Ion Antonescu

Ion Antonescu (June 15 1882, Pite?ti – June 1 1946, near Jilava) was the prime minister and conduc?tor (Leader) of Romania during World War II from September 4, 1940 to August 23, 1944.

Trial and death

After being arrested, Antonescu was turned over to the Soviets. In May 1946 he was put on trial in a kangaroo court, by the Communist government in Bucharest, for having supported the German invasion of the USSR. He was sentenced to death, and executed on June 1, 1946.

Related Topics:
1946 - Kangaroo court - June 1

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The official report stated that Ion Antonescu asked to be executed by the army, not by prison guards, but he was refused, to which he replied: "Scumbags, scumbags!".

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"Then the command for the execution was given. The weapons were loaded and when they were fired the Marshal saluted by raising his hat with the right hand, after which they all fell down. The Marshal immediately rose up, leaning on his elbow and said: You didn't shoot me gentlemen, fire!, after which the chief guard went with his pistol to Antonescu and shot him in the head. The doctor consulted them and came to the conclusion that the Marshal and Vasiliu were still alive. The chief guard fired another shot in the chest of Antonescu and then of Vasiliu and the doctor examined them and said they still weren't dead. The chief guard went again to Vasiliu, but his pistol jammed when he tried to fire it. He took a rifle from one of the guards and fired one shot in Vasiliu's head, but then it also jammed."

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"He changed it with another one and fired another three shots in different parts of Vasiliu's body and then went to the Marshal and fired 3 shots in his chest. The doctor examined them and said that Antonescu was dead, but Vasiliu was still alive. Again the guard fired a shot in Vasiliu's head. The result: Vasiliu's brains were coming out of his head, but he was still moving and saying something we couldn't understand. The guard went again to to him and fired two shots in the head and after this the doctor said that Vasiliu too was dead." http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=68407.

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This official account is clearly contradicted by video footage of the execution, in which a Antonescu and others are shot dead in one volley from the firing squad. The head of the squad, as customary, then fired a shot with his pistol into the head of each body.

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