Nicolae Ceauescu had been making speeches for over a couple of decades. There is still shooting going on, the prosecutor says. Ceauescu's final speech - Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core The Man at the Top increasingly pulls on disconnected controls, yet still imagines he is in charge. PROSECUTOR: Children cannot even buy plain candy, and you are living in the palaces of the people. Finally, I would like to refer once more to the genocide, the numerous killings carried out during the past few days. Ceauescu's speech of 21 August 1968 [English Subtitles] Transcrierea discursului lui Ceauescu: 01:08 Nicolae Ceauescu: Dragi tovari. Bucharest television said that they had left the country. Plenara Comitetului Central al Partidului, Consiliul de Stat, Guvernul, repr. PROSECUTOR: We now have another leading organ. CEAUSESCU: Nu recunosc nici un tribunal in afara de Marea Adunare Nationala. The defendant has not recognized us. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Nobody can change the state structures. . 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. And the next moment he was lying in the dust. I will only speak in front of it. By 6 pm, Romanian television was broadcasting live reports of victory rallies attended by thousands in Bucharest. PROSECUTOR: Note - He does not recognize the points mentioned in the bill of indictment. Storming the Castle at Amazon Kindle for $3.99, why government should get small You cannot talk to me in such a way! But by then there was nowhere to hide. PROSECUTOR: That is to say, as a deputy prime minister you did not know about the genocide? NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not answer, I will only answer questions before the Grand National Assembly. Forget the pontifications from the myriad talking heads on TV and radio. The charges are incorrect, and I will not answer a single question here. An important historical square located on Victoriei Street. Eight minutes into the speech, some in the crowd actually began to scream because there was a shooting that occurred in the background. The palaces belong to the people. It is surpassingly perilous not only for the country, but also for the ruler who relies on it. Former President Donald Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, on March 4, 2023. 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. Tell us! PROSECUTOR: Mr. Chairman, we find the two accused guilty of having committed criminal actions according to the following articles of the penal code: Articles 162, 163, 165 and 357. Storm Over The South China Sea 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. Lech Walesa has openly accused president Obama as unable to lead in world. Two: Armed attack on the people and the state power, in accordance with Article 163 of the penal code. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will not sign anything. The details are known. We are all equal. And today you are acting in the same megalomaniac way. How can one say something like this? 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. The Three Conjectures at Amazon Kindle for $1.99, reflections on terrorism and the nuclear age What prevents him from doing so? The archive focuses largely on the period from 1965, when Romania was ruled over by the Ceausescus, until. I guaranteed that every village has its schools, hospitals and doctors. As the other primary sources reveal, the Ceausescus were tried a few days later and executed as enemies of the new Romanian state. I will not answer anymore. Captive: My Time as a Prisoner of the Taliban PROSECUTOR: We now have another leading organ. All the world should know what is going on here. I do not recognize this court. Why did you starve the people? You were not used to talking to the people. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, the people are fighting for freedom and against the new forum. The Land of Green Plums, Mller, Herta 9780312429942 | eBay NICOLAE CEAUESCU: This is not possible at all. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Is it possible that we are facing such charges? ELENA CEAUESCU: How can one tell us something like this? I am the president of the people. PROSECUTOR: Who ordered shooting into the crowd? COUNSEL FOR THE DEFENSE: Even though he -- like her -- committed insane acts, we want to defend them. Shakespeare dramatized the turnabout in his famous scene. This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to ensure both success and the appearance of popular support. 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. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Mr. President, I would like to know something: the accused should tell us who the mercenaries are. We will speak only at the National Assembly, because we have worked hard for the people all our lives. No one wanted to do anything for you anymore. Then he is treated like a normal citizen. There is still shooting going on, the prosecutor says. Nobody has the right to abolish the Grand National Assembly. They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people. His country passed from traditional monarchy to troubled democracy to royal dictatorship to military control to occupied territory. All strategic points in the country were said to be under the control of the people. One of the most decisive moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was Ceausescus December 21st speech (or lack thereof). has openly accused president Obama as unable to lead in world. Why do the peasants then buy their bread in Bucharest? 20072021 Roy Rosenzweig Center for History & New Media The hardship exemption rules, for example, let anyone who experienced domestic violence avoid the mandate, without providing any documentation of abuse. This is a legal trial, and I honor them by defending them. Answer this question! You should have stayed in Iran where you had flown to. 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. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. This year, the crowd begins to chant unscripted comments back at the dictator. You held monologues and the people had to applaud, like in the rituals of tribal people. PROSECUTOR: Let us now talk about the accounts in Switzerland, Mr. Ceausescu. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will not answer. In the early evening, it was announced that a National Democracy Committee had been formed, made up of uncompromised military commanders, students and intellectuals. First their narratives become so infested with lies they go out of sync with their own administrators on the ground. These two defendants procured the most luxurious foodstuffs and clothes from abroad. You were so impertinent as to cut off oxygen lines in hospitals and to shoot people in their hospital beds. Romania's dictator Nicolae Ceausescu's final speech (executed 12/25) More Notable Events on December 21: 1997 Detroit Lions Barry Sanders is 3rd to run for 2,000 yards in a season 1991 U.S. actress Jane Fonda marries CNN-director Ted Turner 1989 Dan Quayle sends out 30,000 Xmas cards with word beacon spelled beakon It was one of the most pivotal moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989. In the essay The Use of Knowledge in Society, Hayek argued that in complex systems the relevant facts are dispersed among many people. He was arrested and imprisoned multiple times. The court notes that the investigations have been concluded. 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. After many people began to exit the square, Ceauescu shouted over the public address system for them to "remain seated". "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. Workers from a Bucharest power plant started chanting "Ti-mi-oa-ra! His security guard appears, disappears and, finally, hustles Ceausescu off the balcony. CEAUSESCU: Is it possible that we are facing such charges? Ti-mi-oa-ra! The video- shown live on Romanian television-- shows his confusion and consternation and the barely audible comments. We will speak only at the National Assembly, because we have worked hard for the people all our lives. The two defendants should also know that they are entitled to a counsel for defense, even if they reject this. They were even worse than the king, the former king of Romania. Thirty years on, will the guilty pay for horror of Ceauescu orphanages? They organized the putsch. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. Centralized regimes may seem to collapse suddenly, yet in reality they have been coming apart for a long time. 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. In response, the two laugh, and she says: We do not stay abroad. I will only speak at the Grand National Assembly. At the moment the situation is rather uncertain. His talks with Dubcek focused primarily on the events that had unfolded in Czechoslovakia over the last several months. A flight into peril, flashbacks to underground action. [1] The crowd, now totaling up to 80,000, were given orders on where to stand, when to applaud and what to sing. 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. Absolute Power: The Astonishing Personal Photos Of Nicolae Ceausescu It must be cleared up whether Ceausescu wants to, should, must or can answer at all. CEAUSESCU: No one recognizes that. You have destroyed the Romanian villages and the Romanian soil. 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. The day began as it ended with vehement anti-Ceauescu demonstrations. Sections in italic type are from the austrian television comentary: NICOLAE CEAUSESCU: I only recognize the Grand National Assembly. ELENA CEAUSESCU: Accounts in Switzerland? The prosecutor turns to Elena: You have always been wiser and more ready to talk, a scientist. 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. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide or did you, as a chemist, only deal with polymers? NICOLAE CEAUESCU: We had no account in Switzerland. 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. Two: Armed attack on the people and the state power, in accordance with Article 163 of the penal code. And I also do not recognize the counsel for the defense. They are cowards. The Execution Spot of Nicolae Ceausescu - Dark Tourists PROSECUTOR: You have never been able to hold a dialogue with the people. CEAUSESCU: I will not answer this question. Despite this, I ask the court to make a decision which we will be able to justify later as well. It doesnt happen as one big wave. In response, the two laugh, and she says: We do not stay abroad. Elena answers: The intellectuals of this country should hear you, you and your colleagues. PROSECUTOR: The Grand National Assembly has been dissolved. How to Debate Leftists and Destroy Them: 11 Rules for Winning the Argument. In the second stage their edicts become unenforceable from sheer impracticability. 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. 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. 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. The court notes that the investigations have been concluded. 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. What do you say as a citizen? Rebranding Christianity for $3.99, or why the truth shall make you free Have you understood them? In 1947, King Michael showed more dignity than you. 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. We are all equal. It is a lie that I made the people starve. CEAUSESCU: No, no. 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. We live in a normal apartment, just like every other citizen. His 1936 mugshot at age 18 still haunts the internet. I will only speak in front of it. Free shipping for many products! At that very moment, many everyday Romanians saw the weakness of Ceauescu's regime for the first time. I will not say anything here. PROSECUTOR: Who gave the order to shoot in Bucharest, for instance? 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. I do not recognize the court. A little noticed article in the Sydney Morning Herald notes that Australia will support Japans effort to repeal its pacifist constitution. This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. 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. No, no, he says. I only recognize the working class and the Grand National Assembly no one else. You need not admit your mistakes, mister. 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. PROSECUTOR: Yes, but you are paying the mercenaries. This was a coup d'etat. The bill of indictment contains the following points: Genocide, in accordance with Article 356 of the penal code. 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: The people only received 200 grams per day, against an identity card. His security guard appears, disappears and, finally, hustles Ceausescu off the balcony. You were the most important aide, the number two in the cabinet, in the government. No one was shot. You are faced with charges that you held really sumptuous celebrations on all holidays at your house. I have no statement to make, and I will not sign one. . Sections in italic type are from the austrian television comentary: . NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this court. 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`. No, no, he says. PROSECUTOR: Whether you have ever had a mental illness. PROSECUTOR: You have never been able to hold a dialogue with the people. Its just that he makes it so hard to do so.. You have destroyed the Romanian villages and the Romanian soil. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Mr. President, I would like to know something: The accused should tell us who the mercenaries are. Finally, I would like to refer once more to the genocide, the numerous killings carried out during the past few days. They are cowards. Ceauescu claims that the putsch was organized from abroad. He still considers himself to be the country's president and the commander in chief of the army. The great Ceauescu escape attempt came after it had become clear that most of the army had gone over to the people. You were the most important aide, the number two in the cabinet, in the government. ELENA CEAUESCU: The intelligentsia of the country will hear what you are accusing us of. PROSECUTOR: This would serve your defense. Dressed in a black Persian lamb hat with matching coat collar, Ceausesecu, 71, was . You cannot talk to me in such a way! CEAUSESCU: I will not say anything more. Machine guns splattered against a background of church bells ringing in triumph. Answer this question! 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. Ceauescu's speech of 21 August 1968 - Wikipedia The Soviet Parliament expressed its approval of the fall of President Ceauescu and sent to the Romanian people a special message of support proposed by President Gorbachev. And who brought them into the country? All Rights Reserved. , Now career military personnel are speaking out through gritted teeth, insisting they speak for active-duty personnel who cannot talk without being punished. Trial and execution of Nicolae and Elena Ceauescu - Wikipedia NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will answer any question, but only at the Grand National Assembly, before the representatives of the working class. As a result, the prosecutor says: Elena has always been talkative, but otherwise she does not know much. Sudden realizations are like a crash; its not the fact of deceleration that is fatal so much as the suddenness of it. This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. In the uprising by people against Ceausescu during this speech and in subsequent days 1,058 people lost there lives. The Ceauescu administrations Prime Minister, Mr Constantin Dsclescu, and his government were said to have resigned. The video- shown live on Romanian television-- shows his confusion and consternation and the barely audible comments. Only a few hours before the Genius of the Carpathians had been in apparently complete command. Ceausescu relates his recent meeting with Dubcek in Prague in August 1968. Tax experts say the best it can do is withhold the penalty amount from any tax refund due. Teams of doctors with emergency medical supplies were being flown in from Geneva last night. But we are not talking about people. Elena and Nicolae Ceauescu should be punished in a really legal trial. PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Nicolae Ceausescu refuses to cooperate with the court-appointed counsel for the defense. 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 live in a normal apartment, just like every other citizen. 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