Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceausescu (1918-89), Romanian dictator. The son of a peasant, he worked in factories from the age of 11 and joined an illegal communist movement. He was twice imprisoned for his political activities (1936-38; 1940-44). After the communists took power in 1945 he rose steadily through the party ranks to become effective ruler of the country in 1965. He took the title president of Romania in 1974. His rule was marked by disastrous economic policies and the repression of all dissent; in foreign affairs he maintained Romania’s independence of the Soviet Union. He was finally deposed in a violent revolution in December 1989; he and his wife Elena were executed by firing squad on Christmas Day.
