(b. 4 July 1954, Buzău, d. 10 May 1925, Buzău)
Image Description
He is an elegant man, slightly over 60 years old, with a receding hairline, long sideburns and moustache, dressed in a suit.
His face is outlined by a pattern of many slightly curved lines which highlight his short, combed hair and long sideburns.
The pattern of bold interrupted lines makes up the jacket, worn over a shirt highlighted by small scattered diamonds
The bowtie, highlighted through thin, discontinued, diagonal lines is worn over a collar represented by a dotted texture.
Historical information
Alexandru Marghiloman was born on January 27th, 1854 in Buzau, son of Ion (Iorgu) Marghiloman, according to Stelian Neagoe, a “valuable representative of the rural bourgeoisie and important leaseholder” and Irina Isvoreanu. He attended Saint Sava High School, followed by the Faculty of Law and the University of Political Science in Paris where he also earned a PhD in law. Returning to Romania, he was, for a while, prosecutor at the Ilfov Courthouse (1897-1883) and then state attorney. He started his political career in 1884, being elected representative of Buzau [Bibliography 1]. In the following years he was repeatedly named as minister in the conservative governments, then, in 1914, after Titu Maiorescu’s retirement, he became president of the Conservative Party.
When World War I started, he was supportive of the preservation of neutrality rather than joining the war, just like some of his collaborators insisted [Bibliography 2].
In March 1918, King Ferdinand assigned him to form the government, and also to continue the peace treaties with Germany and its allies. While he was Prime Minister, the National Council adopted the declaration of unification of Bessarabia with Romania. [Bibliography 3]
The signing of the Peace Treaty from Buftea – Bucharest with the Central Powers, one disadvantageous to Romania, and by which the Romanian state consented to important territorial and economic concessions in favor of its enemies – Germany, Austria-Hungary, subsequently brought him the label of “traitor” and his disappearance from the first line of Romanian politics.
According to Lucian Predescu, author of the famous Romanian Encyclopedia Cugetarea, this episode of his political career “has caused many inconveniences, including the loss of his importance in Romania’s political life” [Bibliography 4].
Retired from political life, he wrote his memoirs. They were published in 1927, two years after his death by his testamentary legatees. This caused a “sensational public scandal” [Bibliography 5]. On the second day after their publication, the Averescu government decided to confiscate the unsold copies and ban them. According to Stelian Neagoe, the decision would have been motivated by the fact that “too many people in the high society were upset” [Bibliography 6].
Alexandru Marghiloman remained in the memory of his contemporaries with his elegant fashion style and passion for horses, as well as his bad luck in love. Eliza Ştirbey, his first wife, left him after 16 years of marriage, for his most important political opponent in the politics of that era, Ion (Ionel) I. C. Bratianu, president of the National Liberal Party [Bibliography 7].
Bibliography
- Stelian Neagoe, Biografia unui fiu de nenoroc, in Alexandru Marghiloman, Note politice, vol. I, edition by Stelian Neagoe, București, Editura Scripta, 1993, p. 52.
- Ion Bulei, Prefață, in Alexandru Marghiloman. Lordul Valah, O viață cu luminile și umbrele ei, vol. II, Buzău, Editura Edigraph, 2018, p. 10.
- Ion Bitoleanu, Șefi de partide politice priviți cu ochii vremii lor, Constanța, Ex Ponto, 2006, p. 336.
- Lucian Predescu, Enciclopedia României – Cugetarea. Material românesc, oameni și înfăptuiri, anastatic edition, București, Editura Saeculum I. O./Editura Vestala, 1999, p. 522.
- Stelian Neagoe, Cuvânt către cititor, in Alexandru Marghiloman, Note politice, vol. I, edition by Stelian Neagoe, București, Editura Scripta, 1993, p. 6.
- Stelian Neagoe, Cuvânt către cititor, în Alexandru Marghiloman, Note politice, vol. I, edition by Stelian Neagoe, București, Editura Scripta, 1993, pp. 5-6.
- Nicolae Peneș, Alexandru Marghiloman. Lordul Valah, O viață cu luminile și umbrele ei, vol. I, Buzău, Editura Edigraph, 2018, pp. 127-155.
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