Lancieri
Encyclopedia
The Lăncieri or 'Lance-bearers' were a Romania
n fascist
paramilitary
movement who adopted a blue shirted uniform and contributed to the country's political street battles in the 1920s and 1930s.
The group was initially attached to the National-Christian Defense League
and became noted in the 1920s for their attacks on that party's main target the Jews, as well as general disruption of university life. Following the emergence of the National Christian Party
the Lăncieri became associated with that group and continued their wild ways, rivalling the Iron Guard
(with whom they frequently clashed) in their violence and mayhem. The 1937 general election
campaign in particular was marred by clashes between the two fascist groups and not even the intervention of Alfred Rosenberg
could unite the warring factions. Clashes between the two groups would continue, although ironically the Lăncieri owed much of their organisation to the Iron Guard and indeed their continuing existence was as much an attempt to attract interest away from that group.
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...
n fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
movement who adopted a blue shirted uniform and contributed to the country's political street battles in the 1920s and 1930s.
The group was initially attached to the National-Christian Defense League
National-Christian Defense League
The National-Christian Defense League was a virulently anti-Semitic political party of Romania formed by A. C. Cuza.-Origins:The group had its roots in the National Christian Union, formed in 1922 by Cuza and the famed physiologist Nicolae Paulescu. This group, which used the swastika as its...
and became noted in the 1920s for their attacks on that party's main target the Jews, as well as general disruption of university life. Following the emergence of the National Christian Party
National Christian Party
The National Christian Party was a Romanian political party, the product of a union between Octavian Goga's National Agrarian Party and A. C. Cuza's National-Christian Defense League; a prominent member of the party was the philosopher Nichifor Crainic...
the Lăncieri became associated with that group and continued their wild ways, rivalling the Iron Guard
Iron Guard
The Iron Guard is the name most commonly given to a far-right movement and political party in Romania in the period from 1927 into the early part of World War II. The Iron Guard was ultra-nationalist, fascist, anti-communist, and promoted the Orthodox Christian faith...
(with whom they frequently clashed) in their violence and mayhem. The 1937 general election
Romanian general election, 1937
General elections were held in Romania on 20 and 22 December 1937. It was Romania's last election before King Carol II dissolved Parliament and instituted a royal dictatorship the following February. By the next elections under the 1923 Constitution, Romania had passed through two dictatorships and...
campaign in particular was marred by clashes between the two fascist groups and not even the intervention of Alfred Rosenberg
Alfred Rosenberg
' was an early and intellectually influential member of the Nazi Party. Rosenberg was first introduced to Adolf Hitler by Dietrich Eckart; he later held several important posts in the Nazi government...
could unite the warring factions. Clashes between the two groups would continue, although ironically the Lăncieri owed much of their organisation to the Iron Guard and indeed their continuing existence was as much an attempt to attract interest away from that group.