CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2008
| Author | Chiriac, Bogdan |
|---|---|
| Title | THE 'RETRIAL' OF MARSHAL ION ANTONESCU IN POST-COMMUNIST ROMANIAN HISTORIOGRAPHY |
| Summary | The purpose of this study is to examine the remarkable turnabout in the interpretation of Ion Antonescu and his authoritarian regime in Post-Communist Romanian historiography. Specifically, I intend to analyze how the present-day apologists of Ion Antonescu reopened the discussions over the trial of the major war criminals (May 1946) with the purpose of uncovering its alleged procedural errors and ‘politicization’. The real motivation behind these efforts was to shift attention away from the real content of the charges that were brought against Ion Antonescu and cast the former ruler in the role of a ‘victim’ of the Communist takeover that was ‘undeservedly’ put on trial and ‘unjustly’ sentenced to death. I argue that these attempts to lessen the magnitude of Ion Antonescu’s crimes are part of a wider rehabilitation trend that aims to transform the wartime ruler into a patriot and anti-Communist of almost mythical proportions. |
| Supervisor | Iordachi, Constantin; Stewart, Michael |
| Department | Nationalism Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2008/chiriac_bogdan.pdf |
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