Corneliu Zelea Codreanu

Corneliu Zelea Codreanu , born Corneliu Zelinski the September 13rd 1899 – November 30th 1938, was a nationalist Rumanian politician of extreme right-hand side, creator and charismatic leader of the Légion of the Archangel Michel (so known under the name of Garde of iron ( Garda of Trusting ), organization ultra-nationalist and strongly anti-semite of the Romania of between two wars.
Appelé Căpitanul ( The Captain ) by its followers, the references in general quote it like " Corneliu Codreanu" (even if " Zelea" is its official family name).

Biography

Youth

Corneliu Zelea Codreanu was born the September 13rd 1899, in modest but old family of the Rumanian area of Moldavie, more precisely of the country of Storojineţ, in the north of the Bucovine, from where its name of " Zelea" , which comes from the word za or zale (meshs). After the Great Union of Romania in 1918, Ion Zelea Codreanu, the father of Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, returns to the original, Rumanian alternative of its name, changed by the autoritées Austrian ones into " Zelinski". The maternal grandfather of Corneliu, Adolf Brunner was of Bavarian origin, and the name of his/her mother was Elisabeth (Eliza) Brunner.

Studies

It followed the courses of the elementary school to Iaşi and Huşi, and between the years 1912 - 1916 it was registered with the military college of the Dealu Monastery.

Admitted at the University of Iaşi in the Faculty of Law, he became president of the Company of the Students of Right, organization which he has dissolves to found in 1922 " The Association of the Chrétiens" Students;. He pointed out himself by his barricadage inside the institution, like forms protest against the decision of the leaders of the University to start the academic New Year's Day without the traditional religious mass.

Participation in the First World War

In 1916 it finishes its studies at the Military academy of Bacău, and is only 16 years old when Romania enters actively the First World War to with dimensions of the Entente the same year. Even if it did not have the minimum age necessary to incorporation, it succeeds in enlisting. Between 1917 and 1918 it followed the courses of the Military academy of Infantry of Botoşani. The last years in the army will help it has to develop a powerful spirit of the order, discipline and honor.

Beginnings in policy

After the war, in 1919, it returns to Iaşi and is a new enemy: the Communism. It is indeed pilot agitation Bolchévique in Moldavie and Russian Révolution in Russia, which left Romania alone against the Central Powers on the face of the east, and obliged it to accept humiliating it.

Even if after violent repressions of 1918 with Bucharest the presence Bolchévique grew blurred much in Romania in general, it did not weaken in Moldavie, in the cities and the campaigns. Codreanu has suvi the way of his/her father by developing a radical anti-semitism, but it associated it with its anticommunism, in a belief that the Juifs were (between-others) the architects of the Soviet Union.

G.C.N. and strikes of Iaşi

During its studies of Right to Iaşi it becomes close to A.C. Cuza., like his father. He becomes member of the Garde of the National Conscience ( Garda Conştiinţei Naţionale ) in 1919, moved by the character anticommunist of this organization.

The movement was rested by Constantin Pancu (electrician of profession) who wanted to revive the loyality in the Prolétariat, by offering an alternative to the Communisme.

As much from reactionaries groups of the time, this one accepted the tacit support of the general Alexandru Averescu and his powerful party, the Popular party ( Partidul Popular ), which Cuza will even join. However, the rise with the capacity of Averescu in 1920 will bring new disorders in the great urban areas.

In 1920 it takes share with the smothering of the communist revolt in the Atliers Nicolina, of the Rumanian Railroads (Căile Ferate Române or CFR). Then, having followed a few months of studies to Berlin and Iéna, it returns to the country to take share with the student's demonstrations by which the limitation of the number of places for the Jewish students was asserted, in connection with the population, in the Universities ( " numerus clausus" ).

The League of Christian National defense

It founds in 1923, with the university professor Alexandru C. Cuza, an organization called the League of Christian National defense ( Liga Apărării Naţional Creştine ). In 1924 it kills by ball in front of the court the Manciu prefect of police, but is discharged, the authority noting a case of self-defense.

Following the dissensions appeared within the framework of L.A.N.C. , it leaves the movement and founds, at the sides of Ion Mota, Corneliu Georgescu, Ilie Gârneaţă and Radu Mironovici, the Légion of the Archangel Michel .

During years which will follow will take seat various great demonstrations against the parliamentary Démocratie, Jews, the Communistes, but especially to support Christian-orthodoxe religious mysticism, the Nationalisme and the modes respectively Fasciste in Italy and Nazi in Germany. C.Z. Codreanu and its party wanted the introduction into Rumanian of a totalitarian mode right anti-semite of extrème, according to the model German national-Socialist. In its book For the Legionaries ( Pentru Legionari ), C.Z. Codreanu explains its vision of the democracy and presents its danger: the democracy destroys the unit of the Rumanian people, the exhibitor thus weakened in front of the plain block of the Jewish power. Like he says it itself, the Legion of the Michel Archangel will be more one school and a troop, an army rather than a simple political party. By its orders, the legionaries killed two first-ministers in function (Ion G. Duca and Armand Călinescu), a ex-first-minister (Nicolae Iorga) and several other ex-ministers (V. Madgearu, G. Marinescu, Iamandi, etc).

It will become for the first parliamentary time like deputy of the Judeţ de Neamţ, while obtaining in 1931, in accordance with the data of the time, 11 ' 300 votes. In 1932, it becomes for the second parliamentary time, this time like candidate of the district of Tutova, after a tight electoral fight which it gains with 5 ' 600 votes in his favor.

It founds the party Tout For the Country ( Totul Pentru Ţară ), the political expression of the Mouvement Legionary , chaired by engineer Gheorghe Clime.

The lawsuit and the assassination

According to a given answer Nicolae Iorga has ( in your spirit, you are bad ), which had shown the Movement Legionary, it is sent in authority for verbal attack against a dignitary in the performance of his duty. He is condemned to 6 months of detention.

In the month of May 1938 it is again amino in front of the court and condemned, this time at 10 years of forced labors.

In the night from November 29th to 30th 1938 it is assassinated, with other legionaries by order of the king Charles II of Romania, by the gendarmes who transported it to the Prison of Jilava.

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