Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej

8 November 1901 Bârlad, Vaslui County, Kingdom of Romania

19 March 1965(1965-03-19) (63) Bucharest, Romanian People's Republic

October 1944 (1944-10 )  – 19 April 1954 (1954-04-19 )

General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party (1901-1965) For the city in Romania formerly known as Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, see Onești. Gheorghe Gheorghiu-DejGheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej's official portrait, taken on 8 February 1948, which then became common during his leadershipGeneral Secretary of the Romanian Communist PartyIn office October 1944 (1944-10 )  – 19 April 1954 (1954-04-19 ) Preceded by Ștefan ForișSucceeded by Gheorghe ApostolIn office 30 September 1955 (1955-09-30 )  – 19 March 1965Preceded by Gheorghe ApostolSucceeded by Nicolae CeaușescuPresident of the State CouncilIn office 21 March 1961 – 19 March 1965Preceded by Ion Gheorghe Maurer (as President of the Presidium of Great National Assembly)Succeeded by Chivu StoicaPresident of the Council of MinistersIn office 2 June 1952 – 2 October 1955Preceded by Petru GrozaSucceeded by Chivu StoicaFirst Vice President of the Council of MinistersIn office 15 April 1948 – 2 June 1952Prime Minister Petru GrozaPreceded by Gheorghe TătărescuMinister of Industry and CommerceIn office 1 December 1946 – 14 April 1948Prime Minister Petru GrozaPreceded by Petre BejanMinister of Public WorksIn office 6 March 1945 – 30 November 1946Prime Minister Petru GrozaPreceded by Virgil SolomonSucceeded by Ion Gh. VântuMinister of CommunicationsIn office 4 November 1944 – 30 November 1946Prime Minister Constantin Sănătescu Nicolae Rădescu Petru GrozaSucceeded by Nicolae Profiri Personal detailsBorn8 November 1901 Bârlad, Vaslui County, Kingdom of RomaniaDied19 March 1965(1965-03-19) (aged 63) Bucharest, Romanian People's RepublicCause of deathLung cancerResting placeCarol Park, Bucharest, Romania (until 1991) Bellu Cemetery, Bucharest, Romania (after 1991) NationalityRomanianPolitical partyCommunist Party of Romania (1930-1965)Spouse(s)Maria Alexea. ^ First Secretary of the Romanian Worker's Party (from February 1948) Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (Romanian pronunciation:  ( listen ) ; 8 November 1901 – 19 March 1965) was a Romanian communist politician and electrician. He was the first Communist leader of Romania from 1947 to 1965, serving as first secretary of the Romanian Communist Party (ultimately "Romanian Workers' Party", PMR) from 1944 to 1954 and from 1955 to 1965, and as the first Communist Prime Minister of Romania from 1952 to 1955. Born in Bârlad (1901), Gheorghiu-Dej was involved in communist movements' activities from the early 1930s. Upon the outbreak of World War II in Europe, he was imprisoned by Ion Antonescu's regime in the Târgu Jiu detention camp, and escaped only in August 1944. After the forces of King Michael ousted Antonescu and had him arrested for war crimes, Gheorghiu-Dej together with prime-minister Petru Groza pressured the King into abdicating in December 1947, marking the onset of out-and-out Communist rule in Romania. Under his rule, Romania was considered one of the Soviet Union's most loyal satellite states, though Gheorghiu-Dej was partially unnerved by the rapid De-Stalinization policy initiated by Nikita Khrushchev at the end of the 1950s. Gheorghiu-Dej stepped up measures that greatly increased trade relations between Romania and the Western countries. However, at the same time his government was accused of human rights violations within the country. He died of lung cancer in March 1965. His once protégé Nicolae Ceaușescu succeeded him as General Secretary.