Grivita Strike of 1933
Encyclopedia
The Grivița Strike of 1933 was a railway strike which was started at the Grivița Workshops
, Bucharest
, Romania
, on 16 February 1933 by workers of Căile Ferate Române
(Romanian Railways). The strike was brought about by the increasingly poor working conditions of railway employees in the context of the worldwide Great Depression
, which affected Romania significantly. It quickly turned into a riot, and resulted in clashes between railway workers and the Gendarmerie
, as well as in the death of Vasile Roaită
, a worker whose image was used by the early Communist regime.
An important member of the railway employees striking was the Romanian Communist Party
member Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej
, who later became the leader of Communist Romania
. In 1933, Gheorghiu-Dej was sentenced to 12 years' forced labour by the courts of the Kingdom of Romania
for his role in organising the Grivița strike. He escaped in 1944, and after the installation of the Communist regime in Romania in 1948, became the country's de facto ruler as General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party
.
Grivita
Griviţa is an area of Bucharest, Romania, centered on the Griviţa Railway Yards , which were and still are an important landmark within the manufacturing landscape of the city...
, Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, on 16 February 1933 by workers of Căile Ferate Române
Caile Ferate Române
Căile Ferate Române is the official designation of the state railway carrier of Romania. Romania has a railway network of of which are electrified and the total track length is . The network is significantly interconnected with other European railway networks, providing pan-European passenger...
(Romanian Railways). The strike was brought about by the increasingly poor working conditions of railway employees in the context of the worldwide Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, which affected Romania significantly. It quickly turned into a riot, and resulted in clashes between railway workers and the Gendarmerie
Jandarmeria Româna
Jandarmeria Română is the military branch of the two Romanian police forces .The gendarmerie is subordinated to the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform and does not have responsibility for policing the Romanian Armed Forces...
, as well as in the death of Vasile Roaită
Vasile Roaită
Vasile Roaită was a Romanian railway worker for Căile Ferate Române, shot during the Griviţa Strike of 1933 and later touted as a proletarian hero under the Communist regime of Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej.-Notes:...
, a worker whose image was used by the early Communist regime.
An important member of the railway employees striking was the Romanian Communist Party
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party was a communist political party in Romania. Successor to the Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to communist revolution and the disestablishment of Greater Romania. The PCR was a minor and illegal grouping for much of the...
member Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej was the Communist leader of Romania from 1948 until his death in 1965.-Early life:Gheorghe was the son of a poor worker, Tănase Gheorghiu, and his wife Ana. Gheorghiu-Dej joined the Communist Party of Romania in 1930...
, who later became the leader of Communist Romania
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
. In 1933, Gheorghiu-Dej was sentenced to 12 years' forced labour by the courts of the Kingdom of Romania
Kingdom of Romania
The Kingdom of Romania was the Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
for his role in organising the Grivița strike. He escaped in 1944, and after the installation of the Communist regime in Romania in 1948, became the country's de facto ruler as General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party was a communist political party in Romania. Successor to the Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to communist revolution and the disestablishment of Greater Romania. The PCR was a minor and illegal grouping for much of the...
.
External links
- The Griviţa Strike and the Great Depression in Romania
- The Griviţa Strike and Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej Legendele Griviţei - comuniştii declaraţi singurii vinovaţi (The legends of Griviţa strike - only the communists were made culpable), Jurnalul NaţionalJurnalul NationalJurnalul Naţional is a Romanian newspaper, part of the Intact media group led by Dan Voiculescu, which also includes the popular TV station Antena 1....
, March 15, 2005