After many people began to exit the square, Ceauescu shouted over the public address system for them to "remain seated". 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`. Now we are making a last attempt. These two defendants have robbed the people, and not even today do they want to talk. PROSECUTOR: Nicolae Ceauescu should tell us why he does not answer our questions. Only a president who is still confirmed in his position can demand to speak at the Grand National Assembly. No one wanted to do anything for you anymore. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: What? But we are not talking about people. But rebellion begins involuntarily, at the Hayekian level. Ceausescu's last speech was interrupted but not by the shouts of the masses. Ceausescu begins his address to the people as he had in years past but this year the tide turned. PROSECUTOR: Who ordered shooting into the crowd? NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, no. It must be cleared up whether Ceausescu wants to, should, must or can answer at all. [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." I will only speak in front of it. Fanatics, whom you are paying. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I will not answer. As the crowd becomes more unruly, Ceausescu becomes more confused and he begins arguing with the unseen hecklers. What should he ask us? CEAUSESCU: I will not say anything more. He did not realize, however, that a real revolution was starting right before his eyes. After an outage of transmission of Romanian television, the speaker announces the verdict in the trial of Elena and Nicolae Ceauescu is death sentence. For example, George Ciampa, an 89-year old D-Day veteran refused an invitation to meet with President Obama at the White House. PROSECUTOR: Who gave the order to shoot in Bucharest, for instance? 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. Storm Over The South China Sea The destruction of buildings and state institutions, undermining of the national economy, in accordance with Articles 165 and 145 of the penal code. This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to ensure both success and the appearance of popular support. I guaranteed that every village has its schools, hospitals and doctors. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide in Timisoara? He answers: I am the president of Romania, and I am the commander in chief of the Romanian army. The details are known. 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 produce which the peasants grew was exported, and the peasants came from the most remote provinces to Bucharest and to the other cities in order to buy bread. 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 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. The Lion and the Unicorn: Gladstone vs. Disraeli CEAUSESCU: No, we will not sign. No one can ask Bergdahl, since he is now reported as being unable to speak to anyone including his family. 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. The Securitate had hidden food reserves on which Bucharest could have survived for months, the whole of Bucharest. George thought about it for awhile and concluded he just couldnt. 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 shows how little patriotism there is, how many treasonable offenses were committed. I just couldnt convince myself to do it., He is not alone. This page was last modified on 10 April 2016, at 21:40. ALISON SMALE December 21, 1989. Paper is patient. You cannot talk to me in such a way! And who brought them into the country? 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. has openly accused president Obama as unable to lead in world. You, as a scientist, did you know about it? Please make a note that here it has been stated that all legal regulations have been observed, that this is a legal trial. No one was shot. Nobody has the right to abolish the Grand National Assembly. PROSECUTOR: But not of our army, you are not the commander in chief of our army. 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 palaces belong to the people. Yet there is a big difference between grousing, which is endemic to the military, and actual rebellion. Ceausescu begins his address to the people as he had in years past but this year the tide turned. 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. Bucharest television said that they had left the country. I guaranteed that every village has its schools, hospitals and doctors. 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. PROSECUTOR: Yes, but you are paying the mercenaries. All the world should know what is going on here. 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. Only the front rows supported Ceauescu with cheers and applause, with most of the crowd remaining impassive. This is not possible. Ceauescu's final speech is a speech delivered by Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauescu on 21 December 1989. PROSECUTOR: Do you not know anything about the order to shoot? Now you know what members of our U.S. military are thinking and saying. PROSECUTOR: The people are fighting against you, not against the new forum. CEAUSESCU: Nobody can change the state structures. 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. They not only deprived the people of heating, electricity and foodstuffs, they also tyrannized the soul of the Romanian people. PROSECUTOR: Did you know about the genocide in Timisoara? I have nothing to do with them. First their narratives become so infested with lies they go out of sync with their own administrators on the ground. ELENA CEAUESCU: What genocide? This shows again how false the charges are. CEAUSESCU: Is it possible that we are facing such charges? This is where President Ceausescu gave his final speech in December 1989, before fleeing Bucharest. It was one of the most pivotal moments in the Romanian Revolution of 1989. Thousands of workers were bused into the square under threat of being fired. They wanted to separate the people from the army. I hope that you do not also work for the foreigners and for the destruction of Romania. How to Debate Leftists and Destroy Them: 11 Rules for Winning the Argument. 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. If he no longer has a certain function, he cannot demand anything at all. Elena and Nicolae reject this. You were not used to talking to the people. . Why do the peasants then buy their bread in Bucharest? I do not recognize this court. Another question to Ceausescu: Who ordered the bloodbath in Timisoara. This speech was an annual event and carefully scripted by the regime to insure both success and the appearance of popular support. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. His talks with Dubcek focused primarily on the events that had unfolded in Czechoslovakia over the last several months. And we will not betray our people here. A little noticed article in the, notes that Australia will support Japans effort to repeal its pacifist constitution. I will not say anything here. PROSECUTOR: And who wrote the papers for you, Elena? Because of this indictment, I call for the death sentence and the impounding of the entire property of the two accused. Not a single shot was fired in Palace Square. PROSECUTOR: But not of our army, you are not the commander in chief of our army. Stanley double-crossed Richard at the crucial moment. At that moment Elena says to Nicolae: Forget about them. Why do the peasants then buy their bread in Bucharest? 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. 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. PROSECUTOR: The people are fighting against you, not against the new forum. 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. I will only speak in front of it. Elena keeps whispering to him. Its bulletins provide a dramatic account of the most important day in Romanias history since the Communist takeover in 1948. Usurpers have been punished severely during the past centuries in Romania's history. Here Nicolae Ceauescu steps in and defends her. The Man at the Top increasingly pulls on disconnected controls, yet still imagines he is in charge. PROSECUTOR: By now, there have been 34 casualties. You need not admit your mistakes, mister. Therefore, it is a mistake for the two accused to refuse to cooperate with us. Any actual attempts to fine 30 million Americans would end in a political disaster. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: Nobody can change the state structures. ELENA CEAUESCU: I will not answer. There is still shooting going on, the prosecutor says. 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. The prosecutor agrees, but stresses that they lived in them while the people suffered. In 1947, King Michael showed more dignity than you. The two defendants should also know that they are entitled to a counsel for defense, even if they reject this. Elena says: Look, and that they are calling genocide. You told us about it here. Ceausescu relates his recent meeting with Dubcek in Prague in August 1968. There is still shooting going on, the prosecutor says. The video- shown live on Romanian television-- shows his confusion and consternation and the barely audible comments. Diane Dimond writes in Real Clear Politicsabout the low level grumbling that risen to detectable levels since the Bergdahl affair. If he no longer has a certain function, he cannot demand anything at all. Another question to Ceauescu: Who ordered the bloodbath in Timisoara. However, why are your programs not implemented? NICOLAE CEAUESCU: She was not a deputy prime minister, but the first deputy prime minister. The crimes against the people grew year by year. 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. It is surpassingly perilous not only for the country, but also for the ruler who relies on it. ELENA CEAUSESCU: I will not answer. Their son, Nicu, was shown on television under arrest. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: No, the people are fighting for freedom and against the new forum. You are guilty of these offenses even if you do not want to admit it. When the crisis comes the Leader Maximus discovers to his absolute surprise that all support has vanished. Bundled in drab winter clothing, she was shoved around by armed guards inside a cold, empty building. However, they will be indicted, and a sentence will be passed on the basis of the new legal system. Two: Armed attack on the people and the state power, in accordance with Article 163 of the penal code. Because of this indictment, I call for the death sentence and the impounding of the entire property of the two accused. Judecator Gica POPA. How can one say something like this? 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. All strategic points in the country were said to be under the control of the people. It is as if, in that moment, everyday Romanian's saw the possibility, saw the reality of the weakness of Ceausescus regime. They are not only accused of offenses committed during the past few days, but of offenses committed during the past 25 years. You cannot talk to me in such a way! Another question . They were not really interested in the people. At the beginning, Ceausescu claimed that it is a provocation to be asked whether he was sick. What do you think? CEAUSESCU: I do not recognize you. 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. What about the accounts? The next he was a hunted man. Therefore, it is a mistake for the two accused to refuse to cooperate with us. They wanted to separate the people from the army. The day began as it ended with vehement anti-Ceauescu demonstrations. And I also do not recognize the counsel for the defense. This gang will be destroyed. 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. 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 source is a part of the The Romanian Revolution of 1989 teaching module. PROSECUTOR: The terrorists are from Securitate? Making use of Marxist-Leninist rhetoric, he delivered a litany of the achievements of the "socialist revolution" and Romanian "multi-laterally developed . They were given red flags, banners and large pictures of Ceauescu. No one can dissolve the National Assembly. This is not possible. ELENA CEAUESCU: The terrorists are from Securitate. ALISON SMALE December 21, 1989. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I do not recognize this new forum. No one can dissolve the National Assembly. The prosecutor says: The world already knows what has happened here. PROSECUTOR: This is how you worked with the people and exercised your functions! We must not allow the slightest impression of illegality to emerge. One moment Ceauescu was in total control of Romania, determined to crush his enemies. ELENA CEAUESCU: We will not sign any statement. 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: [1] The crowd, now totaling up to 80,000, were given orders on where to stand, when to applaud and what to sing. 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. The Rise of Ceausescu Nicolae was a member of the communist youth movement. You are guilty of these offenses even if you do not want to admit it. It is as if, in that moment, everyday Romanian's saw the possibility, saw the reality of the weakness of Ceausescus regime. The Securitate had hidden food reserves on which Bucharest could have survived for months, the whole of Bucharest. 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. NICOLAE CEAUESCU: I repeat: I am the president of Romania and the commander in chief of the Romanian army. You held monologues and the people had to applaud, like in the rituals of tribal people. No, no, he says. The prosecutor turns to Elena: You have always been wiser and more ready to talk, a scientist. . We want a legal trial. 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. Recent items of interest by Belmont readers based on Amazon click-throughs. 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. The new committee declared its immediate aim was an end to the cult of personality which had developed around the Ceauescu family. For example, there isa silent falling away among American allies. ELENA CEAUSESCU: Such impudence! You told us about it here. Only a president who is still confirmed in his position can demand to speak at the Grand National Assembly. They are not only accused of offenses committed during the past few days, but of offenses committed during the past 25 years. Furnish proof! The entire intelligentsia of the country ran away. ELENA CEAUSESCU: How can one tell us something like this? The bill of indictment contains the following points: Genocide, in accordance with Article 356 of the penal code. . CEAUSESCU: Nu recunosc nici un tribunal in afara de Marea Adunare Nationala. 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. Workers from a Bucharest power plant started chanting "Ti-mi-oa-ra! Elena and Nicolae reject this. Free shipping for many products! 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 Ceausescu - Last Speech, Trial and Execution - History Channel (ENG subtitled) ac agencija 258 subscribers Subscribe 743 Save 111K views 3 years ago Notice Age-restricted video (based. Centralized Information as Hayek points out, eventually becomes the Official Lie. The people only received 200 grams per day, against an identity card. Ceauescus hated son, Nicu, a one-time candidate to follow his father as the countrys leader, was said to have been arrested in the city of Sibiu as he was trying to take hostages. Richard III of England rode into Bosworth Field relying on his ally Baron Stanely to come to his aid. Now we finally saw your villa on television, the golden plates from which you ate, the foodstuffs that you had imported, the luxurious celebrations, pictures from your luxurious celebrations. 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. I told you right at the beginning that I will not answer a single question. The next he was a hunted man. They were not really interested in the people. Since the old government has been dissolved and Ceauescu has lost his functions, he no longer has the right to be treated as the president. No one was shot. 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. CEAUSESCU: I do not answer, I will only answer questions before the Grand National Assembly. The workers were augmented by bystanders who were rounded up on Calea Victoriei. Everybody should be paid according to his performance. 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. Machine guns splattered against a background of church bells ringing in triumph. Within hours Ceauescu was beseiged inside the Central Committee building by irate crowds. CEAUSESCU: I will not answer. 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. No one can deprive me of these functions. I have so many issues with the presidents policies, including the most recent ones, he told me ruefully. Ceausescu claims that the putsch was organized from abroad. Fuelled by the events taking place in Berlin (the wall had come down just a few weeks before) and the ripple impact of the weakening Iron Curtain, Romanians had taken to the streets in . Do you want to sign this statement? But we are not talking about people. The English translation is by the U.S. government's Foreign Broadcast Information Service. He was arrested and imprisoned multiple times. I will only speak at the Grand National Assembly. What prevents him from doing so? Ceauescu's speech of 21 August 1968 [English Subtitles] Transcrierea discursului lui Ceauescu: 01:08 Nicolae Ceauescu: Dragi tovari. Why did you starve the people? Who are these fanatics? Last modified on Sun 29 Mar 2020 07.01 EDT 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.