Kiss the Hand You Cannot Bite: The Rise and Fall of the CeausescusBehr's probing analysis of the historical roots of the Ceausescu dictatorship in Romania goes a long way toward explaining the pathological behavior characterizing the rule of t̀̀he communist Dracula'' and why his regime endured. Ą̀ man like me, '' Nicolae Ceausescu boasted, c̀̀omes along only once every five hundred years.'' Behr ( Hirohito ) makes clear what manner of man Ceausescu was, how he ruled his country and the important role his wife, Elena, played in the regime. The picture that comes into focus is that of an evil-minded, paranoid and petty couple, at once canny and stupid, who relied on a huge state security apparatus, the Securitate , to spread fear among their extraordinarily submissive subjects. The book includes a full account of the popular uprising in December 1989 and the arrest, trial and execution of the Ceausescus. Behr notes that the bulk of the officers and officials of the Securitate remain in place; thus the dead ''Dracula'' continues to cast his shadow over the land. This is a rare close look at one of the most grotesque of the Communist personality cults.-- |
Contents
CHAPTER ONE The End | 3 |
CHAPTER TWO The Beginning | 29 |
CHAPTER THREE Marxists and Kings | 49 |
Copyright | |
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Allies Ana Pauker Antonescu Apostol Ardeleanu army arrest asked August 23 August 23 coup became Bessarabia Bodnăraș British Bucharest Ceauşescu's death Central Committee building Codreanu Conducător coup cultural December dissident Drăghici Dubček Elena Ceauşescu ex-king Michael factory force foreign former German Gheorghiu-Dej Groza hand helicopter historians Hungarian Iliescu inside intellectuals Iron Guard King Carol King Michael knew Kostyal later leader live Maluțan manian Maniu Marie Marxist-Leninist Maurer military minister National Salvation Front never nian Nicolae and Elena Nicolae Ceauşescu Nicolae's official onward palace Pătrășcanu Paul Goma Peasant party Petrescu Pīrvulescu political Popescu president prison Queen RCP's recalled refused regime revolution Roma Romanian Communist party Romanian TV Russian Rusu Scīnteia Secu Securitate shouted Silviu Brucan social Soviet Union Stalin Stalinist Stănculescu Timișoara tion Tīrgu Jiu Tökes told troops turned Vasile Luca Vlad wanted workers Young Communists