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Antonescu was born into a bourgeois family with some military tradition. He attended military schools in Craiova and Iasi, and graduated the Cavalry School as top of class in 1904, then, in 19111911 is a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). Events January-June January 1 Northern Territory is separated from South Australia January 3 In London, a shootout between Russian anarchists and the Scots Guard January 10 Major Jimmi, the military academy.
As lieutenant, Antonescu took part in the repression of the 1907Events January events January 6 Maria Montessori opens her first school and daycare center for working class children in Rome Casa dei Bambini in San Lorenzo). January 14 An earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica kills more than a 1,000 January 23 Charles Curtis peasants' revolt in and around the city of GalatiGalati is a city in eastern Romania, on the banks of the Danube. It has a population of appr. 300,000, making it Romania's 7th largest city. The city has a large iron and steel plant, and the country's largest shipyard. Galati has a university (The Dunare. In 1913, he participated in the Second Balkan War against BulgariaThe Republic of Bulgaria is a republic in the southeast of Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the east, Greece and Turkey to the south, Serbia and Montenegro and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Romania to the north along the river Danube., winning Romania's highest military decoration. During Romania's involvement in World War IWorld War I (also known as the First World War , the Great War the War of the Nations and the "War to End All Wars") was a world conflict occurring from 1914 to 1918. No previous conflict had mobilized so many soldiers, or involved so many in the field of ( 19161916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) Events January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. Impressionist Monet paints Water Lilies'. January 8 Allied forces withdraw from- 1918Events January January 8 President Woodrow Wilson announces his " Fourteen Points" for the aftermath of World War I. February February 3 The Twin Peaks Tunnel begins service in San Francisco as the longest streetcar tunnel in the world (11,920 feet long).), Antonescu acted as chief-of-staff for Marshal Constantin Prezan . In this position, he was the architect of the Romanian army's successful defense against the attempted invasion of Moldavia by German troops headed by Field Marshal Mackensen, in the second half of 1917 (the rest of Romania had already been occupied by the Germans in late 1916).
Antonescu had the reputation of a very skilled and practical military commander. His ruthlessness gained him the name Câinele rosu (the red dog).
(...more about the 1918-1940 period...)
General Antonescu was appointed Prime minister by King Carol II in September 1940, after Romania was forced to surrender Bessarabia and northern Bucovina to the USSR ( June 28, 1940), and the northern half of Transylvania to Hungary ( August 30, 1940). Only two days after his appointment, he forced King Carol to abdicate. Carol's son, Mihai, became the new King. Antonescu named himself Conducator (Leader) and assumed dictatorial powers, relegating the King to a merely decorative role.
Facing the prospect of war on three fronts -- Germany at the west, the Soviet Union at the east, and Bulgaria at the south --, Antonescu sought an alliance with Nazi Germany, hoping to at least gain back the territories lost to the Soviets. This partnership was equally interesting to the Germans, because of Romania's important oil reserves.
Antonescu approached the Fascist, anti-Semitic Iron Guard party and offered them seats in the Government ( September 15, 1940). Antonescu desired to bring the Iron Guard under his direct control, because their paramilitary activities were undermining the authority of the state. The ensuing period was known as the 'National Legionary State' ('Statul national-legionar'). Eventually, after their demands for extended powers were repeatedly turned down by Antonescu, the Iron Guard rebelled ( January 21, 1941). Antonescu quickly crushed the rebellion (with the consent of Germany, whose economic interests demanded stability in Romania), outlawed the Iron Guard and had their top leaders imprisoned or expelled from the country.
Romanian troops joined the German Wehrmacht in their attack against the Soviet Union (June 1941) and reoccupied lost territories as well as the city of Odessa. In this city, Antonescu ordered one of the most brutal massacres in history, the Odessa Massacre. Even after the recapturing of Bessarabia and northern Bucovina, Antonescu took the Romanian army deeper into Soviet territory. This decision was met with disapproval both by Romanian politicians and by the Allied powers. After the Romanians suffered huge losses in the Battle of Stalingrad, Antonescu's popularity declined sharply.
In the summer of 1944, as the Soviets were pushing the Germans closer and closer to Romania's eastern borders, Antonescu refused to change his stance and request an armistice (presumably because of his sharp sense of honour, but also because of his lack of political skills). Thus, on August 23, 1944, King Michael, supported by Romania's top political parties, dismissed him and put him under arrest.
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