I. The Jews from Romania in the Period Precursory to
the Takeover of Power by General Antonescu

 

The period between the two world wars, from the analyzed point of view, can be characterized as a period in which the anti-semitic forces increased in Romania.

The Iron Guard, the League for National Christian Defense, the ideology of Octavian Goga, the works and rhetoric of Nae Ionescu, Nichifor Crainic, Vasile Conta and of many other politicians, writers and journalists with evident anti-semitic views did nothing else than prepare and smooth the penetration and application of the fascist ideology in our country.

On December 28th 1937 the Goga-Cuza government comes to power, the first government which used anti-semitism as state politics.

This government promulgated in January 1938 the Law for Revision of the Citizenship, the first manifestation of racial persecution against the Jews.

As a consequence of the application of this discriminating and bureaucratic law, from about 800.000 Romanian Jews only 391.191 ¹) remained legally Romanian citizens.

The governments that succeeded during the royal dictatorship of Carol II continued to apply a more or less aggressive anti-semitic policy.

At the end of June 1940, during the government of Gh. Tatarascu, the Soviet Union (based on the secret treaty Molotov - Ribbentrop) occupied, following an ultimatum, Basarabia, North-Bucovina and the Hertza region, territories in which lived about 290.000 Jews. ²)

For giving up, without resistance, a part of the national territory, a scapegoat had to be found and the extremists got immediately one. The Jews are guilty; they sold Basarabia and Bucovina to the Soviet Union.

Nowadays, when the secret clauses of the Soviet-German treaty are known, when one of the main co-authors of the Basarabia and North-Bucovina grab was proved to be Hitler, there are still people spreading the idea that the Jews called the Soviets in the mentioned territories.

In the whole country the anti-Jewish atmosphere became overwhelming and sometimes even incendiary. In some places the Jews were beaten and killed, some were thrown out from trains, especially on the Moldavian routes.

During the occupation of Basarabia, North-Bucovina and the Hertza region, on the 1st of July 1940, in Dorohoi an anti-Jewish pogrom took place.

This pogrom represented the first important anti-Jewish manifestation within the whole process of terror, deportation and extermination of the Jews in Romania.

  

The anti-Jewish pogrom in Dorohoi (July 1st, 1940)

On the 1st, of July 1940, Romanian military groups from the frontier-guard unit No. 3 and the artillery regiment No. 8 which were withdrawing from Hertza, launched a pogrom against the Jewish population in Dorohoi.

To the city were brought the lifeless bodies of the Romanian captain Boros and the Jewish soldier Iancu Solomon. It has to be mentioned that in this period the Jews were still enrolled in the Romanian army, some of them being in the active staff.

These two Romanian military have been shot in Hertza in an incident with the Soviet army. They are among the first heroes of the Romanian army who fell in confrontation with the Soviet invaders.

On the 1st of July 1940, the Romanian officer had to be buried in the Christian- orthodox cemetery, and the Jewish soldier in the Jewish cemetery.

Normally, the local authorities should have had representatives at the funeral of both these heroes, but they didn't.

To the burial of the Jewish soldier were sent only seven Jewish unarmed soldiers from the local infantry regiment No. 29. Also, about 20 civilian Jews came, who dared to confront the anti-Jewish atmosphere reigning in the city.

During the burials, units of the retreating Romanian army entered the Jewish cemetery and opened fire, without any challenge, on the participants to this solemn burial.

All the Jewish civilians present at the burial, except one, as well as seven Jewish military headed by the sergeant Bercovici Emil, from the infantry regiment 29, who came to honor the Jewish soldier, were killed by the Romanian military.

The firing expanded rapidly in the whole city, unleashed killers making numerous victims among the Jewish population.

As it results from the protocol No.462 on July 4th 1940, signed by the military prosecutor, captain in reserve Duca Mihai, vice major Eng. Ion Pascu and doctor colonel in reserve C. Enachescu, 50 Jews were shot, from which 11 were women, 34 men and 5 children.

During the pogrom, plunders, tortures and bestial scenes took place.

Honor has to be done to some Romanian officers who saved the lives of many Jews. First lieutenants Alexandru Atanasiu and Ion Gaia as well as Sergeant Gheorghe Olteanu saved dr. arh. Leon Haber, captain Stino hindered the killing of the Jewish soldiers in the barracks of the infantry regiment 29, first lieutenant Nimerianu, son of the priest of Trestiana, saved a Jewish family. Documents present other cases too. We also mention the fact that many Romanians hid Jews in their own houses thus saving them from unleashed criminals' furor.

 

* * *

 On July 4th 1940, the Tatarascu government resigned. The Gigurtu government followed.

During the Gigurtu government the situation of the Romanian Jews worsens due to the promulgation of the racial laws inspired by the Nazi legislation.

On August 30th 1940, as a result of the Vienna Dictate, the Gigurtu government gives up North-Transilvania to Hungary, a territory in which lived about 160.000 Jews. ³)

Following these territorial surrenders, in Romania the situation got explosive.

Under the pressure of pro nazi German circles, King Carol II on 4th September 1940 assigns General Ion Antonescu with the formation of a new government.

Only two days later after his installation as prime minister, General Antonescu solicits the king's abdication in favor of his son Mihai.

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¹⁾ See, Contribution to the History of Romania, by Jean Ancel, vol. I, part 1, p. 81
Hasefer Publishing House, Bucharest, 2001.

²⁾ See, Table No. 1, p. 23

³⁾ See, Table No. 1, p. 23