Romanian politician who was the Secretary Gener. Tip Jar or Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the Belmont Club. Any actual attempts to fine 30 million Americans would end in a political disaster. Another question to Ceausescu: Who ordered the bloodbath in Timisoara. ELENA CEAUSESCU: Accounts in Switzerland? Richard III of England rode into Bosworth Field relying on his ally Baron Stanely to come to his aid. Please make a note that here it has been stated that all legal regulations have been observed, that this is a legal trial. CEAUSESCU: No one recognizes that. Only the front rows supported Ceauescu with cheers and applause, with most of the crowd remaining impassive. I have no statement to make, and I will not sign one. First their narratives become so infested with lies they go out of sync with their own administrators on the ground. CEAUSESCU: I repeat: I am the president of Romania and the commander in chief of the Romanian army. Dressed in a black Persian lamb hat with matching coat collar, Ceausesecu, 71, was . Who pays them? This occurs when the official line becomes so ridiculous that ordinary people dont even realize they are falling out of step with the Party Line. Ti-mi-oa-ra!a chant that was soon picked up by others in the crowd. I just couldnt convince myself to do it., He is not alone. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17U.S.C. PROSECUTOR: Yes, but you are paying the mercenaries. The notorious programme of razing villages in the countryside would be halted. 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. You told us about it here. Soon afterwards, Bucharest television reported that Mr Ceauescu and his wife were no longer in the country. At some point the entire structure of governance becomes a system of workarounds with all real power devolved to the man on the ground. You, as a scientist, did you know about it? The Rise of Ceausescu Nicolae was a member of the communist youth movement. The prosecutor cites all academic titles she had always claimed to have. I will only speak in front of it. This year, the crowd begins to chant unscripted comments back at the dictator. quotes Israeli oppositionists as accusing Benjamin Netanyahu of loathing Barack Obama so intensely it has endangering the Jewish states security. Elena and Nicolae Ceauescu should be punished in a really legal trial. 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). I am a member and the chairwoman of the Academy of Sciences. I hope that you do not also work for the foreigners and for the destruction of Romania. CEAUSESCU: I will answer any question, but only at the Grand National Assembly, before the representatives of the working class. Then he is treated like a normal citizen. Usurpers have been punished severely during the past centuries in Romania's history. Not a single shot was fired in Palace Square. ELENA CEAUESCU: The terrorists are from Securitate. At the moment the situation is rather uncertain. In 1947, King Michael showed more dignity than you. Ford said of his resignation,I was no longer in a position where I felt I could defend the American policy. Sooner or later inability to credit yoga or videos produced in Los Angeles as actual factors becomes more and more widespread. Their son, Nicu, was shown on television under arrest. PROSECUTOR: Note - He does not recognize the points mentioned in the bill of indictment. The Times of Israel quotes Israeli oppositionists as accusing Benjamin Netanyahu of loathing Barack Obama so intensely it has endangering the Jewish states security. You need not admit your mistakes, mister. He also refuses to recognize the new forum. Not a single shot. Not a single shot. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Mr. President, I would like to know something: The accused should tell us who the mercenaries are. 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. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. Answer this question! You cannot talk to me in such a way! PROSECUTOR: Please, ask Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu whether they have ever had a mental illness. The prosecutor asks the counsel for the defense to ask Ceauescu whether he knows that he is no longer president of the country, that Elena Ceauescu has also lost all her official state functions and that the government has been dissolved. PROSECUTOR: Children cannot even buy plain candy, and you are living in the palaces of the people. But their triumph was marred by the first confused reports of fresh bloodshed in the early evening following heavy machine-gun fire in Bucharests Republic Square. The National Salvation Front is now our supreme body. CEAUSESCU: I will not say anything more. Last modified on Sun 29 Mar 2020 07.01 EDT President Nicolae Ceauescu was overthrown yesterday and became a fugitive in the country he has ruled for 24 years as remnants of his personal troops. The next he was a hunted man. Do you want to sign this statement? Finally, I would like to refer once more to the genocide, the numerous killings carried out during the past few days. PROSECUTOR: Who ordered shooting into the crowd?
Examples Of Taste Imagery In A Sound Of Thunder,
Oakworth Crematorium Funerals Today,
Articles C