Gheorghe Mihail (March 13, 1887 – January 31, 1982) was a
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
n career army officer.
Born in
Brăila
Brăila (, also , ) is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County. The ''Sud-Est'' Regional Development Agency is located in Brăila.
According to the 2011 Romanian census there were 180,302 pe ...
, he completed primary school in 1902 and passed an examination to enter the school for soldiers' sons in
Iași
Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...
, taking years 7 and 8 there.
[Neagoe, pp. 92–3] He attended the military school for active-duty infantry officers between 1905 and 1907. Made a second lieutenant in 1907, he advanced to lieutenant in 1910.
In 1911, he won a competition for a specialized training with the
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army (, literally "Ground Forces of the Austro-Hungarians"; , literally "Imperial and Royal Army") was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint arm ...
, enrolling in the seventh infantry division at
Esseg
Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...
for two years. During vacation time, he was able to undertake trips to Berlin, Breslau, Venice, Paris, and Rome, attend maneuvers in Belgium and Switzerland, and spend a month in Egypt during the winter of 1910–1911. After returning home in the summer of 1913, he was mobilized for the
Second Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 16 ( O.S.) / 29 (N.S.) June 1913. Serbian and Greek armies r ...
. His infantry regiment did not cross the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
into
Bulgarian
Bulgarian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria
* Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group
* Bulgarian language, a Slavic language
* Bulgarian alphabet
* A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria
* Bul ...
territory, but instead guarded the capital
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
from
Tunari
Tunari is a commune in the center of Ilfov County, Muntenia, Romania. Its name means "cannoneers" in Romanian. It is composed of two villages, Dimieni and Tunari.
The commune is located in the central part of the county, at a distance of north o ...
fort
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
. After demobilization, he continued military service at
Constanța
Constanța (, ; ; rup, Custantsa; bg, Кюстенджа, Kyustendzha, or bg, Констанца, Konstantsa, label=none; el, Κωνστάντζα, Kōnstántza, or el, Κωνστάντια, Kōnstántia, label=none; tr, Köstence), histo ...
. In the summer of 1914, he placed first for entering the
Higher War School, but was unable due to attend when the school closed due to the outbreak of World War I. However, he was soon named commander of a new school for reserve officers in Constanța. He was promoted to captain in April 1915, and was made commander of another new school in Constanța, for active-duty officers.
In August 1916, immediately after Romania entered the war, he was sent in reserve to
Cocioc outside Bucharest. The following month, his regiment was ordered to the
Buzău Mountains
The Buzău Mountains are a set of six mountains ranges in Romania which are part of the Curvature Carpathians region of the Outer Eastern Carpathians.
These six mountain ranges are as follows:
*
*
*
*
*
*.
The Penteleu and Ivănețu Massifs are ...
. There, he distinguished himself in battle on a hillside; gravely wounded in his left foot, Mihail was transferred to a field hospital in
Nehoiu
Nehoiu () is a town in Buzău County, Muntenia, Romania, with a population of 11,631. Wood processing is the local main economic activity. The town has a lumbermill since the early 20th century. It officially became a town in 1989, as a result of ...
. After five months of recuperation, he was dispatched to his regiment, then on leave near
Vaslui
Vaslui (), a city in eastern Romania, is the seat of Vaslui County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia. The city administers five villages: Bahnari, Brodoc, Moara Grecilor, Rediu, and Viișoara.
History
Archaeological surveys indicate ...
. In April 1917, he was advanced to major and made battalion commander. In June, he was sent to the
Nămoloasa
Nămoloasa is a commune in Galați County, in the Western Moldavia region of Romania. It is composed of three villages: Crângeni, Nămoloasa, and Nămoloasa-Sat.
The commune is located in the south-west of the county, on the border with Brăila ...
area, remaining for over a month in the trenches, battle-ready. In mid-July, he received orders to proceed to the theatre of the impending
Battle of Mărășești
The Battle of Mărășești (6 August 1917 – 3 September 1917) was the last major battle between the German Empire and the Kingdom of Romania on the Romanian front during World War I. Romania was mostly occupied by the Central Powers, but t ...
.
Mihail's regiment suffered so many losses that it was reorganized as a single battalion under his command. On July 28, he was wounded in the left hip and evacuated to field hospitals in
Tecuci
Tecuci () is a municipiu, city in Galați County, Romania, in the historical region of Western Moldavia. It is situated among wooded hills, on the right bank of the Bârlad River, and at the junction of railways from Galați, Bârlad, and Mără ...
, Vaslui and Iași. The following month, he was awarded the
Order of Michael the Brave
The Order of Michael the Brave ( ro, Ordinul Mihai Viteazul) is Romania's highest military decoration, instituted by King Ferdinand I during the early stages of the Romanian Campaign of the First World War, and was again awarded in the Second Wo ...
. Although still convalescing, in September he rejoined his comrades, who were on leave near Tecuci. Around Christmas, the battalion was sent to the front in Austrian
Bukovina
Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...
, remaining there until March 1918. In May, the troops were dispatched to the turbulent province of
Bessarabia
Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...
, occupying a stretch along the
Dniester
The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and th ...
river, in the
Rezina
Rezina is a city in Moldova and the capital of Rezina District. Three villages are administered by the city: Boşerniţa, Ciorna and Stohnaia.
Geography
In the northeastern part of Moldova, as far as 98 km from Chișinău, the town of Rezin ...
-
Rîbnița
Rîbnița or Rybnitsa ( ro, Rîbnița or , Moldovan Cyrillic alphabet: Рыбница; russian: Ры́бница, ''Rybnitsa''; uk, Ри́бниця, ''Rybnytsia''; yi, ריבניצע, ''Ribnitse'') is a town in Transnistria (''de facto'') in M ...
area. In the summer of 1918, Mihail was called to
Botoșani, where he was placed in command of a students' battalion from the local officers' school. He remained in this position until February 1919, after the end of the war. At that point, he was able to attend the Higher War School,
[Neagoe, pp. 94–5] completing its course in 1920, the same year he was made a lieutenant-colonel.
During the
interwar period
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...
, Mihail continued his rise: commander of a
Sinaia
Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named aft ...
-based ''
vânători de munte Vânători may refer to several places:
Romania
* Vânători, Galați, a commune in Galați County
* Vânători, Iași, a commune in Iaşi County
* Vânători, Mehedinți, a commune in Mehedinţi County
* Vânători, Mureș, a commune in Mureș Co ...
'' battalion (1922); divisional chief of staff at Sinaia (1925), promoted to colonel and commander of an army group in the same town (1930); infantry regiment commander at
Brașov
Brașov (, , ; german: Kronstadt; hu, Brassó; la, Corona; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the administrative centre of Brașov County.
According to the latest Romanian census (2011), Brașov has a popu ...
(autumn 1930); regiment commander at
Făgăraș
Făgăraș (; german: Fogarasch, Fugreschmarkt, hu, Fogaras) is a city in central Romania, located in Brașov County. It lies on the Olt River and has a population of 28,330 as of 2011. It is situated in the historical region of Transylvania, and ...
(1931); army intelligence section chief (1933); brigadier-general (autumn 1934); staff chief of a military inspectorate (April 1936).
From 1937 to 1939, he was chief of the Royal Household for
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
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 ...
[Csaba Békés, László Borhi, Peter Ruggenthaler, Ottmar Trașcă (eds.), ''Soviet Occupation of Romania, Hungary, and Austria 1944/45–1948/49'', p. 39. Budapest: Central European University Press, 2015. ] and served as director of the
National Military Circle. In 1939, he was made division general, commanding the army's Second Corps until 1940.
From February to November 1939, he entered the
Defense Ministry
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
as a deputy state secretary in four successive governments. He was subsequently made commander of an army corps in
Dobruja
Dobruja or Dobrudja (; bg, Добруджа, Dobrudzha or ''Dobrudža''; ro, Dobrogea, or ; tr, Dobruca) is a historical region in the Balkans that has been divided since the 19th century between the territories of Bulgaria and Romania. I ...
.
From July 4 to August 23, 1940, he was Deputy
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
under
Ion Gigurtu
Ion Gigurtu (; 24 June 1886 – 24 November 1959) was a far-right Romanian politician, Land Forces officer, engineer and industrialist who served a brief term as Prime Minister from 4 July to 4 September 1940, under the personal regime of King Car ...
.
A trusted adviser to the king, he functioned as a sort of Carlist supervisor inside the government. He then served as
Chief of the Romanian General Staff
The Chief of General Staff ( ro, Șeful Statului Major General) is the highest professional military authority in the Romanian Armed Forces. He is appointed by the President of Romania, at the National Defense Minister's proposal (with the appro ...
from August 23 to September 6.
That day, General
Ion Antonescu assumed full powers as ''
Conducător
''Conducător'' (, "Leader") was the title used officially by Romanian dictator Ion Antonescu during World War II, also occasionally used in official discourse to refer to Carol II and Nicolae Ceaușescu.
History
The word is derived from the Ro ...
'', put Mihail on reserve status and placed him under house arrest in Sinaia.
During World War II, he developed a relationship of trust with King
Michael I Michael I may refer to:
* Pope Michael I of Alexandria, Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark in 743–767
* Michael I Rhangabes, Byzantine Emperor (died in 844)
* Michael I Cerularius, Patriarch Michael I of Constantin ...
.
Mihail was reactivated on August 23, 1944, the day of
Royal coup d'état, and again functioned as Chief of the General Staff from that point until October 12.
The same year, he was made army corps general and then army general,
also serving as general inspector of the infantry and army.
Recalled from duty in August 1946, he was sent into the reserves one year later.
[Duțu, Dobre, p. 183] In January 1948, the new
communist regime
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...
arrested Mihail at Sinaia and took him to Bucharest for questioning. Manuscripts found in his home were particularly damning; these included, in the prosecutor's view, "a multitude of phrases containing insults and slanders addressed to the USSR and the Romanian regime". He was charged with sabotage alongside "a group of landowning saboteurs in
Ilfov County
Ilfov () is the county that surrounds Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It used to be largely rural, but, after the fall of Communism, many of the county's villages and communes developed into high-income commuter towns, which act like suburbs ...
" and held for two years. He was subsequently accused of "intense activity against the working classes". In January 1957, he was sentenced to twelve years' imprisonment,
scheduled to end in 1960. However, he was released that October. Mihail had passed through the prisons at
Văcărești,
Pitești,
Ocnele Mari
Ocnele Mari is a town located in Vâlcea County, Oltenia, Romania. The town administers eight villages: Buda, Cosota, Făcăi, Gura Suhașului, Lunca, Ocnița, Slătioarele, and Țeica.
The town is situated in the central part of the county, at ...
,
Sighet, and
Jilava
Jilava is a commune in Ilfov county, Muntenia, Romania, near Bucharest. It is composed of a single village, Jilava.
The name derives from a Romanian word of Slavic origin ( Bulgarian жилав ''žilav'' (tough), which passed into Romanian as '' ...
.
He settled in Bucharest, where he died nearly a quarter-century later. He is buried at Șețu Cemetery, in Sinaia.
Notes
References
*Alesandru Duțu, Florica Dobre, ''Drama generalilor Români: 1944–1964'', p. 183-87. Bucharest: Editura Enciclopedică, 1997.
*Stelian Neagoe et al., ''Istorie politică încarcerată'', vol. I, p. 95. Bucharest: Editura Institutului de Științe Politice și Relații Internaționale, 2006.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mihail, Gheorghe
1887 births
1982 deaths
People from Brăila
Romanian military personnel of the Second Balkan War
Romanian military personnel of World War I
Romanian military personnel of World War II
Romanian Land Forces generals
Carol I National Defence University alumni
Recipients of the Order of Michael the Brave
Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur
Deputy Prime Ministers of Romania
Chiefs of the General Staff of Romania
People detained by the Securitate
Inmates of Sighet prison
Inmates of Pitești prison
Romanian prisoners and detainees