Bevin's Part 3 Research

Part 3 – Research

BD.

Attitudes of Romanians in the weeks following the revolution:

-          Tension between those who support the National Salvation Front, and those who want to abolish communism all together. (FSN was a group formed by Ion Illescu and other government officials who formerly served under Ceausescu).

-          People were generally hopeful, and it was mostly students and intellectuals who wanted the Front out of power. Blue-collar workers were extremely supportive of the Front.

Food/cigarette Rationing:

-          This occurs when government economic policies regarding the production and distribution of goods fail horribly, often in times of crisis.

-          Rationing is more likely to occur in “highly centralized, planned economies”, such as Russia, China, North Korea and Cuba, ie. Communist countries

Hospitals:

-          Hospitals were very overcrowded after the revolution to the point that some of the wounded were being executed.

-          Not enough doctors to meet patient demand.

-          ‘Gifts’ were likely used as bribes by the family members of patients to expedite their treatment

Hunger strike:

-          Threat of a hunger strike amongst those who were still unsatisfied with the interim government.

National Salvation Front (FSN):

-          Grew out of a schism within Ceausescu’s government

-          Created by 6 members of the  Communist party who fell out with Ceausescu

-          Helped facilitate the revolution

-          Led by Ion Illescu

-          After the fall of Ceausescu, the FSN retained control of mass media, so it was easy for them to transition to an interim government.

-          FINALLY instituted an electoral system

-          Political scientist Steven Roper has claimed that the FSN was popular with peasants and urban industrial workers, while the Peasant’s Party and the Liberal Party held more sway with intellectuals

Gypsies:

-          In Romania, gypsies are heavily discriminated against, although it’s surprisingly not as bad as it is in the rest of the Eastern European countries.

-          They are the most socially and economically disadvantaged and segregated minority in Romania