Not a single shot was fired in Palace Square. PROSECUTOR: And who wrote the papers for you, Elena? 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. A caretaker government was announced within an hour of the dictators capture. The charges are incorrect, and I will not answer a single question here. They wanted to separate the people from the army. Ceausescu claims that the putsch was organized from abroad. The Securitate had hidden food reserves on which Bucharest could have survived for months, the whole of Bucharest. You were so impertinent as to cut off oxygen lines in hospitals and to shoot people in their hospital beds. Ceausescu's last speech was interrupted but not by the shouts of the masses. They carried out acts that are incompatible with human dignity and social thinking; they acted in a despotic and criminal way; they destroyed the people whose leaders they claimed to be. Who are these fanatics? Video of Ceausescu's Last Speech, December 1989 Ceauescu answers: As I said before, the people are fighting for their freedom and against this putsch, against this usurpation. 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: This is our home. Transcript of the trial of Nicolae and E. Ceausescu At the beginning, Ceauescu claimed that it is a provocation to be asked whether he was sick. Not a single shot. PROSECUTOR: You have never been able to hold a dialogue with the people. They will receive a link in their email and it will automatically give them access to a Kindle reader on their smartphone, computer or even as a web-readable document. This year, the crowd begins to chant unscripted comments back at the dictator. Elena and Nicolae Ceauescu should be punished in a really legal trial. ELENA CEAUSESCU: The terrorists are from Securitate. They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people. Elena and Nicolae reject this. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: We will discuss this before the Grand National Assembly. The Idiot Vote: The Democrats Core Constituency Now we are making a last attempt. Nicolae Ceausescu - Last Speech, Trial and Execution - YouTube Dressed in a black Persian lamb hat with matching coat collar, Ceausesecu, 71, was . They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity, and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people. The prosecutor quotes Ceauescu, Ceauescu's program. It should be stated once and for all that this military court is absolutely legal and that the former positions of the two Ceausescus are no longer valid. CEAUSESCU: I will not answer this question. Only the front rows supported Ceauescu with cheers and applause, with most of the crowd remaining impassive. 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. The counsel for the defense now takes the floor and instructs the Ceausescus once again that they have the right to defense and that they should accept this right. The prosecutor turns to Elena: You have always been wiser and more ready to talk, a scientist. PROSECUTOR: This is how you worked with the people and exercised your functions! Elena says: Look, and that they are calling genocide. This source is a part of the The Romanian Revolution of 1989 teaching module. They were even worse than the king, the former king of Romania. You told us about it here. In the early evening, it was announced that a National Democracy Committee had been formed, made up of uncompromised military commanders, students and intellectuals. "This is the final battle," he said. PROSECUTOR: Will you sign the statement now or not? The palaces belong to the people. I will only speak at the Grand National Assembly. Ceausescu relates his recent meeting with Dubcek in Prague in August 1968. 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. All their property will be impounded. 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. It gave no further details. They are shooting at children; they are shooting arbitrarily into the apartments. Ti-mi-oa-ra! We want a legal trial. Usurpers have been punished severely during the past centuries in Romania's history. 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. They are shooting at children; they are shooting arbitrarily into the apartments. PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Nicolae Ceausescu refuses to cooperate with the court-appointed counsel for the defense. His 1936 mugshot at age 18 still haunts the internet. I told you right at the beginning that I will not answer a single question. 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. This shows again how false the charges are. The prosecutor turns to Elena: You have always been wiser and more ready to talk, a scientist. He also refuses to recognize the new forum. Elena and Nicolae Ceauescu state: Well, you told us about it. PROSECUTOR: And who heads Securitate? The Lion and the Unicorn: Gladstone vs. Disraeli CEAUSESCU: I do not answer, I will only answer questions before the Grand National Assembly. Why did you ruin the country so much: Why did you export everything? Another question . Behind The Facade Of The Ceausescu Regime - Rferl.org Elena answers: The intellectuals of this country should hear you, you and your colleagues. The crowd, now totaling up to 80,000, were given orders on where to stand, when to applaud and what to sing. 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 Do you want to sign this statement? This was a coup d'etat. Later reports suggested the couple had been captured. All strategic points in the country were said to be under the control of the people. As a result, the prosecutor says: Elena has always been talkative, but otherwise she does not know much. The workers were augmented by bystanders who were rounded up on Calea Victoriei. 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. PROSECUTOR: In the same way he refused to hold a dialogue with the people, now he also refuses to speak with us. One of the first acts of the new leadership was to place the security forces, the dreaded Securitate, under control of the army. Rebranding Christianity for $3.99, or why the truth shall make you free Tell the people that I will answer all their questions. But those who shot at the young people were the security men, the terrorists. PROSECUTOR: Do you not know anything about the order to shoot? This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. PROSECUTOR: By now, there have been 34 casualties. The message was apparently sent on the understanding that Mr Ceauescu had been arrested. Who pays them? "Stenographic transcript of meeting of the Executive Committee of the Central Committee of the Romanian Communist Party," August 17, 1968, History . The prosecutor wants to find out on which basis the trial can be continued. 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. That is why the people are fighting all over the country. In the uprising by people against Ceausescu during this speech and in subsequent days 1,058 people lost there lives. Free elections would be held as soon as possible, and independent media would be established. Romanian demonstrators gathered in front of the headquarters of the Romanian Communist Party in Bucharest during the 1989 anti-communist revolution, 22 December 1989. 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. His security guard appears, disappears and, finally, hustles Ceausescu off the balcony. Elena and Nicolae Ceausescu should be punished in a really legal trial. . Transcript of the trial of Nicolae and E. Ceausescu 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. 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. 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. 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. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize you. He answers: I am the president of Romania, and I am the commander in chief of the Romanian army. 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. ELENA CEAUESCU: What genocide? You are guilty of these offenses even if you do not want to admit it. The video- shown live on Romanian television-- shows his confusion and consternation and the barely audible comments. Storm Over The South China Sea What happened? Rebranding Christianity (The World of Information) a silent falling away among American allies. 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. Two: Armed attack on the people and the state power, in accordance with Article 163 of the penal code. You are faced with charges that you held really sumptuous celebrations on all holidays at your house. It is as if, in that moment, everyday Romanian's saw the possibility, saw the reality of the weakness of Ceausescus regime. 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. The crimes against the people grew year by year. has openly accused president Obama as unable to lead in world. What happened was that he was misled by Centralized Information. Getting a shut-off notice from a utility is also sufficient to claim a hardship exemption. CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize this court. ELENA CEAUESCU: The terrorists are from Securitate. Historical place Mark's spot where Ceausescu had his last speech Centralized regimes may seem to collapse suddenly, yet in reality they have been coming apart for a long time. By the morning of 22 December, the rebellion had already spread to all major cities across the country. One in four of the population is believed to have a member. ELENA CEAUSESCU: The intelligentsia of the country will hear what you are accusing us of. I ask the chairman of the prosecutor's office to read the bill of indictment. The Times of Israel quotes Israeli oppositionists as accusing Benjamin Netanyahu of loathing Barack Obama so intensely it has endangering the Jewish states security. This shows how little patriotism there is, how many treasonable offenses were committed. This page was last modified on 10 April 2016, at 21:40. Despite this, I ask the court to make a decision which we will be able to justify later as well. 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. Why did you make the peasants starve? In 1947, King Michael showed more dignity than you. The bill of indictment contains the following points: Genocide, in accordance with Article 356 of the penal code. At the beginning, Ceausescu claimed that it is a provocation to be asked whether he was sick. And I also do not recognize the counsel for the defense. You need not admit your mistakes, mister. Nicolae Ceauescu had been making speeches for over a couple of decades. The destruction of buildings and state institutions, undermining of the national economy, in accordance with Articles 165 and 145 of the penal code. Nicolae Ceauescu (Romanian pronunciation: [nikola.e tea.uesku]; 26 January 1918 -- 25 December 1989) was a Romanian Communist politician. Her husband, Nicolae. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. Because of this indictment, I call for the death sentence and the impounding of the entire property of the two accused. The Balcony from Which the Romanian Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu But by then there was nowhere to hide. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide in Timisoara? All the world should know what is going on here. 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. In the wake of growing tension over an uprising in Timioara in which thousands were reportedly killed, Ceauescu decided to give a nationally televised speech before a crowd in Palace Square (now known as Revolution Square) in Bucharest. At that moment Elena says to Nicolae: Forget about them. No one can ask Bergdahl, since he is now reported as being unable to speak to anyone including his family. Video of Ceausescu's Last Speech, December 1989 | Making the History of Tip Jar or Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the Belmont Club. 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. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this court. I just couldnt convince myself to do it., He is not alone. Despite this, I ask the court to make a decision which we will be able to justify later as well. Shakespeare dramatized the turnabout in his famous scene. 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. No truth, no survival. PROSECUTOR: Please, make a note: Nicolae Ceauescu refuses to cooperate with the court-appointed counsel for the defense. CEAUSESCU: Is it possible that we are facing such charges? He still considers himself to be the country's president and the commander in chief of the army. One of the most decisive moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was Ceausescus December 21st speech (or lack thereof). And the next moment he was lying in the dust. They obstructed the normal process of the economy. Nobody has the right to abolish the Grand National Assembly. I have no statement to make, and I will not sign one. The charges are incorrect, and I will not answer a single question here. 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`. Ceausescu answers: As I said before, the people are fighting for their freedom and against this putsch, against this usurpation. I will only speak in front of it. Usurpers have been punished severely during the past centuries in Romania's history. You are faced with charges that you held really sumptuous celebrations on all holidays at your house. One of the most decisive moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 was Ceausescus December 21st speech (or lack thereof). I will not speak with you provocateurs anymore, and I will not speak with the organizers of the putsch and with the mercenaries. George thought about it for awhile and concluded he just couldnt. 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. His security guard appears, disappears and, finally, hustles Ceausescu off the balcony. A voice in the studio said that the army was wholly on the side of the people. ELENA CEAUSESCU: I will not answer. First their narratives become so infested with lies they go out of sync with their own administrators on the ground. Ceauescu's final speech is a speech delivered by Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauescu on 21 December 1989. Sections in italic type are from Austrian television comentary: They were not really interested in the people. Tell us! 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. No Way In at Amazon Kindle $8.95, print $9.99. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: She was not a deputy prime minister, but the first deputy prime minister. I told you right at the beginning that I will not answer a single question. What do you think? I have no statement to make, and I will not sign one. Have you understood them? We are all equal. Why did you ruin the country so much: Why did you export everything? CEAUSESCU: I will not say anything more. CEAUSESCU: She was not a deputy prime minister, but the first deputy prime minister. Thousands of workers were bussed into the square under threat of being fired. A tyrant stops knowing the difference. Why did you make the peasants starve? "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). I am now talking to you as simple citizens, and I hope that you will tell the truth. In the second stage their edicts become unenforceable from sheer impracticability. 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. 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). PROSECUTOR: This would serve your defense. [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." 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. Ceausescu begins his address to the people as he had in years past but this year the tide turned. The Securitate had hidden food reserves on which Bucharest could have survived for months, the whole of Bucharest. "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. However, why are your programs not implemented? You see, there is no use in talking to these people. Here Nicolae Ceauescu steps in and defends her. , 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. For example, there isa silent falling away among American allies. Ceausescu refused to answer. Thousands of workers were bused into the square under threat of being fired. The National Salvation Front is now our supreme body. No one wanted to do anything for you anymore. Ceausescu sprinkles snow on his wife's head during yet another hunting trip in 1976. In 1947, King Michael showed more dignity than you. Fanatics, whom you are paying. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I repeat: I am the president of Romania and the commander in chief of the Romanian army. Ceauescu refused to answer. They were only busy enslaving the people and building up an apparatus of power. 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. Ceausescu begins his address to the people as he had in years past but this year the tide turned. Elena and Nicolae Ceasescu state: Well, you told us about it. PROSECUTOR: Let us now talk about the accounts in Switzerland, Mr. Ceauescu. It was one of the most pivotal moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989. Elena Ceauescu's last moments were as pathetic as one could imagine. If you had had a mental illness and admitted this, you would not be responsible for your acts. The archive focuses largely on the period from 1965, when Romania was ruled over by the Ceausescus, until. PROSECUTOR: So you know the new forum. I have so many issues with the presidents policies, including the most recent ones, he told me ruefully. The court notes that the investigations have been concluded. CEAUSESCU: Her scientific papers were published abroad! I will only speak at the Grand National Assembly. CEAUSESCU: Nu recunosc nici un tribunal in afara de Marea Adunare Nationala. But we are not talking about people. No one can deprive me of these functions. 600K views 3 years ago Nicolae Ceauescu (Romanian pronunciation: [nikola.e ta.uesku]; 26 January 1918 25 December 1989) was a Romanian politician who was the Secretary General of the Romanian. I only recognize the working class and the Grand National Assembly no one else. PROSECUTOR: You have never been able to hold a dialogue with the people. One day Obama may wake up and find the alliances just gone. No one was shot. PROSECUTOR: The Grand National Assembly has been dissolved. [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. What defamation, what provocations! Military base Tirgoviste - December 25th 1989. PROSECUTOR: Yes, but you are paying the mercenaries. Then follows the reading of the indictment. Grandiose plans are announced, pivots are ordered, Red Lines are drawn, all manner of schemes are announced with a maximum of hoopla but everybody ignores it they know the latest fad will pass and the regime will Move On. Soon afterwards, Bucharest television reported that Mr Ceauescu and his wife were no longer in the country. 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. It is as if, in that moment, everyday Romanian's saw the possibility, saw the reality of the weakness of Ceausescus regime. ALISON SMALE December 21, 1989. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will not say anything more. The entire intelligentsia of the country ran away. One announcer called it the heart of our nation. PROSECUTOR: You claim to have taken measures so that every peasant is entitled to 200 kilograms of wheat. 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. PROSECUTOR: In all district capitals, which you grandly called municipalities, there is shooting going on. PROSECUTOR: By now, there have been 34 casualties. 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. He answers: I am the president of Romania, and I am the commander in chief of the Romanian army. Ceauescu's speech of 21 August 1968 [English Subtitles] Transcrierea discursului lui Ceauescu: 01:08 Nicolae Ceauescu: Dragi tovari.