July Theses

The July Theses (Romanian: Tezele din iulie) is a name commonly given to a speech delivered by Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu on July 6, 1971, before the Executive Committee of the Romanian Communist Party (PCR). Its full name was Propuneri de măsuri pentru îmbunătăţirea activităţii politico-ideologice, de educare marxist-leninistă a membrilor de partid, a tuturor oamenilor muncii ("Proposed measures for the improvement of political-ideological activity, of the Marxist-Leninist education of Party members, of all working people"). This quasi-Maoist speech marked the beginning of a "mini cultural revolution" in Communist Romania, launching a Neo-Stalinist offensive against cultural autonomy, a return to the strict guidelines of socialist realism and attacks on non-compliant intellectuals. Strict ideological conformity in the humanities and social sciences was demanded. Competence and aesthetics were to be replaced by ideology; professionals were to be replaced by agitators; and culture was once again to become an instrument for political-ideological propaganda.

In their final version of early November 1971, publicized as an official document of the PCR Plenum, the Theses carried the title: Expunere cu privire la programul PCR pentru îmbunătăţirea activităţii ideologice, ridicarea nivelului general al cunoaşterii şi educaţia socialistă a maselor, pentru aşezarea relaţiilor din societatea noastră pe baza principiilor eticii şi echităţii socialiste şi comuniste ("Exposition regarding the PCR programme for improving ideological activity, raising the general level of knowledge and the socialist education of the masses, in order to arrange relations in our society on the basis of the principles of socialist and communist ethics and equity").