The Romanian Revolution of December 1989

by Peter Siani-Davies

The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was the most spectacularly violent and remains today the most controversial of all the East European upheavals of that year. Despite (or perhaps because of) the media attention the revolution received, it remains shrouded in mystery. How did the seemingly impregnable Ceausescu regime come to be toppled so swiftly and how did Ion Iliescu and the National Salvation Front come to power? Was it by coup d'état? Who were the mysterious "terrorists" who wreaked such havoc on the streets of Bucharest and the other major cities of Romania? Were they members of the notorious securitate? What was the role of the Soviet Union? Blending narrative with analysis, Peter Siani-Davies seeks to answer these and other questions while placing the events and their immediate aftermath within a wider context. Based on fieldwork conducted in Romania and drawing heavily on Romanian sources, including television and radio transcripts, official documents, newspaper reports, and interviews, this book is the most thorough study of the Romanian Revolution that has appeared in English or any other major European language. Recognizing that a definitive history of these events may be impossible, Siani-Davies focuses on the ways in which participants interpreted the events according to particular scripts and myths of revolution rooted in the Romanian historical experience. In the process the author sheds light on the ways in which history and the conflicting retellings of the 1989 events are put to political use in the transitional societies of Eastern Europe.

Genres: History, Romania, Nonfiction, Politics

328 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Andrei Tamaş · Rating 4 out of 5]

Asupra așa-zisei revoluții române din decembrie 1989 s-au scris multe cărți și tot atâtea tratate. Meritul lui Peter Siani-Davies e acela de a nu fi român și de a nu fi fost implicat direct sau indirect in revoluție. Ceea ce a putut să facă a fost un studiu concis al perioadei 17 decembrie - februarie 1990.

[Nikolas Larum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in Romania in October 1999, nearly a decade after the Revolution, in Timişoara where the revolution began as a protest against the eviction of the dissident priest, László Tőkés, on December 15, 1989. I walked with Romanians who lived there when it happened and listened to courageous stories of Christians who came out of their homes offering portions of their scarce food to the Army of the regime tasked with putting the people down. "Why would you shoot your own people?" they would ask while serving young, scared conscripts sandwiches. Until I read this book, I had no idea how confusing things were on the ground and the grandstanding balconies of the uprising that rinsed the Ceauşescu's from Romania in a stream of blood.

In this academic yet approachable text, Siani-Davies presents the events of December 1989 from the view of the streets to the impressions of the international community. His thorough coverage of the bloody downfall of the Ceauşescu regime is most telling in that the actual identity of the "oppressing" forces that shot down unarmed civilians standing against them and committed acts of "terror" throughout the nation during the weeks of the revolution still remains unclear. Also enlightening is the exposure of the difficulty of a nation coming out of Neo-Stalinist Marxism into some form of free market democracy.

I highly recommend this work for anyone interested in this period of Romanian history and a desire for greater understanding of Eastern Europe.

[Miltiadis Michalopoulos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a masterfully researched and compelling account of Romania’s dramatic political upheaval. With clarity, precision, and a narrative drive that keeps readers engaged, Siani-Davies carefully reconstructs the chaotic days of December 1989, balancing eyewitness testimony, archival records, and contemporary reports. Each chapter illuminates a different dimension of the revolution—from the deep-rooted causes and Ceaușescu’s collapse to the violence in the streets and the complex emergence of the National Salvation Front. The final chapter is particularly outstanding, disentangling myth from reality and offering a reflective, nuanced assessment of the revolution’s legacy. Importantly, he argues persuasively that December 1989 should be understood as a genuine revolution—mass-based and transformative—while also tracing how the very process of transition created new continuities and contradictions in Romanian politics. This chapter excels because it both situates the December events in long-term historical processes and provides a sober evaluation of their legacy. It is here that the book’s comparative value and historiographical contribution are most evident. Both scholars and general readers will appreciate the book’s meticulous research, fair-minded analysis, and readable prose. This is essential reading for anyone seeking a vivid, authoritative, and deeply insightful understanding of Romania’s historic revolution.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very informative accounting of the Romanian revolution. However, it would benefit from some heavy editing - the prevalence of comma abuse, passive voice, and Romanglish made it tedious to read. It appears that the author tried to keep his interview subjects’ voices intact, but the result is a very disjointed text.