George Georgiu-Deg First Secretary of the Central Committee of the RRP, Chairman of the State Council of Romania Date of Birth: 08.11.1901 Country: Romania

1. George Gheorgiu-Dej: A Romanian Statesman
2. Early Life and Political Career
3. Leadership and Dictatorship
4. Later Years and Legacy

George Gheorgiu-Dej: A Romanian Statesman

George Gheorgiu-Dej, born with the real surname Georgiu, was a Romanian statesman and political figure who led Romania from 1948 until his death in 1965. He was also known by his underground nickname, Dej. Gheorgiu-Dej was twice awarded the Hero of Socialist Labor of the Romanian People's Republic, in 1951 and 1961.

Early Life and Political Career

Gheorgiu-Dej began his involvement in the labor movement at the age of 18. In 1930, he joined the Romanian Communist Party (RCP) and became the secretary of the All-Romanian Central Committee of Railway Workers in 1932. In the summer of 1933, he was sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for his participation in organizing strikes among railway workers and oil workers.

During his imprisonment, Gheorgiu-Dej was co-opted into the RCP's Central Committee in absentia in 1935. He escaped from the Târgu Jiu concentration camp organized by the Communist Party in August 1944, as part of the preparations for an armed uprising against the regime of General Ion Antonescu.

Leadership and Dictatorship

After the liberation of Romania in August 1944, Gheorgiu-Dej played a leading role in the Communist Party's seizure of power with the support of Soviet troops. From 1944 to 1946, he served as the Minister of Transport and Communications. He was instrumental in the establishment of a one-party communist government in early 1945.

In October 1945, Gheorgiu-Dej was elected as the General Secretary of the RCP (and later became the First Secretary of the Central Committee from October 1955). He became the 1st Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 1948 to 1952, and then served as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 1952 to 1955.

Gheorgiu-Dej ruthlessly suppressed opposition within the country and established a regime of personal power in Romania. In the early 1950s, he forcibly relocated almost the entire Serbian and Croatian population to remote areas of the country. He led the implementation of forced collectivization, resulting in the arrest of over 80,000 individuals.

Later Years and Legacy

From March 1961, Gheorgiu-Dej served as the Chairman of the State Council of the Romanian People's Republic. In 1965, a town in Russia called Liski was renamed George Gheorgiu-Dej in his honor, but its historical name was restored in 1991.

George Gheorgiu-Dej's leadership was marked by his firm control over the country and his implementation of communist policies. Despite his controversial methods, he remains a significant figure in Romanian history.