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the throne. Extreme right-wing parties opposed to a democratic regime emerged, notably
the anti-Semitic League of the National Christian Defence, which consequently gave birth
to the Legion of the Archangel Michael in 1927. This notorious breakaway faction, better
known as the fascist Iron Guard, was led by Corneliu Codreanu, and by 1935 it dominated
the political scene.
Finding himself unable to manipulate the
political parties, Carol II declared a royal dic-
tatorship in February 1938. All political parties
were dissolved and laws were passed to halve
the size of the electorate. Between 1939 and
1940 alone, Romania had no fewer than nine
different governments. In 1939 Carol II
clamped down on the Iron Guard, which he had supported until 1937. Codreanu and 13
other legionaries were arrested, sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment and then assassin-
ated. In revenge for their leader's death, Iron Guard members murdered Carol II's prime
minister, Armand Călinescu, leading to the butchering of 252 Iron Guard members by
Carol II's forces. In accordance with the king's wishes, the corpses were strung up in pub-
lic squares. Only with the collapse of the Axis powers at the end of WWII did the Iron
Guard disintegrate (in 1999 Codreanu's nephew, Nicador Zelea Codreanu, tried unsuc-
cessfully to revive the reviled group).
On 8 January 1923, George Enescu makes his
American debut as a conductor at Carnegie Hall in
New York City.
Romania was isolated after the fall of France
in May 1940, and in June 1940 Greater Ro-
mania collapsed in accordance with the Mo-
lotov- Ribbentrop Pact. The USSR re-occu-
pied Bessarabia. On 30 August 1940 Romania
was forced to cede northern Transylvania to
Hungary by order of Nazi Germany and fascist
Italy. In September 1940 Southern Dobrogea was given to Bulgaria. Not surprisingly, the
loss of territories sparked widespread popular demonstrations. Even Carol II realised he
could not quash the increasing mass hysteria, and on the advice of one of his councillors,
the king called in General Marshall Ion Antonescu. To defend the interests of the ruling
classes, Antonescu forced King Carol II to abdicate in favour of the king's 19-year-old
son Michael. Antonescu then imposed a fascist dictatorship, with himself as conducător
(supreme leader).
Fifty years after his death, Carol II's remains were
transferred back to Romania from Portugal, where
he died. He was interred in Curtea de Argeş.
 
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