Ion Anghel, ed.. Timisoara 16-22 decembrie 1989. Timisoara: Editura Facla, 1990. 306 pp. 39 lei, paper, ISBN 978-973-36-0091-6. Miodrag Milin. Timisoara, 15-21 decembrie '89. Timisoara: M. Milin, 1990. 188 pp. , , . Miodrag Milin. Timisoara in revolutie si dupa. Timisoara: Editura Marineasa, 1997. 223 pp. Price not available,, paper, ISBN 978-973-9185-84-4. Reviewed by Nicolae Harsanyi Published on HABSBURG (December, 1999) Ten years have elapsed since the December (classified records, video recordings), subjective 16-22 1989 uprising in Timisoara that led to the interpretations of the uprising abound: from at‐ overthrow of Ceausescu's dictatorship in Roma‐ tempts at cause and effect explanations detailing nia. The uprising was the frst episode of what has the hardships of life under Ceausescu's dictator‐ come to be known as the "Romanian revolution," ship[1] through exercises in cultural studies (Jean the last of the dominoes that fell during Eastern Baudrillard, for instance, has concluded that Europe's revolutions in 1989. Unlike Poland, Hun‐ nothing happened, other than a media manipula‐ gary, the GDR, and Czechoslovakia, Romania end‐ tion campaign[2]), to faithful, but incomplete ac‐ ed communism with a bloody revolution. In order counts by witnesses. Such collections of testi‐ to suppress the demonstrations that called for monies and generalizations replace the still lack‐ radical political changes, Ceausescu sent the army, ing, all embracing historical narrative of the the police, and the Securitate (Romania's dreaded events. What we are offered instead is the narra‐ secret police) with specific orders to use deadly tive that survives in the minds of the large num‐ force. For six days the population of this city of ber of people who were directly involved. 350,000 inhabitants heroically resisted the repres‐ Compiling several such testimonies collected sion, which took a heavy toll: 128 dead, 30 disap‐ in the early months of 1990, Miodrag Milin, a pro‐ peared, and hundreds injured and disabled. This fessor of history at the West University of review is dedicated to their memory. Timisoara, published in the same year Timisoara In order to better understand the difficulties 15-21 decembrie '89 (Timisoara, 15-21 December of writing the history of the Timisoara uprising, it '89).[3] It was the frst attempt to offer the Roma‐ should be pointed out that the Romanian govern‐ nian readers a coherent picture of the events as ment closed the borders on December 16, 1989, as they unfolded and as they were experienced by soon as the demonstrations began in earnest. different participants in the demonstrations. Therefore, owing to the total absence in Timisoara Since Miodrag Milin, a longtime resident of of reliable media to reflect the events, as well as Timisoara, had been out of town during the to the inaccessibility of documentary sources events, he relied on the accounts of eye-witnesses H-Net Reviews to convey the feeling of immediacy usually de‐ ernment. From Savu's account one learns of his rived from frst hand experience. The main merit impatience to change the situation ("the moment of this book is twofold: it puts in chronological or‐ has come," says Savu when seeing the crowd gath‐ der all the demonstrations and their repression as ered in front of Reverend Laszlo Tokes's home on they occurred throughout the city (maps includ‐ December 16, p. 87), that he acted upon informa‐ ed), and it highlights the great sense of solidarity tion of what happened elsewhere (p. 110), being that animated the inhabitants of this city in their also aware of previous efforts to express public empty-handed, but determined resistance before opposition to the regime (p. 86). the regimes' troops, tanks, and armored person‐ The long interview with Savu highlights a nel carriers that all fired on them with live ammu‐ specific phenomenon of the Romanian revolution, nition. Even after the army ceased fring and viz. the lack of an alternative leadership: the ab‐ withdrew from the streets on December 20, this sence of a dissident movement, whose members sense of civic duty prompted the inhabitants to could have provided alternative guidance to the stay out and demonstrate round the clock in the insurgents, became painfully obvious. Therefore, Opera Square in the city's downtown for the next searching for leaders, Savu shows his readiness to two days so as to defend their newly won free‐ have Radu Balan, one of the local RCP chiefs, dom. The massive and orderly protest cannot be speak to the crowds gathered in front of the overlooked: there was no history of organized Opera in Timisoara. This also explains why the protest in communist Romania, so the discipline population, immediately after the Revolution, and vast resources of solidarity shown by the city readily accepted former apparatchiks, like Ion Ili‐ of Timisoara took the government by surprise and escu, to lead the country or, at the local level, Flo‐ instilled confidence in the demonstrators. rentin Carpanu to be put in charge of Timis coun‐ 1990 also was the year of publication for ty. In his interview, Ioan Savu also offers interest‐ Timisoara, 16-22 decembrie 1989 a collection of ing details about the failed negotiations with eyewitness testimonies mixed with reflections by Prime Minister Dascalescu: soon after Savu, to‐ a number of local intellectuals. However, the val‐ gether with the other representatives of the ue of this book lies in the information conveyed demonstrators, sat down to talk with the high par‐ by eyewitnesses, rather than in the ideas ex‐ ty and government delegation from Bucharest, he pressed in the reflective essays. Ion Anghel ap‐ realized that the latter were not prepared for dis‐ pears to have served only as a technical editor for cussion, but rather tried to exert pressure on the the book. insurgents and to bully them into submission. (p. All the accounts point to the spontaneity of 105) Under such circumstances, the achievements the events, although most narrators are aware of of the revolutionaries are even more worthy of previous attempts at organizing protest actions, admiration. all nipped in the bud by the Securitate -- most no‐ Other accounts center on particular experi‐ table among them a strike initiative at the largest ences derived from a "professional" involvement plant in the city in November 1989. Most interest‐ in the events. Thus Ferenc Baranyi, a physician at ing is the interview of Ioan Savu, a 39-year old the city's second largest hospital, describes the at‐ low-level supply manager in a manufacturing mosphere at the emergency ward where ambu‐ company, taken by Titus Suciu. Savu was one of lances and private cars kept bringing in wounded the impromptu leaders (others were Sorin Oprea demonstrators, and the doctors' astonishment at and Ion Marcu) who negotiated with Ion Dascales‐ the great number of casualties with bullet wounds cu, the Prime Minister of the last Communist gov‐ -- they were not used to treating such wounds.(pp. 2 H-Net Reviews 223-229) Gabriel Mitroi, a frst lieutenant in the sues like personal responsibility and involvement army, recalls the mission he and his soldiers con‐ and the public good. Putting one's action or lack ducted to strengthen the defenses of the RCP of action at the doorstep of divinity provides a county headquarters in Timisoara. His account handy explanation for any course the events (pp.179-222) throws light on the confusion reign‐ might take. On the other hand, interpreting the ing inside the building: the lines of command events as a miracle, and being implicitly part of it, were contradictory most of the time, given the redeems all Romanians indiscriminately from any presence under the same roof of party officials, kind of past compliance with the dictatorship and Securitate officers, and army troops. Having been promotes them to the special status of a "chosen" issued strict orders to act solely upon the com‐ people. mand of their own officers, Mitroi's military re‐ In his essay "De ce Timisoara?" (Why fused to carry out whatever orders the Securitate Timisoara? pp. 11-15), Traian Liviu Biraescu, who officers and party functionaries tried to give used to teach comparative literature to under‐ them. In addition, Mitroi's story reveals the total graduates, tries to integrate the Timisoara upris‐ ignorance by both low-ranking officers and sol‐ ing into the whole picture of the Romanian revo‐ diers of what was going on in the city, as well as of lution: the revolution started in this city would the demonstrators' motives and goals. not have been successful without the uprising of The contributions of several local intellectuals the population of Bucharest, fve days later (21 (writers, professors at the university) seek to in‐ December 1989). To prove this "integrationist" terpret the events in the manner that has become point, rather than bringing up some solid evi‐ so familiar in Romania ever since: the overthrow dence, Biraescu relies on a rumor circulating in of Ceausescu was a miracle (pp. 26, 33), the revo‐ Timisoara after the withdrawal of the troops from lution was a different reality (p.27) that ultimately the streets on December 20, namely that the delivered the Romanian people from evil, and the Ceausescus intended to raze the city from the face martyrdom of the victims is imparted a religious of the earth and to turn it into farmland, a dooms‐ aura. These thoughts are most eloquently articu‐ day scenario (Biraescu likens it to Genghis Khan's lated in Ivan Evseev's essay "Revolutia din or Tamerlane's methods!, p.15) that has never Timisoara ca depasire a sinelui" (Overcoming the been substantiated. Self: the Timisoara Revolution).