Sacralised Politics in Action: the February 1937 Burial of the Romanian Legionary Leaders Ion Moţa and Vasile Marin

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Notes

1. Emilio Gentile, “Fascism, Totalitarianism and Political Religion: Definitions and Critical Reflections on Criticism of an Interpretation”, Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions, 5/3 (2004), p.361.

2. Ibid.

3. For a deeper look into the history of Romanian fascism one can turn to some of the most important works published on this topic since the 1960s: Eugen Weber, “Romania”, in Eugen Weber, Hans Rogger, The European Right: A Historical Profile (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1965), pp.501–74; Nicholas Nagy‐Talavera, The Green Shirts and the Others: A History of Fascism in Hungary and Rumania (Stanford: Hoover Institution Press, 1970); Armin Heinen, Die Legion ‘Erzengel Michael’ in Rumänien: soziale Bewegung und politische Organisation: ein Beitrag zum Problem des internationalen Faschismus (München: R. Oldenbourg, 1986); and Francisco Veiga, La Mistica del Ultranacionalismo: Historia de la Guardia de Hierro, Romania, 1919–1941 (Barcelona: Eds. de la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, 1989).

4. An informative account of interwar Romanian history may be found in Keith Hitchins, Rumania 1866–1947 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994).

5. Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, Pentru Legionari (Bucharest: Editura Scara, 1999), p.239. First published in 1936.

6. Roger Griffin, “Shattering Crystals: The Role of ‘Dream Time’ in Extreme Right‐Wing Political Violence”, Terrorism & Political Violence, 15/1 (2003), p.80.

7. Ibid., p.81.

8. Codreanu (note 5), p.336.

9. Ion I. Moţa, quoted in Cuvântul Studenţesc, 12/1–4 (January–February 1937), p.25.

10. Ion Dumitrescu‐Borşa, Cal troian intra muros: Memorii Legionare (Bucharest: Editura Lucman, 2002), p.186.

11. Horia Sima, Istoria Mişcării Legionare (Timişoara: Editura Gordian, 1994), p. 162.

12. Arhivele Naţionale Istorice Centrale, Bucureşti [National Central Historical Archives, Bucharest, hereafter ANIC], Fond Direcţia Generală a Poliţiei, Dosar 10/1937, pp. 31–5.

13. Ibid. Marin said: ‘You have decided to bring seven coffins from Spain, I would like the eighth coffin to be mine’.

14. Vasile Marin, Crez de generaţie (Bucureşti: Editura Majadahonda, 1997), p.19. First published in 1937.

15. Ibid.

16. Sima (note 11), p.163; Dumitrescu‐Borşa (note 10), pp.190–1.

17. Moţa’s testament was later published by the Legionaries and disseminated among the public, becoming an important ideological text for future members and sympathizers of the movement.

18. Francisco Veiga, Istoria Gărzii de Fier 1919–1941: Mistica ultranaţionalismului (Bucharest: Editura Humanitas, 1995), p.231.

19. Dumitrescu‐Borşa (note 10), p.199.

20. Sima (note 11), p.173.

21. Curentul, 9 February 1937.

22. ANIC, Fond Directia Generala a Politiei, Dosar 10/1937, p. 20.

23. Universul, 18 January 1937.

24. Universul, 19 January 1937.

25. The most important such requiem took place in Bucharest and enjoyed mass participation. See Universul, 19 January 1937; Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, Circulari si manifeste 1927–1938 (Munich: Colectia “Europa”, 1981), pp. 119–120.

26. ANIC, Fond Direcţia Generală a Poliţiei, Dosar 10/1937, p.34.

27. Neamul Românesc, 20 January 1937.

28. Neamul Românesc, 15 February 1937, and 17 February 1937. There will be a growing conflict between Nicolae Iorga and the Legion, culminating with the assassination of the great historian by a legionary squad in November 1940.

29. For the fully detailed route, see ANIC, Fond Ministerul de Interne – Diverse, Dosar 4/1937, pp.39–40.

30. Ibid., p.27.

31. ANIC, Fond Ministerul de Interne – Diverse, Dosar 4/1937, pp.2–15. These pages contain an abstract of detailed police reports sent from every station where the mortuary train stopped.

32. Ibid., pp.35–6.

33. Emilio Gentile, “The Sacralisation of Politics: Definitions, Interpretations and Reflections on the Question of Secular Religion and Totalitarianism”, Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions, 1/1 (2000), pp.21–2.

34. Cuvântul, 12 February 1937.

35. Ibid.

36. Universul, 12 February 1937; Curentul, 13 February 1937.

37. ANIC, Fond Ministerul de Interne – Diverse, Dosar 4/1937, p. 177.

38. Ibid., p. 9.

39. Estimates vary concerning the exact number of Legionaries in uniform present. A German consular representative, quoted in Armin Heinen, Legiunea Arhanghelului Mihail: mişcare socială şi organizaţie politică (Bucharest: Editura Humanitas, 1999), p.294, mentions 16,000. The highest estimate is 50,000, as given in Sima (note 11), p.175.

40. This diplomatic presence caused a political scandal in Parliament, with the authorities genuinely concerned about the potential support for the Iron Guard from countries such as Germany. See Rebecca Haynes, Romanian Policy towards Germany, 1936–40 (London: Macmillan, 2000), pp.31–3.

41. Curentul, 13 February 1937. The text of the oath was also distributed in most of the locations where the mortuary train stopped during its cross‐country itinerary.

42. Emilio Gentile, The Sacralization of Politics in Fascist Italy (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1996), p.78.

43. Vasile Christescu, “Jertfa lui Ion Moţa şi Vasile Marin în lumina istoriei”, Cuvântul Studenţesc, 12/1–4 (1937), p.45.

44. Universul, 13 February 1937; Curentul, 13 February 1937.

45. Curentul, 15 February 1937.

46. Sima (note 11), p.177.

47. Curentul, 16 February 1937; Universul, 15 February 1937.

48. Claudio Fogu, “Fascism and Historic Representation: The 1932 Garibaldian Celebrations”, Journal of Contemporary History, 31/2 (1996), p.335.

49. Gentile (note 42), p.27.

50. Mihail Manoilescu, “From Lord Byron to Ion Moţa”, Buna Vestire, 24 February 1937.

51. N. Batzaria, ‘“For Christianity and latinity”’, Universul, 24 January 1937.

52. Buna Vestire, 22 February 1937.

53. Buna Vestire, 24 February 1937.

54. N. Crevedia, “Bucurestiul, pe baricade”, Porunca Vremii, 17 February 1937.

55. ANIC, Fond Ministerul de Interne – Diverse, Dosar 4/1937, p. 15.

56. Ibid., p.27.

57. Heinen (note 39), p.366.