Funerals of Ion Moța and Vasile Marin
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Funerals of Ion Moța and Vasile Marin were a series of wide-scale demonstrations in
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
. The two leaders of the Iron Guard had been killed in battle on the same day, January 13, 1937, at
Majadahonda Majadahonda () is a municipality in Spain, situated northwest of Madrid, in the Community of Madrid. It lies alongside the motorway A6 Madrid-A Coruña. The Puerta de Hierro university (public) hospital was relocated to Majadahonda from the wes ...
while fighting on the side of
Francoist Spain Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spai ...
during the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
, and the funeral that followed took the form of a highly-organized, cross-country procession. The funerary train of
Ion Moța Ion I. Moța (5 July 1902 — 13 January 1937) was the deputy leader of the Romanian fascist Iron Guard, Legionary Movement (Iron Guard), killed in battle during the Spanish Civil War. Biography Son of the nationalist Romanian Orthodox, Ort ...
(1902 — 1937) and Vasile Marin (1904 — 1937) toured around the country, with hundreds of thousands of people participating at the commemorations in many cities, holding religious services at several cathedrals. In Bucharest, thousands of young Legionnaires marched on the streets of the city dressed in their typical green shirts.Ilarion Țiu
"În zodia Satanei"
, ''Jurnalul Național'', August 18, 2008
As a result of these displays, the Iron Guard's party, Totul Pentru Țară, had an unexpectedly high percentage in the
1937 Romanian general election General elections were held in Romania in December 1937.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p1591 The Chamber of Deputies was elected on 20 December, whilst the Senate was elected in three stages on 22, ...
(15.58%), becoming the third largest party in Romania, and their membership grew threefold.


Background

The Iron Guard (also known as the Legionary Movement, or Legion of the Archangel Michael) formed as a splinter group from A. C. Cuza's antisemitic and nationalist
National-Christian Defense League The National-Christian Defense League ( ro, Liga Apărării Național Creștine, LANC) was a far-right political party of Romania formed by A. C. Cuza. Origins The LANC had its roots in the National Christian Union, formed in 1922 by Cuza and th ...
, forming around
Corneliu Zelea Codreanu Corneliu Zelea Codreanu (; born Corneliu Codreanu, according to his birth certificate; 13 September 1899 – 30 November 1938) was a Romanian politician of the far right, the founder and charismatic leader of the Iron Guard or ''The Legion o ...
. The new group advocated action, "spiritual values" over economic ones, the creation of a "new man", and
self-sacrifice Self-sacrifice is the giving up of something that a person wants for themselves so that others can be helped or protected or so that other external value can be advanced or protected. See also * Altruism (unselfishness) * Altruistic suicide * Sacr ...
as the key for the success of the movement. As the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
began in 1936, the Iron Guard, like much of the Romanian public, saw it in a simple dichotomy: a fight between atheistic communism and
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
. This opinion was enforced by the news that some groups on the Republican side systematically persecuted members of the Catholic clergy and destroyed churches. Ion Moța, the second-in-command in the Legion, suggested that a number of leaders of the Iron Guard should go to Spain and present a gift (a Toledo sword) to Francoist General
José Moscardó Ituarte José Moscardó e Ituarte, 1st Count of the Alcázar of Toledo, Grandee of Spain (26 October 1878 – 12 April 1956) was the military Governor of Toledo Province during the Spanish Civil War. He sided with the Nationalist army fighting the Republ ...
, then fight alongside the Nationalist forces. The group that formed consisted of eight members: Moța, Marin, Alexandru Cantacuzino, General Gheorghe Cantacuzino-Grănicerul, Gheorghe Clime, the priest Ion Dumitrescu Borşa, Bănica Dobre, and Neculai Totu. They were involved in the battles near Madrid, and on January 13, 1937, at the front in
Majadahonda Majadahonda () is a municipality in Spain, situated northwest of Madrid, in the Community of Madrid. It lies alongside the motorway A6 Madrid-A Coruña. The Puerta de Hierro university (public) hospital was relocated to Majadahonda from the wes ...
, Ion Moța and Vasile Marin were killed by an artillery shell.Săndulescu, p. 261-262 After the deaths of Moța and Marin, the remaining Legionnaires repatriated their bodies and returned to Romania.


Funeral procession


Funerary train

The bodies of Moța and Marin were put in a mortuary train which left Spain via France and Belgium, reaching Berlin on February 6, 1937, where they were met by SS and SA squads, representatives of the German
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
, of the Spanish
Falange The Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista (FET y de las JONS; ), frequently shortened to just "FET", was the sole legal party of the Francoist regime in Spain. It was created by General Francisco ...
, and of Fascist Italy, as well as a large crowd of onlookers.Săndulescu, p. 262After transiting through Poland, on February 9, the train reached the Romanian border, but instead of taking the shortest route to Bucharest, it made a detour by going through the whole country, from Bukovina to
Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and for ...
, then
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
,
Oltenia Oltenia (, also called Lesser Wallachia in antiquated versions, with the alternative Latin names ''Wallachia Minor'', ''Wallachia Alutana'', ''Wallachia Caesarea'' between 1718 and 1739) is a historical province and geographical region of Romania ...
, and
Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and s ...
, and finally reaching Bucharest.Săndulescu, p. 263 The train stopped at the country's major railway stations, and in each of them a religious service was performed. The Iron Guard leaders then urged the audience to join their "Legionary faith". In
Pașcani Pașcani () is a city in Iași County in the Western Moldavia region of Romania, on the Siret river. , it has a population of 33,745. Five villages are administered by the city: Blăgești, Boșteni, Gâstești, Lunca, and Sodomeni. The city der ...
, in the historical region of
Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and for ...
, over 5000 peasants gathered to see the mortuary wagon; in
Bacău Bacău ( , , ; hu, Bákó; la, Bacovia) is the main city in Bacău County, Romania. At the 2016 national estimation it had a population of 196,883, making it the 12th largest city in Romania. The city is situated in the historical region of ...
, a group of 30 priests performed religious services in front of a crowd.Săndulescu, p. 264 In
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
, the most important stop was in
Cluj ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Status , subdivision_name2 = County seat , settlement_type = City , le ...
, where many local politicians and intellectuals participated at the commemoration, including Alexandru Vaida-Voievod, Sextil Pușcariu, Emil Hațiegan and Ioan Lupaș. The service was held by Bishop
Nicolae Colan Nicolae Colan (; November 28, 1893 – April 15, 1967) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian cleric, a metropolitan bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church. From a peasant background, Colan completed high school in Brașov, followed by a period ...
, who praised the struggle of Moța and Marin against the " red madness".
Ion Agârbiceanu Ion Agârbiceanu (first name also Ioan, last name also Agărbiceanu and Agîrbiceanu; September 12, 1882 – May 28, 1963) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian writer, journalist, politician, theologian and Greek-Catholic priest. Born among the ...
held a speech in the name of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church. Large crowds also gathered in
Orăștie Orăștie (; german: link=no, Broos, hu, Szászváros, la, Saxopolis) is a city in Hunedoara County, south-western Transylvania, central Romania. History 7th–9th century – On the site of an old swamp was a human settlement, now ...
, Moța's native town, and in
Sibiu Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...
, where 32 priests conducted the religious rituals. After crossing the
Carpathians The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretches ...
, the train went through Oltenia and Wallachia (where it made a notable stop in Pitești), finally reaching Bucharest's
Gara de Nord Bucharest North railway station ( ro, Gara București Nord; officially Bucharest North Group A) is the main railway station in Bucharest and the largest railway station in Romania. The vast majority of mainline trains to and from Bucharest origi ...
station in the morning of February 11, 1937.


Funeral procession in Bucharest

It was in Bucharest that the biggest procession took place: as the government had lifted a preexisting ban on wearing uniforms in public places, thousands of Legionnaires donned their green uniforms to wait for the coffins in front of the city's main railway station. Further tens of thousands of sympathizers and bystanders watched the procession and followed it through the city. In addition, a large number of Romanian politicians, professors, and students, as well as diplomatic and party representatives from Italy, Germany, and Spain were present. After a short religious service, in front of the coffins, the Legionnaires performed the "Oath for Ion Moța and Vasile Marin", written by Legionary "Captain"
Corneliu Zelea Codreanu Corneliu Zelea Codreanu (; born Corneliu Codreanu, according to his birth certificate; 13 September 1899 – 30 November 1938) was a Romanian politician of the far right, the founder and charismatic leader of the Iron Guard or ''The Legion o ...
. In this oath, Legionnaires swore to be "ready for death at any time".Săndulescu, p. 265 The procession marched toward Sf. Ilie-Gorgani Church in central Bucharest, where the bodies were to be kept until their burial. This church had been frequented by members of the Legion since the late 1920s, was partially rebuilt by them, and was located meters away from the Legion's original headquarters on Strada Gutenberg. The funeral procession was led by a group of Legionnaires who carrying the crosses of the two fighters, followed by students, representatives of Hitler, Mussolini, and Franco, a large number of priests, and a human cross formed by marching Legionnaires.


Burial

Moța and Marin were interred on February 13, 1937, next to the new headquarters of the movement, the ''Casa Verde'' ("Green House") in Bucureștii Noi. A mausoleum was specially-built, a decision made by Codreanu in order to inspire future Legionnaires. The religious services were led by an estimated 200 to 400 priests. Five surviving Legionnaires who fought in Spain took part in the next stage of the procession. Pedro de Prat y Soutzo, Nationalist Spain's diplomatic representative, called out the names of the Legionary volunteers, and the names of Moța and Marin were answered with "Present!". This call and response would continue to be used in commemorations of Legionary martyrs; similar roll calls were found in other fascist movements (for example, it was the focal point in the 1932 Garibaldian Celebrations in Fascist Italy).


Reactions


Press

One of the most influential Romanian newspapers, ''
Universul ''Universul'' was a mass-circulation newspaper in Romania. It existed from 1884 to 1953, and was run by Stelian Popescu from 1914 to 1943 (with a two-year break during World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbrev ...
'', provided ample updates on the commemoration of the two throughout the country. Even so, the students who were members of the Iron Guard accused the newspaper of not doing enough to support the Legion's activity in Spain, while the director of the newspaper defended himself by saying that more is not possible to do because of the state
censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
. Left-wing newspapers like '' Adevărul'' and '' Dimineața'' chose to ignore the event to prevent it from gaining more public attention.


Politicians

Many of the country's right-wing politicians, whether members of the Iron Guard or other rival parties, paid their respects to the death of the two fighters.
Nicolae Iorga Nicolae Iorga (; sometimes Neculai Iorga, Nicolas Jorga, Nicolai Jorga or Nicola Jorga, born Nicu N. Iorga;Iova, p. xxvii. 17 January 1871 – 27 November 1940) was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, Albanologist, poet ...
wrote a laudative article called "Two Brave Boys" in which the two were praised for fighting for the Christian faith, although weeks later, he condemned the rituals of the Legion, including the usage of a pagan symbol, the swastika.
Gheorghe I. Brătianu Gheorghe (George) I. Brătianu (January 28 1898 – April 23–27, 1953) was a Romanian politician and historian. A member of the Brătianu family and initially affiliated with the National Liberal Party (Romania, 1875), National Liberal Par ...
, the leader of National Liberal Party-Brătianu, a splinter group of the National Liberal Party, also paid respects to the two Iron Guard members, calling Moța one of the "most capable and honest fighters from the Legionary ranks".


Popular opinion

The Romanian public generally sympathised with the cause of Moța and Marin, because their struggle in Spain was depicted as being part of a fight between communist atheism and Christianity. Many bystanders and non-partisans were impressed by the mystical rituals of the Iron Guard.Săndulescu, p. 266 The Church showed vigorous support for the movement, conducting religious services across the country and bishops openly praising Moța and Marin in their speeches.Săndulescu, p. 267


Legacy

Before the deaths, the ideology of "self-sacrifice" of the Iron Guard was often seen as mere rhetoric, but now, the Legionary movement was able to argue that it has created the "new man" that was able to give one's life for the ideological goals. The funerals made the cause of the Iron Guard better known and from January 1937 to the end of the year, the number of members of the Legion grew from 96,000 to 272,000. The popularity of the Iron Guard was shown in the December 1937 elections, when it was able to gain 15.5% of the votes, becoming the third largest party in the Romanian Parliament. The movement was eventually repressed by
Carol II Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. The eldest son of Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I in 1914. He was the first of th ...
's royal dictatorship regime and its revolutionary fascist project failed. Nevertheless, this burial remains as a political manifestation of a size that was not found elsewhere in Romanian history. In the 1970s, a large monument was erected to Moța and Marin at the site of their death in Majadahonda, near Madrid, Spain. Services continue to be held there, and at Sf. Ilie-Gorgani Church in Bucharest, on the anniversary of their deaths.


Notes


References

*Valentin Săndulescu, "Sacralised Politics in Action: the February 1937 Burial of the Romanian Legionary Leaders Ion Moța and Vasile Marin", ''Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions'', Vol. 8, No. 2, 259–269, June 2007 {{DEFAULTSORT:Funerals of Ion Mota and Vasile Marin Iron Guard Spanish Civil War Mota, Ion and Vasile Marin Romanian military personnel killed in action 1937 in Romania Fascism in Romania Funerals in Romania 20th-century Romanian military personnel