Ion Antonescu

Prime minister of Romania during World War II, executed for war crimes (1882–1946)

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Lived 1882–1946, aged 64

Wikipedia
60 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1882–1946
Aged 64
Awards
6
recognised works

Summary

Updated 2026-06-08

He ran Romania as a wartime dictator aligned with Nazi Germany, enforced policies that killed as many as 400,000 Jews and Romani, then was overthrown by his own king in 1944. Tried for war crimes after the war, executed two years later.

Biography

About

Ion Antonescu was a Romanian Army officer who built his reputation during the 1907 peasants' revolt and World War I, later serving as military attaché to France and Chief of the General Staff. His antisemitic views and sympathy for far-right politics brought him into conflict with King Carol II in the late 1930s, leading to his detainment. He rose to power during the 1940 political crisis, establishing the National Legionary State in partnership with the Iron Guard, then eliminated them during the 1941 Legionary Rebellion. As Prime Minister and Conducător, he brought Romania into the Axis and…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Ion Antonescu

Ion Antonescu

said6 Sep 1941

(letter adressed to Mihai Antonescu, 6 september 1941) „We must all understand that this is not a fight against Slavs, but against the Jews. It's a battle for life and death.

Ion Antonescu

said1941

(transcripts from Council of Ministers meeting 13 noiembrie 1941) I.

Ion Antonescu

saidundated

I'm honoured that I could fight in four wars for your honour, my dear people, for your rights and your freedom.

Ion Antonescu

saidundated

The principle is that what is Romanian we'll put in Bucovina: what is foreign, Ukrainian, etc. we'll put in camps and from there dispatch them to the Slavic countries.

via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA

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