It must be cleared up whether Ceauescu wants to, should, must or can answer at all. PROSECUTOR: In all district capitals, which you grandly called municipalities, there is shooting going on. Ceausescu sprinkles snow on his wife's head during yet another hunting trip in 1976. The two defendants should also know that they are entitled to a counsel for defense, even if they reject this. In 1947, we assumed power, but under completely different circumstances. PROSECUTOR: We now have another leading organ. I have so many issues with the presidents policies, including the most recent ones, he told me ruefully. Then he is treated like a normal citizen. PROSECUTOR: Who ordered shooting into the crowd? This is our home. 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. Workers from a Bucharest power plant started chanting "Ti-mi-oa-ra! One in four of the population is believed to have a member. Military base Trgovite - December 25th 1989. The crowd, now totaling up to 80,000, were given orders on where to stand, when to applaud and what to sing. This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to ensure both success and the appearance of popular support. Her husband, Nicolae. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will not sign anything. No one can deprive me of these functions. The prosecutor wants to find out on which basis the trial can be continued. Getting a shut-off notice from a utility is also sufficient to claim a hardship exemption. You were not used to talking to the people. All strategic points in the country were said to be under the control of the people. Nobody has opened an account. 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. We live in a normal apartment, just like every other citizen. The court notes that the investigations have been concluded. In the essay The Use of Knowledge in Society, Hayek argued that in complex systems the relevant facts are dispersed among many people. Have you understood them? 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. The collapse of the narrative doesnt happen in a single big step, but through an accumulation of small, personal, often innocuous refusals. ELENA CEAUSESCU: Incredible. You are guilty of these offenses even if you do not want to admit it. CEAUSESCU: No, we had no palaces. CEAUSESCU: You as officers should know that the government cannot give the order to shoot. PROSECUTOR: But not of our army, you are not the commander in chief of our army. Answer this question! We are all equal. PROSECUTOR: Who gave the order to shoot in Bucharest, for instance? 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. Elena says: Look, and that they are calling genocide. Description One of the most decisive moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was Ceausescu's December 21st speech (or lack thereof). Immediately before them were plainclothes Securitate agents and a row of police militia, who kept the mass of the crowd about thirty meters back from the front of the Central Committee building. 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. All their property will be impounded. ELENA CEAUESCU: How can one tell us something like this? From the archive, 23 December 1989: Celebration as a nation emerges from the dark, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Fanatics, whom you are paying. 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. ELENA CEAUSESCU: The terrorists are from Securitate. At the beginning, Ceauescu claimed that it is a provocation to be asked whether he was sick. [3], From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, The former headquarters of the Central Committee of the, File:Ceausescu Final Speech - Former Central Committee Building - Bucharest - Romania.jpg, Video of Ceausescus Last Speech, December 1989, Nicolae Ceauescu LAST SPEECH (english subtitles) 1/2, https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Ceauescu%27s_final_speech&oldid=714636674, Articles with Romanian-language external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, About Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core. CEAUSESCU: We will discuss this before the Grand National Assembly. Elena and Nicolae Ceauescu state: Well, you told us about it. He did not realize, however, that a real revolution was starting right before his eyes. 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. 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. I do not recognize this court. It is as if, in that moment, everyday Romanian's saw the possibility, saw the reality of the weakness of Ceausescus regime. Tell us! PROSECUTOR: Yes, but you are paying the mercenaries. It is a historic time, given that no military member goes public to speak negatively about the ultimate commander. I hope that you do not also work for the foreigners and for the destruction of Romania. I ask the chairman of the prosecutor's office to read the bill of indictment. In 1947, King Michael showed more dignity than you. Stanley double-crossed Richard at the crucial moment. ALISON SMALE December 21, 1989. I now ask the court to pass a verdict on the basis of the law, because everybody must receive due punishment for the offenses he has committed. The streets and squares of Bucharest were littered with torn portraits and shattered busts of the President and his wife. And today you are acting in the same megalomaniac way. The next he was a hunted man. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. 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. Nicolae Ceausescu - Last Speech, Trial and Execution - History Channel (ENG subtitled) ac agencija 258 subscribers Subscribe 743 Save 111K views 3 years ago Notice Age-restricted video (based. He refused to undergo a psychiatric examination. The National Salvation Front is now our supreme body. Ceauescu appeared on the balcony of the Central Committee building and began as he had in years past, with a speech laden with the usual Marxist-Leninist wooden language. However, he had badly misread the crowds mood. The great Ceauescu escape attempt came after it had become clear that most of the army had gone over to the people. Decembrie 25 1989 - Garnizoana Tirgoviste. CEAUSESCU: I will answer any question, but only at the Grand National Assembly, before the representatives of the working class. . 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. Military base Tirgoviste - December 25th 1989. His security guard appears, disappears and, finally, hustles Ceausescu off the balcony. I am the president of the people. CEAUSESCU: I will not answer. "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. The defendant has not recognized us. What about the accounts? PROSECUTOR: Will you sign the statement now or not? At that moment Elena says to Nicolae: Forget about them. The video- shown live on Romanian television-- shows his confusion and consternation and the barely audible comments. The following is a transscript of the closed trial of Romanian Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, as shown on Romanian and Austrian television. The truth shall set you free, even if it makes you miserable. O voce: Un pahar cu apa! Elena keeps whispering to him. This is our home. 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. His 1936 mugshot at age 18 still haunts the internet. I have observed that she is not even able to read correctly, but she calls herself an university graduate. This demonstrates their lack of understanding. 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. One of the most decisive moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was Ceausescus December 21st speech (or lack thereof). Centralized Information as Hayek points out, eventually becomes the Official Lie. Thirty years on, will the guilty pay for horror of Ceauescu orphanages? Eight minutes into the speech, some in the crowd actually began to scream because there was a shooting that occurred in the background. CHIEF PROSECUTOR: Esteemed chairman of the court, today we have to pass a verdict on the defendants Nicolae Ceauescu and Elena Ceauescu who have committed the following offenses: crimes against the people. In addition, the law forbids the IRS from using its normal enforcement tools to collect unpaid penalties. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this court. ELENA CEAUSESCU: How can one tell us something like this? Elena and Nicolae Ceasescu state: Well, you told us about it. Sections in italic type are from Austrian television comentary: NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I only recognize the Grand National Assembly. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Mr. President, I would like to know something: the accused should tell us who the mercenaries are. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this new forum. I do not recognize the court. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, we will not sign. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide in Timisoara? CEAUSESCU: I repeat: I am the president of Romania and the commander in chief of the Romanian army. No one wanted to do anything for you anymore. 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. I will not answer any question. Because of this indictment, I call for the death sentence and the impounding of the entire property of the two accused. One of the fundamental defenses of a democracy is the truth. Defendant, if you had no accounts in Switzerland, will you sign a statement confirming that the money that may be in Switzerland should be transferred to the Romanian state, the State Bank. COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENSE: Even though he like her committed insane acts, we want to defend them. Ceauescu's speech of 21 August 1968 [English Subtitles] Transcrierea discursului lui Ceauescu: 01:08 Nicolae Ceauescu: Dragi tovari. has openly accused president Obama as unable to lead in world. 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. This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. Another question . VIENNA, Austria (AP) _ For the first time that anybody could remember, Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu was interrupted at a public speech by boos and jeers that began a huge demonstration against him in Bucharest Thursday. 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. Only a president who is still confirmed in his position can demand to speak at the Grand National Assembly. Since the old government has been dissolved and Ceauescu has lost his functions, he no longer has the right to be treated as the president. It is as if, in that moment, everyday Romanian's saw the possibility, saw the reality of the weakness of Ceausescus regime. Why did you ruin the country so much: Why did you export everything? Yet there is a big difference between grousing, which is endemic to the military, and actual rebellion. No Way In at Amazon Kindle $8.95, print $9.99. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. Nicolae Ceauescu had been making speeches for over a couple of decades. Ceausescu answers: As I said before, the people are fighting for their freedom and against this putsch, against this usurpation. I am talking to you as simple citizens at the least, as simple citizens, and I tell you: I am the president of Romania. Its bulletins provide a dramatic account of the most important day in Romanias history since the Communist takeover in 1948. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize you. They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity, and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people. PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Ceauescu does not recognize the new legal structures of power of the country. Diane Dimond writes in Real Clear Politicsabout the low level grumbling that risen to detectable levels since the Bergdahl affair. One of the first acts of the new leadership was to place the security forces, the dreaded Securitate, under control of the army. PROSECUTOR: So you know the new forum. PROSECUTOR: The people are fighting against you, not against the new forum. What happened? Two: Armed attack on the people and the state power, in accordance with Article 163 of the penal code. Only a president who is still confirmed in his position can demand to speak at the Grand National Assembly. Free shipping for many products! Bundled in drab winter clothing, she was shoved around by armed guards inside a cold, empty building. These two defendants have robbed the people, and not even today do they want to talk. And you might perhaps have achieved the understanding of the Romanian people if you had now admitted your guilt. They were even worse than the king, the former king of Romania. I will only speak at the Grand National Assembly. In the footage, Romanian president Nicolae Ceausescu can be seen delivering a speech from the balcony of the Central Committee building overlooking Palace Square, now know as "Revolution Square," where he praised the achievements of Romania's socialist regime and its "multi-laterally developed socialist society." From Wikipedia: PROSECUTOR: That is to say, as a deputy prime minister you did not know about the genocide? I will not answer any more. He had been falling for a long time, and proved the last to know. You were so impertinent as to cut off oxygen lines in hospitals and to shoot people in their hospital beds. However, they will be indicted, and a sentence will be passed on the basis of the new legal system. And you might perhaps have achieved the understanding of the Romanian people if you had now admitted your guilt. About PROSECUTOR: Do you not know anything about the order to shoot? 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. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: What? I will only speak at the Grand National Assembly. Machine guns splattered against a background of church bells ringing in triumph. You have destroyed the Romanian villages and the Romanian soil. PROSECUTOR: That is to say, as a deputy prime minister you did not know about the genocide? 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. These two defendants have robbed the people, and not even today do they want to talk. CEAUSESCU: 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. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: We will discuss this before the Grand National Assembly. The details are known. ELENA CEAUSESCU: I will not answer. PROSECUTOR: Note the following: the defendant refuses to sign this statement. , the former US ambassador to Syria, has effectively accused the Obama administration of abandoning genuinely pro-American rebels in Syria thereby allowing the ascendance of al-Qaeda. This shows again how false the charges are. 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. It gave no further details. CEAUSESCU: Nu recunosc nici un tribunal in afara de Marea Adunare Nationala. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: You as officers should know that the government cannot give the order to shoot. Ceauescu's final speech is a speech delivered by Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauescu on 21 December 1989. And who brought them into the country? And today you are acting in the same megalomaniac way. You told us about it here. Two: Armed attack on the people and the state power, in accordance with Article 163 of the penal code. They are shooting at children; they are shooting arbitrarily into the apartments. I have no statement to make, and I will not sign one. The following is a transscript of the closed trial of Romanian Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, as shown on Romanian and Austrian television. 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. Nicolae Ceauescu (Romanian pronunciation: [nikola.e ta.uesku]; 26 January 1918 25 December 1989) was a Romanian politician who was the Secretary Gener. No one can dissolve the National Assembly. 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. What should he ask us? Fanatics, whom you are paying. His talks with Dubcek focused primarily on the events that had unfolded in Czechoslovakia over the last several months. 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! This year, the crowd begins to chant unscripted comments back at the dictator. A little noticed article in the, notes that Australia will support Japans effort to repeal its pacifist constitution. In 1947, King Michael showed more dignity than you. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize you. 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. What do you think? The front rows of the assembly were made up of low-level Communist Party officials and members who acted as cheer-leaders. Ceausescu begins his address to the people as he had in years past but this year the tide turned. PROSECUTOR: You have never been able to hold a dialogue with the people. But we are not talking about people. They are not only accused of offenses committed during the past few days, but of offenses committed during the past 25 years. The new committee declared its immediate aim was an end to the cult of personality which had developed around the Ceauescu family. Mystery surrounded the whereabouts of the former President and his wife, Elena, last night.

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