I. The Jews from
Romania in the Period Precursory to
the Takeover of Power by General Antonescu
The period between the two
world wars, from the analyzed point of view, can be
characterized as a period in which the anti-semitic
forces increased in Romania.
The Iron Guard, the League for
National Christian Defense, the ideology of Octavian
Goga, the works and rhetoric of Nae Ionescu, Nichifor
Crainic, Vasile Conta and of many other politicians,
writers and journalists with evident anti-semitic views
did nothing else than prepare and smooth the penetration
and application of the fascist ideology in our
country.
On December 28th 1937 the
Goga-Cuza government comes to power, the first government
which used anti-semitism as state politics.
This government promulgated in
January 1938 the Law for Revision of the
Citizenship, the first manifestation of racial
persecution against the Jews.
As a consequence of the
application of this discriminating and bureaucratic law,
from about 800.000 Romanian Jews only 391.191
1) remained legally Romanian
citizens.
The governments that succeeded
during the royal dictatorship of Carol II continued to
apply a more or less aggressive anti-semitic
policy.
At the end of June 1940, during
the government of Gh. Tatarascu, the Soviet-Union (based
on the secret treaty Molotov - Ribbentrop) occupied,
following an ultimatum, Basarabia, North-Bucovina and the
Hertza region, territories in which lived about 290.000
Jews. 2)
For the giving up without
resistance, of a part of the national territory, a
scapegoat had to be found and the extremists got
immediately one. The Jews are guilty; they sold Basarabia
and Bucovina to the Soviet-Union.
Nowadays, when the secret
clauses of the Soviet-German treaty are known, when one
of the main co-authors of the Basarabia and
North-Bucovina rapt was proved to be Hitler, there are
still spreaders of the idea that the Jews called the
Soviets in the mentioned territories.
In the country the anti- Jewish
atmosphere became overwhelming and sometimes even
incendiary. In some places the Jews were beaten and
killed, some were thrown out from trains, especially on
the Moldavian routes.
During the occupation of
Basarabia, North-Bucovina and the Hertza region, on the
1st, of July 1940, in Dorohoi an anti-Jewish pogrom took
place.
This pogrom represented the
first important anti-Jewish manifestation within the
whole process of terror, deportation and extermination of
the Jews in Romania.
The anti-Jewish pogrom
in Dorohoi (July 1st, 1940)
On the 1st, of July 1940,
Romanian military groups from the frontier-guard unit No.
3 and the artillery regiment No. 8 which were withdrawing
from Hertza, launched a pogrom against the Jewish
population in Dorohoi.
To the city were brought the
inanimate bodies of the Romanian captain Boros and the
Jewish soldier Iancu Solomon. It has to be mentioned that
in this period the Jews were still enrolled in the
Romanian army, some of them being in the active
staff.
These two Romanian military have
been shot in Hertza in an incident with the Soviet army.
They are between the first heroes of the Romanian army
who fell in confrontation with the Soviet
invaders.
On the 1st of July 1940, the
Romanian officer had to be buried in the Christian-
orthodox cemetery, and the Jewish soldier in the Jewish
cemetery.
Normally, the local authorities
should have had representatives at the funeral of both
these heroes, but they didn't.
To the burial of the Jewish
soldier were sent only seven Jewish unarmed soldiers from
the local infantry regiment No. 29. Also, about 20
civilian Jews came, who dared to confront the anti-Jewish
atmosphere reigning in the city.
During the burials, units of the
retreating Romanian army entered the Jewish cemetery and
opened fire, without any challenge, on the participants
to this solemn burial.
All the Jewish civilians present
at the burial, except one, as well as seven Jewish
military headed by the sergeant Bercovici Emil, from the
infantry regiment 29, who came to honor the Jewish
soldier, were killed by the Romanian military.
The firing expanded rapidly in
the whole city, unleashed killers making numerous victims
among the Jewish population.
As it results from the protocol
No.462 on July 4th 1940, signed by the military
prosecutor, captain in reserve Duca Mihai, vice major
Eng. Ion Pascu and doctor colonel in reserve C.
En_chescu, 50 Jews were shot, from which 11 were women,
34 men and 5 children.
During the pogrom, plunders,
tortures and bestial scenes took place.
Honor has to be done to some
Romanian officers who saved the lives of many Jews. First
lieutenants Alexandru Atanasiu and Ion Gaia as well as
Sergeant Gheorghe Olteanu saved dr. arh. Leon Haber,
captain Stino hindered the killing of the Jewish soldiers
in the barracks of the infantry regiment 29, first
lieutenant Nimerianu, son of the priest of Trestiana,
saved a Jewish family. Documents present other cases too.
We also mention the fact that many Romanians hid Jews in
their own houses thus saving them from unleashed
criminals' furor.
* * *
On July 4th, 1940, the
Tatarascu government resigned. The Gigurtu government
followed.
During the Gigurtu government
the situation of the Romanian Jews worsens due to the
promulgation of the racial laws inspired by the Nazi
legislation.
On August 30th, 1940, as a
result of the Vienna Dictate, the Gigurtu government
gives up North-Transilvania to Hungary, a territory in
which lived about 160.000 Jews. 3)
Following these territorial
surrenders, in Romania the situation got
explosive.
Under the pressure of pro nazi
German circles, King Carol II charges on 4th September
1940 general Ion Antonescu with the formation of a new
government.
Only two days after his
installation as prime minister, General Antonescu
solicits the king's abdication in favor of his son
Mihai.
1)
See, Contribution to the History of Romania, by
Jean Ancel, vol. I, part 1, p. 81
Hasefer Publishing House, Bucharest, 2001.
2)
See, Table
No. 1, p. 23
3)
See, Table
No. 1, p. 23