Alexandru Averescu
From Free net encyclopedia
Current revision
Image:General Alex Averescu.jpg Alexandru Averescu (November 14, 1859, near Ismail, now in Ukraine— October 2, 1938, Bucharest) was a Romanian army general and Army Commander during World War I, often being credited with Romania's victory in this war.
Army leadership
After a military education in Italy and Germany, the youthful Averescu participated in the Russian Turkish campaign of 1877-1878.
Before the World War, he was Minister of War in Gheorghe Cantacuzino's cabinet (1907-1909), leading the troops in crushing the 1907 peasants' revolt, and commander of the II Corps in Craiova. During the war he commanded the Second Army in the defense of the Carpathians, the Army Group South in the Flămânda operation and again the Second Army in the victory of Mărăşti, July 1917.
During the war he developed a deep animosity towards the Chief of the General Staff, general Constantin Prezan and his right hand, major and then lieutenant-colonel Ion Antonescu (future Romanian dictator in 1940-44). Image:General Averescu.jpg
Political career
Averescu quit the army in the spring of 1918, aiming for a career in politics. He presided over the People's Party (initaially named People's League), and he was immensely popular especially among peasants after the end of the war. His force had an appealing populist message, translated into vague promises and relying on the image of the General: peasants had been promised land at the beginning of the war (and they were being rewarded with it at the very moment, through an agrarian reform that reached its full scope in 1923); they had formed the larger part of the Army, and had come to see Averescu as the one to fulfill their expectations, as well as a figure who was still commanding their allegiance.
Although he was also Prime Minister of Romania for three mandates (1918, 1920-1921, 1926-1927), his political success is not as spectacular as the military one. Averescu ended up as one of the pawns maneuvered by Ion I. C. Brătianu, the Liberal leader. His time in office is marked by gestures of friendship between Romania and Benito Mussolini's Italy, a state which advertised itself as a rising force.
He was promoted to Marshal of Romania in 1930. In 1937 Averescu was appointed a member of the Crown Council by King Carol II. The following year, he was breifly Minister without portfolio in the cabinet of Premier Miron Cristea.