27 Facts About Alexandru Averescu

Alexandru Averescu was a Romanian marshal, diplomat and populist politician.

Alexandru Averescu first rose to prominence during the peasants' revolt of 1907, which he helped repress with violence.

Relations between the two soured over the following years, and Alexandru Averescu clashed with his fellow party member Octavian Goga over the king's attitudes.

Shortly before his death, he and Carol reconciled, and Alexandru Averescu joined the Crown Council.

Alexandru Averescu, who authored over 12 works on various military topics, was an honorary member of the Romanian Academy and an Order of Michael the Brave recipient.

The son of Constantin Alexandru Averescu, who held the rank of sluger, he studied at the Romanian Orthodox seminary in Izmail, then at the School of Arts and Crafts in Bucharest.

Alexandru Averescu was reinstated later in 1878, and subsequently received a military education in Romania, at the military school of Targoviste, and in Italy, at the Military Academy of Turin.

Alexandru Averescu married an Italian opera singer, Clotilda Caligaris, who had been the prima donna of La Scala.

Alexandru Averescu commanded Army Group South in the Flamanda operation against the Third Bulgarian Army and other forces of the Central Powers, ultimately stopped by the German offensive.

Alexandru Averescu again led the Second Army to victory in the Battle of Marasti ; his achievements, including his brief breakthrough at Marasti, were considered impressive by public opinion and his officers.

Alexandru Averescu was widely seen as the person behind a relatively successful resistance to further offensives on Moldavia, and he was considered by many of his contemporaries to have stood in contrast to what was seen as endemic corruption and incompetence.

Alexandru Averescu presided over the People's Party, and he was immensely popular especially among peasants after the end of the war.

Alexandru Averescu's 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 ; 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.

Alexandru Averescu proposed merging the two parties, as a distinct section, into the People's Party; he was refused, and talks broke down when the general expected the Socialists to support his electoral platform.

Alexandru Averescu's popularity was something mystical, something supernatural, and all sorts of legends had begun to surround this Messiah of the Romanian people.

Alexandru Averescu ended up as one of the pawns maneuvered by Bratianu.

Alexandru Averescu unified currency around the Romanian leu, and imposed a land reform in the form in which it was to be carried out by the new Bratianu executive.

The National Liberals, through the voice of Alexandru Averescu Constantinescu-Porcu, helped exploit the rivalry between the Peasants' Party and Iorga, using the latter's rejection of Constantin Stere ; Stere won partial elections for the deputy seat in Soroca, Bessarabia, causing a political scandal which saw all parties declare their dissatisfaction.

Alexandru Averescu's party was instead joined by PNR dissidents, Vasile Goldis and Ioan Lupas, who represented a Romanian Orthodox segment of the Transylvanian voters.

The 1926 elections, which Alexandru Averescu's cabinet organized in March and won with a landslide brought a massive defeat for the PNL, who held just 16 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.

The PNL withdrew its support, and, through an order signed by Constantin Hiott, Alexandru Averescu's was replaced by the broad coalition government of Barbu Stirbey, Bratianu's brother-in-law.

In November 1927, Alexandru Averescu took the stand in the trial of his supporter Mihail Manoilescu, who was arrested after having incited pro-Carol sentiment; in his testimony, he backed the notion that, despite his initial anger, Ferdinand had ultimately planned to have Carol return to the throne.

Around 1930, Alexandru Averescu began opposing the universal suffrage he had endorsed earlier, and issued an appeal to the intellectuals in order to have it discarded from legislation on the basis that it was easily influenced by the parties in power.

In November 1930, he filed a complaint against the poet and journalist Bazil Gruia, claiming that the latter had libeled him by publishing, in January, an article in Chemarea which began by questioning the People's Party claim that Alexandru Averescu was "the only honest comrade of the Romanian peasant" and contrasted it with the general's activities during the 1907 Revolt.

In 1937, despite his ongoing feud with Carol, Alexandru Averescu was appointed a member of the Crown Council.

Alexandru Averescu, who, according to Argetoianu, declared was more interested in convincing Carol to allow his estranged wife Elena of Greece to return to Romania, remained opposed to the deal.

Alexandru Averescu died soon after in Bucharest, and was buried in the World War I heroes' crypt in Marasti.