The Rebellion
On 20 January 1941, a German officer (thought to be Major Döring, the chief of German espionage in the Balkans) was murdered in Bucharest by a Greek citizen. This affair remains unsolved to this day, but it was the spark that lit the Legionnaire Rebellion. As previously mentioned, Antonescu had replaced the commanders of the Security Police and the Bucharest Police, but their subordinates, who received their orders from Horia Sima, refused to allow the new commanders to take their place. Legionnaires armed with firearms captured the Ministry of the Interior, police stations and other government and municipal buildings, and opened fire on soldiers trying to regain these buildings.
Antonescu's public addresses, intended to calm the public, were not published or broadcast, as the media was under Legionnaire control. The Legionnaires called the people to rise up against the Freemasons and the Jews (hinting at Antonescu's relations). The people who were possible targets for assassination by the Legionnaires were held, for their own protection, at the Ministry of the Interior. The Legionnaires' leaders, headed by Horia Sima, went underground. The Legionnaires held mass drafts at neighboring villages, and masses of peasants flooded the streets of Bucharest, answering the call to defend to country against the Jews and Freemasons. The Legionnaires took over gas stations and tankers, and used burning oil cans as a weapon against the soldiers. Only 15 loyal officers remained with Antonescu in his palace. For two days, the Romanian Military defended itself, and tried to besiege the Legionnaires' strongholds, but did not initiate attacks, and gave them a free hand. During this time, the Legionnaires published announcements claiming that the Jews had "revolted". During the days of the rebellion, the Legionnaires' newspapers (the only ones active during this time) engaged in vigorous propaganda against the Jews. At the end of the articles would appear the motto – "You know who to shoot".
Read more about this topic: Legionnaires' Rebellion And Bucharest Pogrom
Famous quotes containing the word rebellion:
“The rebellion is against time pollution, the feeling that the essence of what makes life worth living—the small moments, the special family getaways, the cookies in the oven, the weekend drives, the long dreamlike summers Mso much of this has been taken from us, or we have given it up. For what? Hitachi stereos? Club Med? Company cars? Racquetball? For fifteen-hour days and lousy day care?”
—Richard Louv (20th century)