Paradele de 23 august în România lui Nicolae Ceaușescu
The 23 August Parades in Nicolae Ceaușescu’s Romania

Summary/Abstract: This article analyzes the content of parades of 23 August, the National Day of Romania, during Ceaușescu communist time period, the greatest year celebration that marked on the one hand, the general parade, and on the other hand, more importantly the military parade. The assumptions used in this article focuses primarily on the idea that the parades of the 23 August during Ceaușescu’s era represented, firstly, a military component of the communist Romanian regime, secondly, a demonstration of the military power of the communist Romanian regime, and thirdly, an opportunity to enhance the communist propaganda on national and international arena, by presenting the achievements and accomplishments under the leadership of the Romanian Communist Party, which in fact dramatically contrasted with the realities lived in the Romanian society under this communist political system. My personal testimonies about these events try to bring more knowledge on this subject. In addition, the military and political personality of Nicolae Ceaușescu contributed to the discipline of people of the Romanian socialist society, given the fact that Nicolae Ceaușescu had been a political officer with the rank of general in the central structures of the Romanian Army, and afterwards Secretary General of the Romanian Communist Party, President of the Socialist Republic of Romania and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Through the organization and presentation of the military parade on 23 August during Ceausescu period, they tried to demonstrate that Romania was a communist military power able to defend the independence, sovereignty and integrity of the country. Moreover, the parades of 23 August in Romania of Nicolae Ceaușescu represented the most important opportunity to put an emphasis on the communist propaganda, to point out the historical and political significance of the National Day of the Romanian people, to praise the socialist achievements and accomplishments, and to promote the cult of personality of Nicolae Ceaușescu.

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