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Historical information
During the period following the Revolution of 1848, socialist ideas would become known in Romania through newspapers such as Lucrătorul român – The Romanian Worker – or Telegraful român – The Romanian Telegraph, as well as through some outstanding Bessarabian personalities. The intellectuals who formed this group were called “narodnici” (the stubborn) [Bibliography 1]. Among them, Constantin Dobrogeanu-Gherea, whose writings were the source of inspiration for the Social Democratic Party of Workers in Romania, founded in 1893 [Bibliography 2]. Apart from Dobrogeanu-Gherea, Gheorghe Cristescu Plăpumaru, Cristian Racovksi, and Ilie Moscovici were also party leaders.
The existence of the party in its original form was fleeting, so it dissolved in 1899, when part of the PSDMR members joined PNL, an event that remained known as the “betrayal of the generous” [Bibliography 3]. From its ashes, on January 31st, 1910, the Romanian Social Democratic Party was established [Bibliography 4]. In December 1918, the party changed its name again to the Socialist Party [Bibliography 5]. In the period that followed, the party suffered several divisions. Thus, from 1921, the Communist Socialist Party of Romania is founded in its Bolshevik branch [Bibliography 6]. From 1927, the entire socialist movement was to unite by establishing the Social Democratic Party. Among the members that will be remembered in the following period, we can mention Ion Flueraş and Constantin Titel Petrescu. The latter will lead the party during the Carlist dictatorship [Bibliography 7].
After August 23rd, 1944, the status of the parties changed. Although the party took part in the formation of the first provisional offices, in 1945 there was a new split caused by the collaboration with the communist movement, with which Titel Petrescu did not agree [Bibliography 8]. After the delegates decided in December 1945 to participate in the parliamentary elections on common lists with the PCR, Constantin Titel-Petrescu, along with his closest collaborators, left PSD, and, in 1946, he founded an Independent Social Democratic Party, which he promotes as the true promoter of democracy in Romania [Bibliography 9].
The coming of Communism to power has led to the disappearance of other historical parties. Thus, in 1948, PSD merges with PCR, and PSDI is dissolved. Constantin Titel Petrescu is arrested on 6 May 1948 and imprisoned for 7 years in Jilava and Sighet [References 10].
Bibliography
- Z. Ornea, Viața lui C. Dobrogeanu-Gherea, București, Editura Cartea Românească, 1982, p. 70.
- Blagovest Njahulov, ”Early Socialism in the Balkans. Ideas and practices in Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria”, în Roumen Daskalov, Diana Mishkova, coords., Entangled histories of the Balkans. Volume two: Transfers of Political Ideologies and Institutions, Leiden, Editura Brill, 2014, p. 237.
- Vladimir Tismăneanu, Stalinism pentru eternitate. O istorie politică a comunismului românesc, ediția a II-a, Editura Humanitas, București, 2014, p. 72.
- Ion Alexandrescu, Partidele politice din România, 1862-1994, Enciclopedie, București, Editura Mediaprint, 1995, p. 409.
- Gheorghe Sbârnă, Partidele politice din România, 1918-1940: programe și orientări doctrinaire, București, Editura Sylvi, 2001, p. 41.
- Robert Levy, Gloria și decăderea Anei Pauker, ed. II, Editura Polirom, Iași, 2016, p. 45.
- Marin C. Stănescu, Stânga politică din România în anii crizei (1929-1933), București, Editura Mica Valahie, 2002, p. 137.
- Stelian Neagoe, Cazul social-democraților români, Institutul de Științe Politice și Relații Internaționale, 2005, p. 389.
- Paul H. Stahl, Șerban Voinea, 1894-1969: contribuție la istoria social-democrației române, Editura Fundației “Constantin-Titel Petrescu”, 2004, p. 193.
- Mariana Leferman, Dicționarul personalităților Doljene: restitution, Editura Aius, 1999, p. 166.
