The Revolution and Beyond
Dec. 15-25
1989
Two geographical locations
1. Urban – Timisoara
2. Rural – Olt Land
Day-by-Day History
of the Romanian Revolution 1989
Dec. 15
The revolution began
when Hungarian Calvinist
Reformed minister Father
Laszlo Tokes speaks out
publicly against Ceausescu
in the town of Timisoara.
Backed by thousands, the
riot police arrived to try and
remove Tokes and disperse
the crowd. A noisy, and at
times bloody, battle ensued
in the streets.
Ceausescu
(Chow-chess-kew)
Dec. 16
Relative calm, as the Securitate and the army were called in to restore
order.
The United States State Department reacts with, "It looks like
Romania's time may have finally come", although the majority of the world
still believed that Ceausescu will successfully maintain control.
Dec. 17
A huge crowd amassed
in Timisoara. The crowd
became aggressive and
marched on the
Communist Headquarters
at city hall.
The demonstration was
severely anti-government,
as portraits of Ceausesecu
were burned and thrown
from the building.
Ceausesecu ordered authorities in Timisoara to shoot all protesters,
then he left for Iran. These orders would be carried out more severely the
next day, in the mean time the army used tanks, tear gas and water cannons
against the crowd.
Dec. 18
The Executive Political
Committee in Bucharest ordered
the army to begin firing real
bullets into the demonstrators.
Civilian casualties ran
high in Timisoara and the dead
were collected by the army and
either thrown in mass graves or
burned.
Dec. 19
The resistance continued in western Romania, and the death count
rose. The United States condemned the Romanian government for the use of
"brutal force". It is believed that some of the army began to switch over to
the side of the demonstrators on this day, although that is unconfirmed.
Dec. 20
Negotiators from Bucharest were sent to Timisoara, but really only to
buy time so that new elite troops could arrive to "crush the rebellion". The
Securitate continued firing on demonstrators in the street.
Ceausescu arrived home from his visit to Iran and proclaimed martial
law. He also blamed the uprising on Hungarian Fascists.
Dec. 21
Ceausescu addresses a crowd in Bucharest in a televised speech.
Unexpectedly, the crowd became violent and tried to break police lines. A
violent clash ensued in which at least 13 youths were killed.
Protests began breaking out all over the capitol, and the police began
arresting these demonstrators. The crowds refused to disperse and the police
used gunfire and armored cars against the people.
Dec. 22
Even more demonstrators began to reassemble early in the morning. Huge
crowds were locked in a standoff with the army in the main square of
Bucharest. Reports of dissidence between
Ceausescu and his army caused the crowd to
start chanting: "The army is with us!" The
crowd offered the soldiers cigarettes and
flowers and the battle seemed to be shifting
to one between the army and Ceausescu's
security police.
In a last ditch effort, Ceausescu tried
to speak from a balcony, but was shouted
down. He and his wife fled the capital and
made plans to leave Romania.
Dec. 23
The fighting and brutality escalated in
the streets, as confusion reigned. Some of the
army had switched over to the side of the
people and continued to battle security forces.
Ceausesce and his wife were captured and
returned to Bucharest.
Ion Ilescu emerged as a leader of the National Salvation Front and
made a list of demands on the government. From the December revolution to
Feb. 1, 1990, the country was ruled by the 145-member National Salvation
Front.
In the early hours of the Romanian
Revolution on December 22, he was called upon to
lead the first post-communist body of state power:
the National Salvation Front Council.
On that day, he read on the national radio and
television the first declaration to the country
defining the targets of irreversible political and
social change in Romania: to scuttle the communist
totalitarian system, to remove the monopoly of oneparty rule and to establish democratic political
pluralism, to introduce the rule of law, to build a
civil society, to restore human dignity and respect of human rights, to
guarantee freedom of expression, association and assembly, to carry out
economic reform and transition to a market economy, to ensure a wide
opening of the country to the outside world. Starting December 22, 1989 he
was President of the National Salvation Front Council.
Dec. 24
The army continued to battle and gain on the
Securitate in Bucharest. The National Salvation
Front claimed control of the revolution and
established a provisional government.
Uncertainty and terror still prevailed in
the streets, although it is known that the
Ceausescus' were tried and shot in a very speedy
trial.
Dec. 25
The Ceausescu's bodies were exhibited on
TV, marking "the end" of these initial stages of
revolution.
Ceausescu was described as unapologetic
and refused to recognize the decision of the
courts. Despite this, fighting continued both in
the capitol and in Timisoara. It is unclear when
complete order was restored and even more
unclear when Romania was able to regroup after
these 11 days of revolution.
Olt Land
In Olt County there are 2 cities, 5 towns and 94 communities. These
municipalities contain 378 villages. The capital of the county is Slatina City.
*
The revolution took a less violent course in this area of Romania. Residents
first heard about the revolution from students attending school in Timisoara
and from the army units stationed in Olt that were sent to Timisoara to help
stop the riots.
Olt Land
On Dec. 21 the largest demonstration was held in Fagaras. The
meeting was originally intended to commemorate the dead from Timisoara,
but it turned out to be a religious and antistate demonstration with 2,000
people in attendance.
The protestors sang hymns and had a candlelight procession.
Olt Land
Another demonstration began on Dec. 22. The crowd assembled in
front of city hall and demanded an end to the Ceausescu state. After an hour
of speeches the crowd broke into the building, went upstairs and tore the
socialist state’s symbol from the center of the flag, threw out volumes of
Ceausescu’s speeches to the street and then proclaimed victory. An
Orthodox priest held mass from the balcony of the building and this was the
end of Ceausescu’s power in the Olt Land.
The revolution was quieter in the villages. They heard what was going
on either by radio or messages from family on Dec. 21st. Most spent their
time listening to the radio or watching television.
As with Romania as a whole, the revolution and its aftermath had
mixed results in the Olt Land. At first it improved people’s daily lives and
brightened their outlook. It even galvanized a few to be more active in
community decision making. Every aspect of life was affected by the
revolution from labor to identity to household strategy. Scrutiny of these
changes suggests that a politically open, economically productive civil
society will be difficult to craft.
Conclusion
Revolution Cemetery
Additional Information available at the internet Site: Ceausescu.org
Death stats
1104 people died in December 1989.
Before December 22nd 162 people died, 73 in Timisoara, 48 in Bucharest
and 41somewhere else in Romania.
3352 people were wounded.
Some of the first victims were sent to Bucharest and cremated.
The military had 260 dead, and 545 wounded.
The "Securitatea" 65 dead and 73 wounded.