Bartholomew, Andrew

From 1967-1989 President Nicolae Ceausescu and the Securitate (the secret or political police) repressed the Romanian people through the use of classic propaganda techniques and a unique manipulation of Romania's own national and cultural history. Ceausescu did this in order to cement his hold on the Romanian people and to ensure that Communism remained the dominant ideology within the nation. This thesis argues that Ceausescu manipulated Romania's Latin heritage, cultural and historical icons, and the nation's national identity and history to sustain his regime. Ceausescu used these native sources and the state sponsored repression of the Securitate to give his regime the trappings of legitimacy and to cement his rule.