Prince Alexandru Cantacuzino (1901 – 22 September 1939) was a Romanian lawyer and politician, a leading member of the Legionary Movement (popularly known as the Iron Guard), and a close collaborator of Legionary leader Corneliu Zelea Codreanu. He notably devised a plot to overthrow Carol II, King of Romania, a plan that would be taken over by Legionary leader and later Vice President of the Council of Ministers Horia Sima. Cantacuzino was killed on September 22, 1939, at the prison in Râmnicu Sărat, during a retaliation operation ordered by Carol II following the assassination of Prime Minister Armand Călinescu.
Contents
Biography
Prince Alexandru Cantacuzino was born in 1901 in the commune of Ciocănești, Ilfov County, in the Ghica-Cantacuzino mansion, today a historical monument. He was a descendant of the Greek family of Cantacuzino, a noble family active in the 17th to 19th centuries in current-day Romania (then Wallachia, Moldavia, and the Kingdom of Romania). He studied in Paris and then at the Hague Academy of International Law, obtaining a bachelor's degree, and later at the University of Bucharest, where he received a doctorate of law. He opted for a diplomatic career, beginning as chief of staff at the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1926–1927), then as secretary of legation and head of Romanian affairs in the Hague and Warsaw.
Attracted by emerging far-right and fascist politics in Romania, Cantacuzino began contributing to the Bucharest-based Legionary newspaper, Axa, then edited by notable far-right figures such as Ion Moța, Vasile Cristescu, Alexandru Constant, Mihail Polihroniade, and Mircea Eliade. He also contributed writings to magazines Convorbiri literare, Cuvântul studențesc, Vestitorii, and Libertatea.
Political activity
Cantacuzino joined the Legionary Movement, also known as the Iron Guard or the Legion of the Archangel Michael, and became one of the closest collaborators of the "Căpitanul", Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, who awarded him the highest rank in the Legionary hierarchy, "Commander of the Annunciation" ("Comandant al Bunei Vestiri"). He came to the attention of the state authorities after participating in the organization of the Student Congresses in Craiova (April 1935) and in Târgu Mureș (April 1936), which culminated in demonstrations and serious disturbances of public order. The congress in Craiova focused dominantly on the “affirmation of the Legionary faith” on the part of students, and the subsequent congress in Târgu Mureș was much more aggressive, openly denouncing the so-called "occult forces" (supposedly Jews) that led Romanian politics and were responsible for the persecution of Legionary students. Elena Lupescu, the Jewish mistress and later wife of Carol II, was specifically targeted at this congress, alongside Virgil Madgearu, General Gabriel Marinescu, and later Prime Minister Armand Călinescu, whom Legionary students believed to be conspiring to assassinate Codreanu. Cantacuzino was, according to Horia Sima's later recollection, one of the most virulent speakers to appear before the congress.
In 1936, Cantacuzino left with the legionary team led by General Gheorghe Cantacuzino-Grănicerul to fight in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the Franco-led Nationalist faction. He was later decorated with the "Red Cross" by Franco for his participation.
On 17 May 1937, Cantacuzino was sentenced to one year in prison due to his role at the Târgu Mureș Student Congress.
In 1937 Cantacuzino was appointed head of the "Moța-Marin Legionary Corps", set up on orders of Codreanu shortly before the group of Legionnaires left for the Spanish front. This Legionary Corps was to serve as Codreanu's personal guard. It was later intended to be transformed into the elite defence corps of the Legionary movement, "a group of strictly and severely educational essence and heroic inspiration", consisting of 10,033 "fighters" under 30 years of age. The intended transformation of this organization was never realized, as the Iron Guard, the electoral front of the Legionary movement, was disbanded with the establishment of a royal dictatorship and the prohibition of any form of political activity.
With the encouragement of Codreanu, Cantacuzino ran in the elections of 20–22 December 1937, representing the Iron Guard in Arad County. He succeeded in achieving one of the highest vote counts obtained by the Legionaries, receiving 32.73% of the vote, and became deputy of Argeș.
Death
After refusing to sign a declaration of submission and allegiance to the authorities, Cantacuzino was shot on the night of 21–22 September 1939. The remaining Legionary leaders imprisoned in Râmnicu Sărat were also shot, including Gheorghe Clime, Aurel Serafim, Nicolae Totu, Gheorghe Istrate, Sima Simulescu, Cristian Tell, Gheorghe Furdui, Mihail Polihroniade, Paul Craja, and Gheorghe Apostolescu. The list of those to be shot was reportedly drawn up by Armand Călinescu, alongside police prefect Gavrilă Marinescu and Mihail Moruzov, the Romanian intelligence director. Alexandru Cantacuzino was buried in the Legionary Cemetery in Predeal.
Following the rise to power of Ion Antonescu and Horia Sima on 14 September 1940 (a regime known as the National Legionary State), the 1938 arrest and trial was revised by Decision no. 4 of 21 November 1940 of the Commission for the Review of Political Processes, at which point 19 Legionary leaders, including Alexandru Cantacuzino (second on the list), were acquitted of their sentences.