Nicolae Ceaușescu and his cult of personality. Key moments in shaping and defining the leader cult
Nicolae Ceaușescu and his cult of personality. Key moments in shaping and defining the leader cult

Summary/Abstract: Nicolae Ceaușescu was a prominent figure between the years 1965 and 1989 at both national and international level. The leader of Romania had a clear schedule from the moment he came into power: to leave his name in the history of Romania alongside other important historical figures like Ștefan cel Mare or Mircea cel Bătrân. In order to do so, he needed to gain both the love and respect of the people. There were some key moments that pushed Nicolae Ceaușescu into wanting more than just a name in the history books, he wanted to become the one true leader of Romania. The refusal to invade Czechoslovakia in 1968 marked a huge boost for the Romanian leader on both national and international level. After receiving all sorts of praises for his stand, Nicolae Ceaușescu would start to create a different type of persona. The trips to China and North Korea were the catalyst that made Nicolae Ceaușescu switch into this different personality, wanting to be idolatrized by the people as he has seen in this two communist countries. In order to do so he turned to the arts of symbolism and mythology, alongside other different types of nationalistic propaganda that formed around himself a feeling of invincibility. The 1974 Election as President of Romania marked the final moment in the creation of his cult of personality, offering Nicolae Ceaușescu a moment in which he is depicted as the saviour and the one true leader of Romania.

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