| Career Highlights: Born on 26 January 1918 in Scornicesti, Romania, Nicolae Ceausescu began life as a dedicated antifascist. He joined the outlawed Romanian communist party in 1933 and became a prominent in the antifacist Romanian youth movement. In 1936 at age 18 Ceausescu is arrested by the pro-Nazi government and imprisoned until 1938 for his opposition activities. 1938-1944: Upon his release Ceausescu resumes his antifacist activities and is arrested again in 1940. This time he is held until 1944 escaping shortly before the Red Army begins its occupation. During his second round in prison, Ceausescu studies for a degree from the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest and becomes a protégé of his cellmate, the communist leader Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej 1944-1965: Ceausescu serves as secretary of the Union of Communist Youth until 1945, when he becomes a member of the Communist Party central committee. In 1946 He is elected as a deputy to the Grand National Assembly. In 1948 the Communists merge with a faction of the Social Democrats to form the Romanian Workers Party (Partidul Muncitoresc Român - PMR) which dominates the elections in March of that year. The PMR declares a new republic on April 13 (the Romanian People's Republic) and promulgates a new explicitly Stalinist constitution. From 1948-1950 Ceausescu serves the new republic as head of the Ministry of Agriculture. In 1950 he is created a Major General and made Deputy Minister of Defense. In 1952 Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej becomes party leader and head of state. In 1954 leaves the Ministry of Defense to become the Party's number two man. In March of 1965 Gheorghiu-Dej dies, Ceausescu begins a campaign for control of the Party. 1965-1971: Ceausescu assumes additional government positions and consolidates control over the PMR which he renames as the Romanian Communist Party. In 1967 he becomes head of state and continues on what had been Gheorghiu-Dej's nationalist and largely independent course. In 1968 Romania ends its active participation in the Warsaw pack and later that year Ceausescu issues a strong condemnation of the Soviet invasion of Chekoslovakia. These nationalist actions make Ceausescu popular at home and create the mistaken aura of a liberal agenda abroad. However, in 1970 Ceausescu issues an explicit warning to the press that there are bounds that must not be crossed and with new rounds of purges and arrests in 1971 generally succeeds in reminding the world that anti-Soviet is not the same thing as anti-Stalinist. Freedom of speech is limited, political opposition outlawd and the media are brought under explicit state control. 1971-1989: Trading on his nationalist credentials, Ceaucesu begins to build a cult of personality. The military and security forces are purged. Party and state functions are intertwined. In 1973 Ceausescu's wife Elena is appointed to the Politburo and placed in control of its personel section thereby giving her final word on all appointments and promotions throughout the country. In 1974 Ceausescu is "elected" President of the country and immediately sets about placing all important ministries (defense, interior, science and technology) under the control of close family members (including his wife, brothers and son). Now completely unopposed, Ceausescu engages in a high-risk development program heavilly leveraged by foreign debt. When the program falters towards the end of the 1970s a balance-of-payment crisis develops. Romania is placed under an austerity program, and much of the nation's output is diverted for export to meet the growing debt crisis. Despite the resulting severe and widespread poverty, the Ceausescu clan continues to live in relative luxury. His son Nicu begins "dating" former Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci (leading to a well publicized suicide attempt in the late 80s). Despite growing discontent as well as the liberalization and collapse of the surrounding Eastern Bloc states, Ceausescu resists calls for moderation. He uses force to suppress the resulting demonstrations which works for a time. On December 17, 1989, however, Ceausescu orders internal security forces to fire on anti-government demonstrators in the city of Timisoara. This produces widespread outrage and, in turn, produces further demonstrations. On December 22 the Army defects to the resistors. Nicolae and his wife Elena flee the capital but are captured and summarily tried by a military tribunal. On December 25 they are sentenced to death and executed. | 
