Ioan Rășcanu (October 1, 1878 – February 25, 1952) was a

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

n general during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He held the post of

Minister of War A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

from September 27, 1919 to December 16, 1921. After entering politics, he was elected deputy in

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

, and served as Mayor of

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 t ...

(1938–1942) and

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

(1942–1944). Arrested in 1947 by the early

communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...

, he died several years later at Sighet Prison.

Early life

He was born in 1878 in

Cahul Cahul (; also known by alternative names) is a city and municipality in southern Moldova. The city is the administrative center of Cahul District; it also administers one village, Cotihana. As of 2014 census, the city has a population of 30,0 ...

, in south-western

Bessarabia Bessarabia () 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 Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...

(now in

Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...

), the son of Elefterie and Elena Rășcanu. Soon after, the family moved to Vaslui, where the parents taught at School Nr. 1 for boys. Growing up, he attended this school, where he befriended his classmate, Gheorghe Mironescu, who later became

Prime Minister A prime minister 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. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

. After graduating the High School for Sons of Military in

Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the Cities in Romania, third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical ...

, Rășcanu went to

in July 1891, where he enlisted in the School for Artillery and Engineering Officers, graduating in July 1893 with the rank of second lieutenant. For two years he commanded a platoon of the 4th Artillery Regiment, after which he attended the Artillery School (1895–1897) and then Higher War School in Bucharest (1898–1900), where he was colleague with the future generals

Ernest Broșteanu Ernest Broșteanu (January 24, 1869 June 6, 1932) was a Romanian General officer, general during Romania during World War I, World War I, best known for his leading role in the 1918 Romanian military intervention in Bessarabia. Early life He was ...

, Ștefan Holban, and .

Career in the Romanian Army

Rășcanu advanced in rank to lieutenant (April 1896), captain (March 1903), and major (March 1910). Speaking several languages (Russian, German, English, and French), he served from 1907 to 1911 as Romania's

military attaché A military attaché or defence attaché (DA),Defence Attachés
''Geneva C ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. From 1910 to 1912 he served on the General Staff of the

Romanian Army The Romanian Land Forces () is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. Since 2007, full professionalization and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Land Forces. The Romanian Land Forc ...

. He was awarded in 1909 the Order of the Crown, Commander rank, and in 1912 the

Order of the Star of Romania The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the Order of Michael the Brave. It is the oldest Order of Romania. It is awarded by the Preside ...

, Officer class. In 1913 he participated in the

Second Balkan War The Second Balkan War was a conflict that broke out when Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia and Kingdom of Greece, Greece, on 1 ...

, and was decorated with the . He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in April 1914 and became colonel in April 1916.

World War I

After Romania entered

on the side of the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

in August 1916, Rășcanu served as Chief of the Operations Section of the General Headquarters, and was attached to the General Staff of the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

in 1916. Together with a fellow artilleryman, Colonel Vasile Rudeanu, he represented the Romanian High Command at the Third Chantilly Conference in November 1916. In the summer of 1917 Rășcanu fought at the battles of

Mărășești Mărășești () is a small town in Vrancea County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It administers six villages: Călimănești, Haret, Modruzeni, Pădureni, Siretu, and Tișița. Geography The town is located in the eastern part of the county, on th ...

, Mărăști, and

Oituz Oituz (formerly ''Grozești''; ) is a commune in Bacău County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Călcâi (''Zöldlonka''), Ferestrău-Oituz (''Fűrészfalva''), Hârja (''Herzsa''), Marginea, Oituz and Poiana Sărată (' ...

. Promoted to brigadier general in September 1917, he took command of the 15th Artillery Brigade. He represented the Romanian Army at the

Armistice of Focșani The Armistice of Focșani (, also called the Truce of Focșani) was an agreement that ended the hostilities between Romania (member of the Allied Powers) and the Central Powers in World War I. It was signed on 9 December 1917 in Focșani in Ro ...

from December 7, 1917 between Romania,

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, and the

Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...

. In January 1918 he became the first commander of the newly formed ''Vânători'' 1st Division. In March his division crossed the

Prut River The Prut (also spelled in English as Pruth; , ) is a river in Eastern Europe. It is a left tributary of the Danube, and is long. Part of its course forms Romania's border with Moldova and Ukraine. Characteristics The Prut originates on the eas ...

and he replaced General

(his classmate at the Higher War School) as commander of the Romanian troops in

Chișinău Chișinău ( , , ; formerly known as Kishinev) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Moldova, largest city of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial centre, and is located in the middle of the coun ...

and central

. His troops paraded in support on March 27, when

Sfatul Țării ''Sfatul Țării'' ("Council of the Country"; ) was a council of political, public, cultural, and professional organizations in the guberniya, Governorate of Bessarabia in Russian Empire, Tsarist Russia. This became a legislative body which e ...

voted the

Union of Bessarabia with Romania The union of Bessarabia with Romania was proclaimed on by Sfatul Țării, the legislative body of the Moldavian Democratic Republic. This state had the same borders of the region of Bessarabia, which was annexed by the Russian Empire following t ...

. The 1st Division was disbanded in May 1918 as a result of the Treaty of Bucharest with the Central Powers.

Political career

After serving as Secretary General of the Ministry of War from December 1, 1918 to September 27, 1919, Rășcanu became Minister of War, serving in three successive governments, led by

Prime Ministers A prime minister 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. A prime minister is not the head of state, but rat ...

Artur Văitoianu Artur or Arthur Văitoianu (14 April 1864 in Izmail – 17 June 1956) was a Romanian general who served as a Prime Minister of Romania for about two months in 1919 (27 September – 30 November). During his mandate, the first elections of ...

(September 27 – November 30, 1919),

Alexandru Vaida-Voevod Alexandru Vaida-Voevod or Vaida-Voievod (27 February 1872 – 19 March 1950) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian politician who was a supporter and promoter of the union of Transylvania (before 1920 part of Hungary) with the Romanian Old K ...

(December 1, 1919 – March 1, 1920), and

Alexandru Averescu Alexandru Averescu (; 9 March 1859 – 2 October 1938) was a Romanian marshal, diplomat and Populism, populist politician. A Romanian Armed Forces Commander during World War I, he served as List of Prime Ministers of Romania, Prime Minister of thr ...

(March 12, 1920 – December 15, 1921). At his initiative, the Land Forces Academy was established in

Sibiu Sibiu ( , , , Hungarian: ''Nagyszeben'', , Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'' or ''Hermestatt'') is a city in central Romania, situated in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles th ...

in July 1920. In April 1921 he was promoted to major general, after which he retired in 1922, and was put in reserve. Rășcanu returned to Vaslui, where he became a leading member of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the People's Party, led by Averescu. He was elected to the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

at the parliamentary elections of

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen in Finland, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its ow ...

1926 In Turkey, the year technically contained only 352 days. As Friday, December 18, 1926 ''(Julian Calendar)'' was followed by Saturday, January 1, 1927 '' (Gregorian Calendar)''. 13 days were dropped to make the switch. Turkey thus became the ...

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...

, and

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

. He was Minister of State and High Commissioner for Bessarabia and

Bukovina Bukovina or ; ; ; ; , ; see also other languages. is a historical region at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe. It is located on the northern slopes of the central Eastern Carpathians and the adjoining plains, today divided betwe ...

in the Third Averescu cabinet from March 30, 1926 to July 4, 1927, and Minister of State in the Iorga cabinet from April 18, 1931 to June 6, 1932. The national cabinet allowed Bessarabian notables to provide input on its economic policies, with a Bessarabian Economic Council that was chaired by Rășcanu. From 1938 to December 1942 he was Mayor of Vaslui. In June 1940, together with other generals of the Romanian Army and political figures from Bessarabia, he opposed the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

ultimatum An ; ; : ultimata or ultimatums) is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a coercion, threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance (open loop). An ultimatum is generally the ...

demanding that Romania cede Bessarabia, saying: "No nation can surrender its territories without fighting!" From November 15, 1942 to

King Michael's Coup King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by ...

of August 23, 1944 he was

Mayor of Bucharest The mayor of Bucharest (), sometimes known as the general mayor, is the head of the Bucharest City Hall in Bucharest, Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast ...

. In December 1942 he was promoted to lieutenant general (Reserve), and was awarded the

, Grand Cross class.

Last years

In February 1945 he permanently retired from the Army. In May 1947 he was arrested by the Communist authorities and interrogated at the headquarters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He was condemned on August 1, 1951 to 2 years of incarceration. Rășcanu was sent to Sighet Prison, where he died in February 1952, after a harsh detention regime. He was buried at the (also known as Cearda Cemetery) in

Sighetu Marmației Sighetu Marmației (, also spelled ''Sighetul Marmației''; or ''Siget''; , ; ; ), until 1960 Sighet, is a city in Maramureș County near the Iza River, in northwestern Romania. Geography Sighetu Marmației is situated along the Tisa river o ...

, in a

common grave A potter's field, paupers' grave or common grave is a place for the burial of unknown, unclaimed or indigent people. "Potter's field" is of Biblical origin, referring to Akeldama (meaning ''field of blood'' in Aramaic), stated to have been pur ...

on the banks of the

Iza River The Iza is a left tributary of the river Tisa in northern Romania. Its source is in the Rodna Mountains. It flows into the Tisa near the city Sighetu Marmației. It passes through the communes Săcel, Săliștea de Sus, Dragomirești, Bogdan V ...

. A street in Vaslui is named after him. In 2018, a bust of Rășcanu was erected in the city's Mihail Kogălniceanu Park.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rascanu, Ioan 1878 births 1952 deaths People from Cahul People from Bessarabia Governorate Carol I National Defence University alumni Romanian military personnel of the Second Balkan War Romanian Army World War I generals Romanian Land Forces generals Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania Commanders of the Order of the Crown (Romania) Ministers of defence of Romania National Liberal Party (Romania) politicians Mayors of Bucharest Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Romania) Ministers for Bessarabia Inmates of Sighet prison Romanian people who died in prison custody Prisoners who died in Securitate custody