Word: rumanians
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1970-1979
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Dracula is showing signs of life, thanks largely to efforts by Rumanian President Nicolae Ceausescu to resurrect him as, of all things, a national hero. At ceremonies last week in Bucharest celebrating the 100th anniversary of Rumania's independence, Ceausescu solemnly included Dracula among the immortals in the nation's Hall of Fame. The honor bestowed on Dracula followed a propaganda campaign to refurbish the image of the count. The real Dracula, Rumanian party historians insist, was the 15th century warrior-prince Vlad Dracula, who heroically battled Turkish oppressors...
Despite these excesses, Rumanian historians note, Vlad effectively maintained law-and-order in his realm and ably defended it against foreign aggression. It so happens that Vlad's virtues, not his vices, are similar to those attributed to Rumania's present-day dictator. While ironhandedly ruling his country, Ceausescu credits himself with keeping both Western imperialism and Soviet expansionism at bay. Summing up the lessons of Vlad's reign, one Rumanian historian notes, "The country can only prosper under authoritarian rule." More turgidly, another Communist analyst contends that Vlad exemplifies "love for the fatherland, undaunted support...
...keep thinking I shall awake soon from a bad dream." So said a young Rumanian last week, as he watched bulldozers and mechanical shovels snarl and roar through the debris in downtown Bucharest caused by the most devastating earthquake in the country's history (TIME, March 14). Rumanian President Nicolae Ceauşescu announced that the death toll for the country had reached 1,387; he estimated the number of wounded at 10,500, including 2,500 who were still hospitalized. The 20-second quake, which registered 7.2 on the Richter scale and was followed by 20 minutes...
...Rumanian authorities estimated economic losses at only $500 million, a figure that some foreign observers thought was too low. The tremors had seriously damaged 200 major industries and set off fires in the big petrochemical complexes near oil-rich Ploesti, 38 miles north of Bucharest; the quake had also ripped up oil rigs and killed "tens of thousands" of farm animals...
Disaster announced its presence in Bucharest one evening last week with a long, moaning roar. The earth began to heave, and older buildings in the pleasant, tree-shaded Rumanian capital (pop. 1.7 million) shuddered and started to collapse. A major earthquake-registering 7.2 on the Richter scale-had struck. For six terrifying minutes, the calamitous shaking continued...