The Crusade of Romanianism (, also known as Vulturii Albi, "White Eagles", Steliști, "Stelists", or Cruciați, "Crusaders") was an eclectic revolutionary movement in Romania. Founded in late 1934 by Mihai Stelescu, it originated as a dissident faction of the Iron Guard, Romania's main fascist movement, and was virulently critical of Guard leader Corneliu Zelea Codreanu. Stelescu, who had served as one of the Guard's orators and paramilitary organizers, reinterpreted nationalist ideology through the lens of anticapitalism and "humane" antisemitism; also appropriating some ideas from communism and classical (Italian) fascism, his followers were sometimes described as Romania's Strasserists. The Crusade was briefly but centrally associated with Panait Istrati, world-renowned novelist and dissident communist, who, before his death in early 1935, added into the mix of "Romanianism" some elements of libertarian socialism. Stelists offered an alternative paramilitary symbolism to that of Codrenists, which included a cult of personality surrounding Stelescu and Istrati, as well as a uniform of deep-red (carmine) shirts—opposed to the green shirts used by the Guardists, which had also been introduced by Stelescu during his time there. In geopolitical terms, they were either fearful of, or openly hostile toward, Nazism.
The Stelists, who sketched out plans for a nonviolent revolution, oscillated between maverick independence and alliances with more prestigious nationalist parties. In their early search for electoral gains, they gravitated mainly around the People's Party. In late 1935, the group experienced its own schism, after Constantin A. Caradja, its alleged financier, established a breakaway "National Front"; he later returned as a personal adviser to Stelescu. The Crusade itself was a minor party, whose decision of publicly settling scores with the Iron Guard proved fatal. In June 1936, Stelescu was murdered by an Iron Guard death squad, and his party only survived for less than a year. General Nicolae Rădescu took over as its leader, either formally or informally, but his management was resented by party members such as journalist Alexandru Talex and poet Vladimir Cavarnali, both of whom resigned in September 1936. Caradja was briefly the Crusade's chairman, but left in March 1937 to be replaced by Gheorghe Beleuță, who was the movement's last known leader.
Before 1938, Caradja still tried to reestablish the Crusade; such attempts were cut off by King Carol II, who outlawed all political parties and had them replaced with a National Renaissance Front, which, in early 1939, inducted former Crusaders such as Talex, Beleuță, Caradja, and Sergiu Lecca. During World War II, Rădescu and Lecca were right-wing opponents of the military dictatorship established by Ion Antonescu. Taking over as Prime Minister of Romania after the anti-Antonescu coup of August 1944, Rădescu fell out with the Communist Party, which toppled his government and pushed him into exile. The emergent communist regime persecuted known Crusaders, who were still a faction in the underground resistance movement, where they also pursued old conflicts with the Iron Guard. Talex was spared such treatment, and allowed to work for the regime; into the 1980s, he spurred controversy about the Crusade, denying that either Istrati or the Stelists as a whole were fascists.
History
Beginnings Originally named "The White Eagles",Gheran, p. 439 the Crusade emerged in early 1935, as a splinter group from the Iron Guard. Stelescu's break with Codreanu was sudden and public. In 1932, Stelescu was a prominent Guard politico, tasked with political campaigning in Bucharest and the youngest Romanian Parliament member.Veiga, pp. 159, 228, 241. See also Iorgulescu, p. 4 As documented by visitors Jean and Jérôme Tharaud, Stelescu eclipsed his political boss in matters of oratory and political competence.Heinen, p. 253; Veiga, p. 241 As a consequence of this, Codreanu began handing him risky assignments, implicating him in the assassination of Premier Ion G. Duca (for which Stelescu served a term in prison).Heinen, pp. 253, 446. See also Sdrobiș, pp. 49–50 It is also likely that Stelescu was infuriated by Codreanu's refusal to tackle the political establishment head on: in 1934, the Guard was keeping a low profile, content with mildly criticizing the authoritarian King Carol II.Ornea, pp. 306–307; Veiga, pp. 228–230, 241 In April of that year, shortly after the indictment of Victor Precup (who had tried to assassinate Carol), Stelescu himself publicly joined the loyalist movement: he led three columns of students which paid their personal homage to the king outside the Royal Palace, Bucharest."Diáktüntetések a király mellett Romániában", in Orosházi Friss Ujság, May 1, 1934, p. 1
When, in September 1934, Stelescu went public with his first denunciations of Codrenist tactics, he was promptly excluded from the Guard. The decision had a vague disclaimer: Stelescu could be welcomed back into the Guard on condition that he perform an exceptional act of self-sacrifice.Ornea (1995), p. 306 According to later Codrenist mythology, Stelescu had in fact been exposed as the would-be assassin of Codreanu.Clark, p. 122; Heinen, pp. 253, 277; Veiga, p. 241 For his part, Stelescu alleged that, by hinting at reconciliation, Codreanu had discreetly urged him to poison another one of the Iron Guard's adversaries: Foreign Minister Nicolae Titulescu."Iron Guard Accused of Plotting Titulescu's Death", in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency News, Issue 213/1937
Stelescu left together with some other high-ranking activists of Codreanu's movement, who helped him establish the "White Eagles" party, and possibly convinced all of the Guard's youth sections in Bucharest to join them.Veiga, pp. 229, 241 As he put in 1936: "everything 'real' that exists in the Guard is what I put into it, and will forever be mine. I never joined the Guard as an individual. I entered it together with my entire movement, which still exists.""Dizidența din 'Garda de fier'. De ce a fost întemeiată 'Cruciada Românismului'", in Dimineața, April 23, 1936, p. 9 Historian Franklin Lewis Ford sees the schism as important, arguing that Stelescu effectively took control of the "Cross Brotherhood" network, which he had helped recruit for the Guard in the late 1920s.Ford, p. 268 Citing the Guard's supposed elitism (and in particular Codreanu's association with "those blue-blooded ones, people of dubious [ethnic] origin"), Stelescu hoped to rely on support from more populist Guardsmen, including Ion Moța and Gheorghe Clime.Heinen, p. 253. See also Clark, p. 122 Reportedly, the splinter group soon found backing among figures of the Carol regime, who financed it as a way of drawing away support from the Guard.Clark, p. 122
The Crusade formalized its existence on November 22, 1934, which was celebrated yearly by its followers as the day of "Work, Honesty, and Truth"."Muncă–cinste–adevăr. 22 Noembrie – Aniversarea Cruciadei Românismului. Cum s'a sărbătorit Duminică doi ani de luptă, pentru: Muncă, Cinste, Adevăr", in , Vol. III, Issue 96, December 6, 1936, p. 2 Literary historian Mircea Iorgulescu notes: "the 'Crusaders' adhered to a protocol that was similar to that of the Guardists—distinctive signs, gatherings performed in an atmosphere of mysticism and clandestinely, a cult of personality surrounding their 'chief', pilgrimages, the annexation and usurpation of symbols, under whose guise they their own attitudes and orientations. [...] The new movement had two main objectives [...]: 1) the unification of the nationalist-and-antisemitic right; 2) Corneliu Zelea Codreanu's elimination."Iorgulescu, p. 4 Also on November 22,Ileana-Stanca Desa, Elena Ioana Mălușanu, Cornelia Luminița Radu, Iliana Sulică, Publicațiile periodice românești (ziare, gazete, reviste). Vol. V, 1: Catalog alfabetic 1931–1935, p. 316. Bucharest: Editura Academiei, 2009. Z. Ornea, "Cum a devenit Istrati scriitor", in România Literară, Issue 22/1999 Stelescu established his eponymous weekly newspaper, , with Alexandru Talex as editor and himself as director. Talex, who was politically independent, had been university colleagues with Stelescu. He was moved by Stelescu's marginalization, but, as he recalled in a later interview, personally disliked him. Mugur Popovici, " 'Panait Istrati m-a ajutat să rămân om într-o lume de lupi' ", in România Literară, Issue 48/2009 Talex and Stelescu were allegedly supplied with funds by Prince Constantin A. Caradja,Sándor Cseresnyés, "Aki könyvvel védekezett a revolversortűz ellen. Stelescu: Tisztán érzem ma, hogy halálom órája már nincs messze", in Brassói Lapok, July 20, 1936, p. 5 who served as national vice president of the Crusade.Sándor Cseresnyés, "Társadalmi erőcsoportosulások Romániában: Seregszemle a jobboldali fronton. Zsidóprogram megalkuvással", in Brassói Lapok, November 4, 1935, p. 12 His home, on Calea Victoriei 142, was also the Crusade's headquarters.
Other men involved with Stelescu's newspaper and movement were exile painter Alexis Macedonski,"El pintor rumano Macedonski narra su estancia en Mallorca", in Correo de Mallorca, 5 November 1936, p. 4 alongside journalists Sergiu Lecca, Dem. Bassarabeanu and Mircea Mateescu. Victor Durnea, "Un avangardist uitat – Mihail Dan", in Anuar de Lingvistică și Istorie Literară, Vols. XLII–XLIII, 2002–2003, p. 174 Joining them were a cartoonist, Gall,Neagu Rădulescu, Turnul Babel, Cugetarea-Georgescu Delafras, Bucharest, 1944, p. 39 and, occasionally, the aspiring poet Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu.Victor Durnea, "Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu – o ucenicie îndelungată", in Cultura, Issue 506, March 2015 Other poets who affiliated with the Crusade were Vladimir Cavarnali (president of the Crusade sections in southern Bessarabia)"Dela Cruciada Românismului", in Adevărul, September 10, 1936, p. 7 and Dumitru Corbea (formerly of the Iron Guard, whom he vehemently denounced, and likely author of articles from his native Dorohoi County).Sdrobiș, pp. 49–53 The Crusade lodge in Brăila was headed by Alexandru Ceapraz and had the painter Nicolae Hornetz among its members;"Inaugurarea sălii de lectură a grupării 'Cruciada Românismului' din Brăila. O manifestație împotriva bâtei", in Dimineața, June 26, 1936, p. 11 engineer Oscar Stoenescu was both the Crusade leader in Galați and the general secretary at a national level."Atentatul dela Galați. Secretarul 'Cruciadei Românismului' este doborât de 'gardiștii de fier'", in Dreptatea, August 26, 1936, p. 2 More famously, hosted articles by Panait Istrati. He was a literary celebrity and long-time socialist, whose public denunciation of the Soviet Union had sparked an international controversy. It is still unclear whether Istrati was ever formally affiliated with the Crusade as a political party—though some authors suggest as much.Clark, p. 122; Ionesco, p. 184; Veiga, p. 229