ceausescu last speech transcript

At that very moment, many everyday Romanians saw the weakness of Ceauescu's regime for the first time. Despite this, I ask the court to make a decision which we will be able to justify later as well. PROSECUTOR: Let us now talk about the accounts in Switzerland, Mr. Ceauescu. You cannot talk to me in such a way! PROSECUTOR: In the same way he refused to hold a dialogue with the people, now he also refuses to speak with us. Not a single shot. 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. We have sufficient data on this period. ELENA CEAUESCU: The intelligentsia of the country will hear what you are accusing us of. But who gave the order to shoot? PROSECUTOR: Nicolae Ceauescu should tell us why he does not answer our questions. A lie, a lie in my face. ELENA CEAUSESCU: Such impudence! Why did you ruin the country so much: Why did you export everything? It is simply an accumulation of multitudes ignoring the official line bit by bit and thereby gradually placing themselves unwittingly in opposition to it. 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. Sections in italic type are from Austrian television comentary: PROSECUTOR: And who heads Securitate? What may happen of course, is that like a frog slowly being boiled in a pot, the process happens so slowly that people arent aware of it themselves. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will not answer. Powered by Omeka, Roy Rosenzweig Center for History & New Media. As hard as it may be to believe, there was a time when . One of the first acts of the new leadership was to place the security forces, the dreaded Securitate, under control of the army. The Idiot Vote: The Democrats Core Constituency And today you are acting in the same megalomaniac way. PROSECUTOR: The people are fighting against you, not against the new forum. Romanian demonstrators gathered in front of the headquarters of the Romanian Communist Party in Bucharest during the 1989 anti-communist revolution, 22 December 1989. "Video of Ceausescus Last Speech, December 1989," Making the History of 1989, Item #696, https://chnm.gmu.edu/1989/items/show/696 (accessed May 28 2021, 3:24 pm). Elena answers: The intellectuals of this country should hear you, you and your colleagues. This is a vulgar provocation. I am now talking to you as simple citizens, and I hope that you will tell the truth. For example, George Ciampa, an 89-year old D-Day veteran refused an invitation to meet with President Obama at the White House. They obstructed the normal process of the economy. KGB technicians and agents made one of the most brilliant moves and played a recording of whistles and protests through installed speakers in the square. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, no. The truth shall set you free, even if it makes you miserable. PROSECUTOR: You have never been able to hold a dialogue with the people. . has openly accused president Obama as unable to lead in world. ELENA CEAUSESCU: Accounts in Switzerland? In addition, the law forbids the IRS from using its normal enforcement tools to collect unpaid penalties. Furnish proof! This gang will be destroyed. The front rows of the assembly were made up of low-level Communist Party officials and members who acted as cheer-leaders. His 1936 mugshot at age 18 still haunts the internet. The War of the Words for $3.99, Understanding the crisis of the early 21st century in terms of information corruption in the financial, security and political spheres PROSECUTOR: In the same way he refused to hold a dialogue with the people, now he also refuses to speak with us. , Now career military personnel are speaking out through gritted teeth, insisting they speak for active-duty personnel who cannot talk without being punished. "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. I will not answer you putschists, Ceauescu says. ELENA CEAUESCU: How can one tell us something like this? The hardship exemption rules, for example, let anyone who experienced domestic violence avoid the mandate, without providing any documentation of abuse. The people only received 200 grams per day, against an identity card. Not a single shot. What happened? Fanatics, whom you are paying. Only a few hours before the Genius of the Carpathians had been in apparently complete command. 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. 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. 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. We are all equal. 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. I have so many issues with the presidents policies, including the most recent ones, he told me ruefully. 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. Therefore, it is a mistake for the two accused to refuse to cooperate with us. They cultivated the soil in line with your orders and had nothing to eat. He did not realize, however, that a real revolution was starting right before his eyes. Centralized Information as Hayek points out, eventually becomes the Official Lie. They have lost all respect for their commander in chief. However, why are your programs not implemented? The people were slaves. And today you are acting in the same megalomaniac way. All Rights Reserved. This demonstrates their lack of understanding. 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. 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. A flight into peril, flashbacks to underground action. I guaranteed that every village has its schools, hospitals and doctors. All their property will be impounded. I told you right at the beginning that I will not answer a single question. In the second stage their edicts become unenforceable from sheer impracticability. I will not answer any more. 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. When the crisis comes the Leader Maximus discovers to his absolute surprise that all support has vanished. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Is it possible that we are facing such charges? We will speak only at the National Assembly, because we have worked hard for the people all our lives. PROSECUTOR: By now, there have been 34 casualties. They were not really interested in the people. We are all equal. Another question . He was arrested and imprisoned multiple times. Why did you starve the people? I have nothing to do with them. This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. The Man at the Top increasingly pulls on disconnected controls, yet still imagines he is in charge. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize this court. 20072021 Roy Rosenzweig Center for History & New Media Richard is soon unhorsed on the field at the climax of the battle, and cries out, A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse! But wags through the ages have rewritten the lines perhaps less poetically, but more accurately as a hearse, a hearse, my kingdom for a hearse. That sad funereal vehicle is always drawn by teams of corrupt information. That is why the people are fighting all over the country. 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 data concerning both of them. The palaces belong to the people. Another question to Ceausescu: Who ordered the bloodbath in Timisoara. This shows how little patriotism there is, how many treasonable offenses were committed. But by then there was nowhere to hide. No one wanted to do anything for you anymore. I will not say anything here. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will answer any question, but only at the Grand National Assembly, before the representatives of the working class. 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. 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. The catastrophic situation of the country is known all over the world. However, why are your programs not implemented? They were given red flags, banners and large pictures of Ceauescu. He was a cosignatory of an open letter harshly critical of the Ceauescu region which appeared last march. PROSECUTOR: The Grand National Assembly has been dissolved. You are faced with charges that you held really sumptuous celebrations on all holidays at your house. Finally, I would like to refer once more to the genocide, the numerous killings carried out during the past few days. PROSECUTOR: In all district capitals, which you grandly called municipalities, there is shooting going on. The video- shown live on Romanian television-- shows his confusion and consternation and the barely audible comments. We have sacrificed all our lives to the people. PROSECUTOR: Note the following: the defendant refuses to sign this statement. The crimes against the people grew year by year. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide in Timisoara? Ceausescu and his wife were later captured, tried, and executed. I am a member and the chairwoman of the Academy of Sciences. The prosecutor says: The world already knows what has happened here. I ask the court, as the plaintiff, to take note that proof has been furnished for all these points, that the two have committed the offenses mentioned. Rebranding Christianity (The World of Information) NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will not answer this question. 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. Finally, I would like to refer once more to the genocide, the numerous killings carried out during the past few days. You should have stayed in Iran where you had flown to. I have observed that she is not even able to read correctly, but she calls herself an university graduate. Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality After many people began to exit the square, Ceauescu shouted over the public address system for them to "remain seated". 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. I would not call for the death sentence, but it would be incomprehensible for the Romanian people to have to go on suffering this great misery and not to have it ended by sentencing the two Ceauescus to death. He would be executed a few days later. As a result, the prosecutor says: Elena has always been talkative, but otherwise she does not know much. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Mr. President, I would like to know something: the accused should tell us who the mercenaries are. The charges are incorrect, and I will not answer a single question here. Within hours Ceauescu was beseiged inside the Central Committee building by irate crowds. Robert Ford, 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. The destruction of buildings and state institutions, undermining of the national economy, in accordance with Articles 165 and 145 of the penal code. PROSECUTOR: Children cannot even buy plain candy, and you are living in the palaces of the people. First their narratives become so infested with lies they go out of sync with their own administrators on the ground. Despite this, I ask the court to make a decision which we will be able to justify later as well. Some people will continue to believe the narrative, but even among the acolytes, the fatal smoke of doubt has entered the temple. Suntem in fata unui tribunal al poporului. PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Nicolae Ceauescu refuses to cooperate with the court-appointed counsel for the defense. At the moment the situation is rather uncertain. Why do the peasants then buy their bread in Bucharest? Fanatics, whom you are paying. The details are known. The process usually follows this path. 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. He still considers himself to be the country's president and the commander in chief of the army. I have no statement to make, and I will not sign one. Please make a note that here it has been stated that all legal regulations have been observed, that this is a legal trial. . You, as a scientist, did you know about it? PROSECUTOR: You claim to have taken measures so that every peasant is entitled to 200 kilograms of wheat. Why did you starve the people? The entire intelligentsia of the country ran away. The destruction of buildings and state institutions, undermining of the national economy, in accordance with Articles 165 and 145 of the penal code. Forget what the politicians on Capitol Hill are saying about the prisoner swap. PROSECUTOR: This situation is known. 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. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No one recognizes that. ALISON SMALE December 21, 1989. A horse or a hearse? The two defendants should also know that they are entitled to a counsel for defense, even if they reject this. PROSECUTOR: And who heads Securitate? By the morning of 22 December, the rebellion had already spread to all major cities across the country. This year, the crowd begins to chant unscripted comments back at the dictator. It must be cleared up whether Ceauescu wants to, should, must or can answer at all. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Mr. President, I would like to know something: The accused should tell us who the mercenaries are. Stanley double-crossed Richard at the crucial moment. Eight minutes into the speech, some in the crowd actually began to scream because there was a shooting that occurred in the background. Are they the people, or are you paying them? CEAUSESCU: I will not answer. This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content. This is where President Ceausescu gave his final speech in December 1989, before fleeing Bucharest. ELENA CEAUSESCU: What genocide? 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. In response, the two laugh, and she says: We do not stay abroad. Print. PROSECUTOR: So far, they have always claimed that we have built this country, we have paid our debts, but with this they bled the country to death and have hoarded enough money to ensure their escape. But we are not talking about people. You see, there is no use in talking to these people. He then tried to placate the crowd by offering to raise workers salaries He did not realize, however, that a real revolution was starting before his eyes. [2], 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 "wooden language." Thousands of workers were bused into the square under threat of being fired. Shakespeare dramatized the turnabout in his famous scene. The archive focuses largely on the period from 1965, when Romania was ruled over by the Ceausescus, until. This is a vulgar provocation. We want a legal trial. However, they will be indicted, and a sentence will be passed on the basis of the new legal system. They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity, and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people. A later article shows that Australia is moving toward. The next he was a hunted man. Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway You held monologues and the people had to applaud, like in the rituals of tribal people. You cannot talk to me in such a way! They not only killed children, young people and adults in Timisoara and Bucharest; they allowed Securitate members to wear military uniforms to create the impression among the people that the army is against them. 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 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. Here Nicolae Ceausescu steps in and defends her. The prosecutor cites all academic titles she had always claimed to have. The prosecutor agrees, but stresses that they lived in them while the people suffered. And we will not betray our people here. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize this court. 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! Answer this question! PROSECUTOR: We have wonderful programs. One moment Ceauescu was in total control of Romania, determined to crush his enemies. PROSECUTOR: Who gave the order to shoot in Bucharest, for instance? CEAUSESCU: Her scientific papers were published abroad! Tell the people that I will answer all their questions. CEAUSESCU: No one recognizes that. How to Debate Leftists and Destroy Them: 11 Rules for Winning the Argument. The Ceauescu administrations Prime Minister, Mr Constantin Dsclescu, and his government were said to have resigned. I only recognize the working class and the Grand National Assembly no one else. In the essay The Use of Knowledge in Society, Hayek argued that in complex systems the relevant facts are dispersed among many people. Their son, Nicu, was shown on television under arrest. This is a legal trial, and I honor them by defending them. The palaces belong to the people. The president of the United States is the commander in chief over all branches of the military. The story ofCeauescus final speech is a textbook example. 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. However, they will be indicted, and a sentence will be passed on the basis of the new legal system. This is not possible. His talks with Dubcek focused primarily on the events that had unfolded in Czechoslovakia over the last several months. Ceauescu was finally cornered in a small town, where he and his wife were subjected to a summary trial, taken out to the courtyard and shot. Therefore, it is a mistake for the two accused to refuse to cooperate with us. PROSECUTOR: That is to say, as a deputy prime minister you did not know about the genocide? ALISON SMALE December 21, 1989. They were even worse than the king, the former king of Romania. PROSECUTOR: Well, Mr. Ceauescu's final speech is a speech delivered by Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauescu on 21 December 1989. The Lion and the Unicorn: Gladstone vs. Disraeli He, Elena and four others managed to get to the roof and escaped by helicopter, only seconds ahead of a group of demonstrators who had followed them there.. The new committee declared its immediate aim was an end to the cult of personality which had developed around the Ceauescu family. It was one of the most pivotal moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989. I have no statement to make, and I will not sign one. Tax experts say the best it can do is withhold the penalty amount from any tax refund due. The two defendants should also know that they are entitled to a counsel for defense, even if they reject this. [1] The crowd, now totaling up to 80,000, were given orders on where to stand, when to applaud and what to sing. The court notes that the investigations have been concluded. A photo of a television screen of Nicolae Ceauescu delivering his last public speech from the balcony of the Romanian Communist Party headquarters, 21 December 1989. We want a legal trial. After an outage of transmission of Romanian television, the speaker announces the verdict in the trial of Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu is death sentence. 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 prosecutor wants to find out on which basis the trial can be continued. The prosecutor says: The world already knows what has happened here. PROSECUTOR: You claim to have taken measures so that every peasant is entitled to 200 kilograms of wheat. 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. COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENSE: Even though he like her committed insane acts, we want to defend them. PROSECUTOR: Why do you think that people are fighting today? Only a president who is still confirmed in his position can demand to speak at the Grand National Assembly. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, we had no palaces. CEAUSESCU: Is it possible that we are facing such charges? One of the most decisive moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was Ceausescus December 21st speech (or lack thereof). They are not only accused of offenses committed during the past few days, but of offenses committed during the past 25 years. 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. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this court. Why did you make the peasants starve? In response, the two laugh, and she says: We do not stay abroad. O voce: Un pahar cu apa! NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will not say anything more. At that moment Elena says to Nicolae: Forget about them. In 1947, King Michael showed more dignity than you. Sections in italic type are from Austrian television comentary: NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I only recognize the Grand National Assembly. 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. Centralized regimes may seem to collapse suddenly, yet in reality they have been coming apart for a long time. Mr Ceauescus overthrow followed a week of carnage in which thousands of men, women and children protesting against his regime were killed in cold blood, and probably tens of thousands wounded. This was a coup d'etat. This gang will be destroyed. The message was apparently sent on the understanding that Mr Ceauescu had been arrested. PROSECUTOR: We have always spoken of equality. Why do the peasants then buy their bread in Bucharest? No one was shot. PROSECUTOR: The people are fighting against you, not against the new forum. What should he ask us? The History: Last Speech, Trial and Execution Decades of brutal oppression under the Ceausescu regime came to a head in Timisoara, earlier that same December. The front rows of the assembly were made up of low-level Communist Party officials and members who acted as cheer-leaders. 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. Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu must be held fully responsible for this. It gave no further details. CEAUSESCU: She was not a deputy prime minister, but the first deputy prime minister. I will only speak at the Grand National Assembly. One announcer called it the heart of our nation. The prosecutor turns to Elena: You have always been wiser and more ready to talk, a scientist. . Here Nicolae Ceauescu steps in and defends her. Former President Donald Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, on March 4, 2023. Faithless Execution: Building the Political Case for Obamas Impeachment The prosecutor cites all academic titles she had always claimed to have. Sections in italic type are from the austrian television comentary: NICOLAE CEAUSESCU: I only recognize the Grand National Assembly. The administrations threats, so dire on paper, are toothless in practice because they actually cant afford to carry out the threat. 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 fought bitter last battles with regular soldiers and demonstrators in the streets of the Romanian capital. No one can deprive me of these functions. You have information about it. Elena and Nicolae reject this. You were so impertinent as to cut off oxygen lines in hospitals and to shoot people in their hospital beds. CEAUSESCU: I will not say anything more. PROSECUTOR: Why do you think that people are fighting today? ELENA CEAUSESCU: The terrorists are from Securitate. 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. I will not speak with you provocateurs anymore, and I will not speak with the organizers of the putsch and with the mercenaries. It must be cleared up whether Ceausescu wants to, should, must or can answer at all. It is a historic time, given that no military member goes public to speak negatively about the ultimate commander. Storm Over The South China Sea George thought about it for awhile and concluded he just couldnt. CEAUSESCU: I will answer any question, but only at the Grand National Assembly, before the representatives of the working class. "a chant that was soon picked up by others in the crowd. The workers were augmented by bystanders who were rounded up on Calea Victoriei. Diane Dimond writes in Real Clear Politicsabout the low level grumbling that risen to detectable levels since the Bergdahl affair. A caretaker government was announced within an hour of the dictators capture. PROSECUTOR: The terrorists are from Securitate? Ceauescu's final speech is a speech delivered by Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauescu on 21 December 1989. It is a lie that I made the people starve. You told us about it here. This is a legal trial, and I honor them by defending them. We will speak only at the National Assembly, because we have worked hard for the people all our lives. Now the counsel for the defense, who was appointed by the court, asks whether Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu know the aforementioned facts -- that he is no longer president, that she has lost all official functions. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, the people are fighting for freedom and against the new forum. Transcriptul "procesului" Nicolae si Elena Ceausescu.

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