PROSECUTOR: Why do you think that people are fighting today? What happened? I told you right at the beginning that I will not answer a single question. What should he ask us? Despite this, I ask the court to make a decision which we will be able to justify later as well. CEAUSESCU: No, no. 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. 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. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize this court. Making use of Marxist-Leninist rhetoric, he delivered a litany of the achievements of the "socialist revolution" and Romanian "multi-laterally developed . It is as if, in that moment, everyday Romanian's saw the possibility, saw the reality of the weakness of Ceausescus regime. Transcript of the trial of Nicolae and E. Ceausescu . The prosecutor quotes Ceauescu, Ceauescu's program. The two defendants should also know that they are entitled to a counsel for defense, even if they reject this. PROSECUTOR: Esteemed Mr. Chairman, I have been one of those who, as a lawyer, would have liked to oppose the death sentence, because it is inhuman. When the crisis comes the Leader Maximus discovers to his absolute surprise that all support has vanished. And you might perhaps have achieved the understanding of the Romanian people if you had now admitted your guilt. PROSECUTOR: By now, there have been 34 casualties. Rebranding Christianity (The World of Information) Romanian demonstrators gathered in front of the headquarters of the Romanian Communist Party in Bucharest during the 1989 anti-communist revolution, 22 December 1989. He was Secre. There is still shooting going on, the prosecutor says. Another question . PROSECUTOR: We have wonderful programs. 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. Ceausescu answers: As I said before, the people are fighting for their freedom and against this putsch, against this usurpation. 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.. Military base Trgovite - December 25th 1989. Ceauescu's speech of 21 August 1968 - Wikipedia ELENA CEAUESCU: How can one tell us something like this? I have nothing to do with them. Richard III of England rode into Bosworth Field relying on his ally Baron Stanely to come to his aid. If he no longer has a certain function, he cannot demand anything at all. CEAUSESCU: No, the people are fighting for freedom and against the new forum. At that moment Elena says to Nicolae: Forget about them. Therefore, it is a mistake for the two accused to refuse to cooperate with us. Getting a shut-off notice from a utility is also sufficient to claim a hardship exemption. The two defendants should also know that they are entitled to a counsel for defense, even if they reject this. 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. As hard as it may be to believe, there was a time when . PROSECUTOR: And who heads Securitate? He also refuses to recognize the new forum. I told you right at the beginning that I will not answer a single question. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. At the moment the situation is rather uncertain. The defendant has not recognized us. CEAUSESCU: No, we will not sign. PROSECUTOR: Nicolae Ceauescu should tell us why he does not answer our questions. Why do the peasants then buy their bread in Bucharest? 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. 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. Ceausescu begins his address to the people as he had in years past but this year the tide turned. Then follows the reading of the indictment. Who pays them? Thousands of workers were bussed into the square under threat of being fired. Fanatics, whom you are paying. PROSECUTOR: Nicolae Ceausescu should tell us why he does not answer our questions. I will not speak with you provocateurs anymore, and I will not speak with the organizers of the putsch and with the mercenaries. Forget the pontifications from the myriad talking heads on TV and radio. We live in a normal apartment, just like every other citizen. 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. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will not say anything more. PROSECUTOR: But not of our army, you are not the commander in chief of our army. You have destroyed the Romanian villages and the Romanian soil. Everybody should be paid according to his performance. I hope that you do not also work for the foreigners and for the destruction of Romania. ALISON SMALE December 21, 1989. You should have stayed in Iran where you had flown to. 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. It is a historic time, given that no military member goes public to speak negatively about the ultimate commander. In the essay The Use of Knowledge in Society, Hayek argued that in complex systems the relevant facts are dispersed among many people. PROSECUTOR: Who ordered shooting into the crowd? 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 court notes that the investigations have been concluded. And today you are acting in the same megalomaniac way. The prosecutor cites all academic titles she had always claimed to have. Ceaucescu's Last Speech | half note This demonstrates their lack of understanding. Within hours Ceauescu was beseiged inside the Central Committee building by irate crowds. PROSECUTOR: You claim to have taken measures so that every peasant is entitled to 200 kilograms of wheat. CEAUSESCU: You as officers should know that the government cannot give the order to shoot. I will not answer any more. He still considers himself to be the country's president and the commander in chief of the army. They obstructed the normal process of the economy. CEAUSESCU: I will not answer this question. The crimes against the people grew year by year. Elena answers: The intellectuals of this country should hear you, you and your colleagues. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not answer, I will only answer questions before the Grand National Assembly. Just a genteel, inoffensive refusal from an old gent. It can go on for a long time shedding parts, but eventually the axle falls out. Only a president who is still confirmed in his position can demand to speak at the Grand National Assembly. Nobody has opened an account. PROSECUTOR: Will you sign the statement now or not? What do you think? ELENA CEAUESCU: The terrorists are from Securitate. One announcer called it the heart of our nation. 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. What defamation, what provocations! NICOLAE CEAUESCU: We will discuss this before the Grand National Assembly. The prosecutor quotes Ceausescu, Ceausescu's program. 105). NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this court. 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). What defamation, what provocations! 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Here Nicolae Ceausescu steps in and defends her. 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. 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. As a simple citizen, I tell you the following: For the first time I guaranteed that every peasant received 200 kilograms of wheat per person, not per family, and that he is entitled to more. Ti-mi-oa-ra!a chant that was soon picked up by others in the crowd. You were not used to talking to the people. Only the front rows supported Ceauescu with cheers and applause, with most of the crowd remaining impassive. That is why the people are fighting all over the country. The people were slaves. You told us about it here. Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu must be held fully responsible for this. Fiction. PROSECUTOR: So you know the new forum. He did not realize, however, that a real revolution was starting right before his eyes. The workers were augmented by bystanders who were rounded up on Calea Victoriei. PROSECUTOR: Did you hear the charges? Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway This year, the crowd begins to chant unscripted comments back at the dictator. 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. ELENA CEAUESCU: Accounts in Switzerland? CEAUSESCU: This is not possible at all. The National Salvation Front is now our supreme body. Do you want to sign this statement? The prosecutor wants to find out on which basis the trial can be continued. Hayek and Ceauescu's Last Speech - PJ Media Finally, I would like to refer once more to the genocide, the numerous killings carried out during the past few days. PROSECUTOR: The terrorists are from Securitate? Trial and execution of Nicolae and Elena Ceauescu - Wikipedia ELENA CEAUSESCU: We will not sign any statement. You cannot talk to me in such a way! It was one of the most pivotal moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989. This is a legal trial, and I honor them by defending them. Elena says: Look, and that they are calling genocide. 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. Since the old government has been dissolved and Ceausescu has lost his functions, he no longer has the right to be treated as the president. This page was last modified on 10 April 2016, at 21:40. If he no longer has a certain function, he cannot demand anything at all. 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. I will not answer any question. For example, George Ciampa, an 89-year old D-Day veteran refused an invitation to meet with President Obama at the White House. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. Who pays them? They were not really interested in the people. For example,the administration recently issued a new list of prisoners to be released from Guantanamo, citing theirpractice of yogaas proof they had reformed. They are shooting at children; they are shooting arbitrarily into the apartments. They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity, and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people. Then he is treated like a normal citizen. One of the most decisive moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was Ceausescus December 21st speech (or lack thereof). Nobody has the right to abolish the Grand National Assembly. Yet there is a big difference between grousing, which is endemic to the military, and actual rebellion. Sections in italic type are from Austrian television comentary: What about the accounts? Please make a note that here it has been stated that all legal regulations have been observed, that this is a legal trial. 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. The front rows of the assembly were made up of low-level Communist Party officials and members who acted as cheer-leaders. Free elections would be held as soon as possible, and independent media would be established. "a chant that was soon picked up by others in the crowd. What prevents him from doing so? No, no, he says. The Securitate had hidden food reserves on which Bucharest could have survived for months, the whole of Bucharest. The president of the United States is the commander in chief over all branches of the military. Why did you starve the people? Ceausescu and his wife were later captured, tried, and executed. Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu should be punished in a really legal trial. Tens of thousands of people gathered in the early hours in front of the Intercontinental Hotel in Bucharest, undeterred by armoured vehicles. 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. Eight minutes into the speech, some in the crowd actually began to scream because there was a shooting that occurred in the background. And I also do not recognize the counsel for the defense. 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 will not answer any question. PROSECUTOR: This situation is known. . A lie, a lie in my face. 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. This shows how little patriotism there is, how many treasonable offenses were committed. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, the people are fighting for freedom and against the new forum. Historical place Mark's spot where Ceausescu had his last speech The day began as it ended with vehement anti-Ceauescu demonstrations. How can one say something like this? PROSECUTOR: This would serve your defense. These two defendants have robbed the people, and not even today do they want to talk. I am now talking to you as simple citizens, and I hope that you will tell the truth. I only recognize the working class and the Grand National Assembly no one else. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide in Timisoara? The charges are incorrect, and I will not answer a single question here. George thought about it for awhile and concluded he just couldnt. This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. I will only speak in front of it. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, we had no palaces. Later reports suggested the couple had been captured. This is where President Ceausescu gave his final speech in December 1989, before fleeing Bucharest. 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. Some people will continue to believe the narrative, but even among the acolytes, the fatal smoke of doubt has entered the temple. Sooner or later an administration neuters itself from sheer implausibility. The people were slaves. However, why are your programs not implemented? You were so impertinent as to cut off oxygen lines in hospitals and to shoot people in their hospital beds. The prosecutor cites all academic titles she had always claimed to have. You need not admit your mistakes, mister. Immediately before them were plainclothes Securitate agents and a row of police militia, who kept the mass of the crowd about thirty yards back from the front of the Central Committee building. 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 details are known. 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. If you had had a mental illness and admitted this, you would not be responsible for your acts. 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. And we will not betray our people here. However, they will be indicted, and a sentence will be passed on the basis of the new legal system. Judecator Gica POPA. They wanted to separate the people from the army. They were even worse than the king, the former king of Romania. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. 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! As the crowd becomes more unruly, Ceausescu becomes more confused and he begins arguing with the unseen hecklers. PROSECUTOR: Whether you have ever had a mental illness. Ceausescu relates his recent meeting with Dubcek in Prague in August 1968. Bucharests Broadcasting House was the main source of information yesterday for Romanians about the countrys liberation and the means by which politicians, military officers and dissidents tried to influence the situation. PROSECUTOR: In the same way he refused to hold a dialogue with the people, now he also refuses to speak with us. We will speak only at the National Assembly, because we have worked hard for the people all our lives. Now we are making a last attempt. 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. Only a president who is still confirmed in his position can demand to speak at the Grand National Assembly. CEAUSESCU: I will answer any question, but only at the Grand National Assembly, before the representatives of the working class. A later article shows that Australia is moving toward purchasing Japanese submarines to replace its existing fleet. They were only busy enslaving the people and building up an apparatus of power. Unprecedented Interruption of Ceausescu's Speech With AM - AP NEWS Thirty years on, will the guilty pay for horror of Ceauescu orphanages? For example, there isa silent falling away among American allies. No one was shot. COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENSE: Even though he -- like her -- committed insane acts, we want to defend them. The Rise of Ceausescu Nicolae was a member of the communist youth movement. CEAUSESCU: Nu recunosc nici un tribunal in afara de Marea Adunare Nationala. a silent falling away among American allies. Transcript of the closed trial of Nicolae and Elena Ceauescu, https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Transcript_of_the_closed_trial_of_Nicolae_and_Elena_Ceauescu&oldid=6470911, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide or did you, as a chemist, only deal with polymers? . The National Salvation Front is now our supreme body. They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people. It is simply an accumulation of multitudes ignoring the official line bit by bit and thereby gradually placing themselves unwittingly in opposition to it. Quantum: Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality I have nothing to do with them. We want a legal trial. At some point the entire structure of governance becomes a system of workarounds with all real power devolved to the man on the ground. 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. 20072021 Roy Rosenzweig Center for History & New Media PROSECUTOR: Well, Mr. The Land of Green Plums, Mller, Herta 9780312429942 | eBay 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. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide in Timisoara? The administrations threats, so dire on paper, are toothless in practice because they actually cant afford to carry out the threat. TheWashington Timesreports that a top intelligence official is accusing the Obama admininistration of funding a terror network for the next ten years, alleging the administration paid a cash ransom to redeem Bowe Bergdahl. . Wilson Center Digital Archive 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. This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize you. 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 also refuses to recognize the new forum. In 1947, we assumed power, but under completely different circumstances. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Is it possible that we are facing such charges? PROSECUTOR: This is how you worked with the people and exercised your functions! The collapse of the narrative doesnt happen in a single big step, but through an accumulation of small, personal, often innocuous refusals. Forget what the politicians on Capitol Hill are saying about the prisoner swap. "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. Ceauescu refused to answer. CEAUSESCU: No one recognizes that. I will not answer you putschists, Ceausescu says. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Mr. President, I would like to know something: the accused should tell us who the mercenaries are. They were not really interested in the people. But we are not talking about people. His 1936 mugshot at age 18 still haunts the internet. PROSECUTOR: Do you not know anything about the order to shoot? Did you know that you can purchase some of these books and pamphlets by Richard Fernandez and share them with you friends? This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support.
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