The End of the Shoemaker Dictator
What you can learn from the death of a dictator
On a bleak winter day, December 25th 1989, Nicolae Ceausescu — the once oppressive supreme leader of Romania - followed by his wife Elena exited a military vehicle both displaying discernible looks of fear on their faces. Arrested by the nation only two days prior, they were escorted into a room where they were presented with their crimes of oppression against the people of Romania. It wouldn’t be hard to believe that Ceausescu was perhaps hopeful to overcome the trial. After all, he was a dictator who felt he was above the nation. A brief 90-minute trial was undertaken where accusations that delivered heavy blows to any case for pardon were presented. Perhaps the heaviest of them all was the accusation of ‘suppressing the soul of the nation’. These allegations quickly diminished any hope of being excused and Ceausescu was promptly humbled realising his life would come to an end in but a few moments. ‘We’re powerless now!’ Elena was heard crying as her hands were tied and she was carried out to the courtyard garden for execution. ‘No one will help you now’ responded a soldier whose statement struck the Ceausescus and everyone else in the room. Romania’s notorious dictator, and at one time supreme leader was unapologetically disposed of after 29 cartridges were emptied from 3 rounds, leaving the once feared leader’s body cold and lifeless…
The former shoemaker’s apprentice rose to power despite having no formal higher education. It is rumoured that in spite of everything we know about Ceausescu, he was actually a respected leader in his primitive days of rule. Some argue that the drastic change in style of leadership transpired after Ceausescu visited Kim Il-Sung, the supreme leader of North-Korea. After his visit in 1971, Ceausescu was inspired by Kim Il-Sung and intended to make Romania the North-Korea of Europe where he aspired to be the sovereign ruler. This infatuation for power and control ultimately lead to the fall of Ceausescu; he was later trialled and found guilty of mass genocide, responsible for killing ‘over 60,000 people.’
30 years have now passed since the fall of Romania’s dictator. Although Romania is now a democratic, capitalist country, even today this isolated Latin country in the east of Europe has reminiscent signs of a former communist rule. What then, can we learn from the brutal death of a dictator whose leadership we are still reminded of today?
Ceausescu’s story started as a story that could have inspired many; a village boy who escaped to the city leaving behind his abusive father. His determination and energy eventually led him to become the leader of a nation. Many great leaders throughout history share a similarly tough start. Likewise, many great leaders throughout history share a similarly unanticipated end. Ceausescu came in as an invigorating leader whose best interest was to reform Romania. One such example of this reform was his intention to end Romania’s overwhelming debt. So, what was the reason Ceausescu’s story ended in such a humiliating manner?
Ceausescu’s self-interest only increased through his reign; his obsession for power led him to forget that a leader of the people must remain a leader for the people. His ostentatious palace, the construction of which began in 1984, was yet another symbol of obsession for power and might. Eventually, the nation grew restless of a leader who had forgotten his responsibilities. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, ‘virtues are lost in self-interest as rivers are lost in sea.’ Similarly, Ceausescu became lost in his self-interests as he became increasingly concerned with his image as a leader rather than his role as a leader. The virtues that lead him to become the leader of Romania were now drowning in the pursuit of complete autocracy.
Ceausescu was known to have a fear of being shot, which quite ironically was the preferred method for his execution. Many felt that on the day of the trial, Ceausescu felt he wouldn’t be given such a harsh penalty. After all, he was still the president. His power and status had deluded him after he repeatedly failed to recognise the severity of the trial. Even after being detained, he called out, ‘I have the right to do what I want!’ In an impotent and vulnerable state, Ceausescu naively believed that he was still a dominant figure who felt he could make such a claim. Ceausescu’s rise and fall is an enigmatic journey. However, what is apparent through this journey and more specifically at the end of this journey was that his ego had completely consumed him. His visit to Kim-Il-Sung was perhaps the water that this ego-seed needed to germinate, causing his increasing confidence to develop into an arrogance. What started as a concern to provide Romania with strong leadership turned into an obsession. It was this obsession that lead to decisions that caused a mass genocide. He had shown no concern for the repercussions of his actions which led many to believe that Ceausescu felt he had risen above the nation. Ceausescu’s ego had become so inflated that his self-interest had completely disregarded the interest of the nation. For those who choose to reflect on the life of this leader, perhaps the lesson we can take from his enigmatic story is to tame the ego before the ego tames you…
