POLITICAL ELITE AND PROPAGANDA IN A ROMANIA OF THE LEGIONARY NATIONAL STATE. SEQUENCES

Abstract

The study examines aspects of the mechanism of official propaganda during the period of the Legionary National State, noting (among other things) that the topic of nationalism was intertwined with that of anti-communism, with elements of antisemitic discourse (in turn) not absent from this background either. The Legionary Movement, in a period of reconstruction and undifferentiated growth in its numbers, had lost much of the relative attractiveness it had known during Corneliu Zelea Codreanu’s lifetime, with the new leadership (of which Horia Sima in particular had emerged) representing only a pale copy of its predecessors. The Legionnaries were also disadvantaged by the tense, complicated, unpredictable relationship they had during this time with Ion Antonescu, as well as by the lack of experienced elements in the act of government. Propaganda and dynamism tried to compensate for these major shortcomings, but without success. In the end, events turned out to be totally unfavourable to the Legionnaires, seriously compromising their image. The series of abuses, violence and murders provided extremely strong arguments for the Legion’s opponents.