Mihail Fărcășanu
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Mihail Fărcășanu (November 10, 1907 – July 14, 1987) was a
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
n journalist, diplomat and writer. He was president of the ''National Liberal Youth'' from 1937 to 1946. Pursued by the authorities due to his
anti-communist Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when th ...
actions, he managed to flee the country in 1946, and was later sentenced to death. He was member of the Romanian National Committee () and the League of Free Romanians (''Liga Românilor Liberi'') where he was elected as president in 1953. He was the first manager of the Romanian-language section of
Radio Free Europe Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a media organization broadcasting news and analyses in 27 languages to 23 countries across Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. Headquartered in Prague since 1995, RFE/RL ...
. His most important work is ''Frunzele nu mai sunt aceleași'' ("The Leaves Are No Longer the Same"), published in 1946 under the pen name Mihail Villara. The work was given the Editura Cultura Națională Grand Prize.


Ancestry

Fărcășanu was a direct descendant of Popa Stoica from Fărcaș,
Dolj County Dolj County (; originally meant ''Dol(no)-Jiu River, Jiu'', "lower Jiu", as opposed to ''Gorj'' (''upper Jiu'')) is a county (județ) of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in Oltenia, with the capital city at Craiova. Demographics In 2011, ...
. Popa Stoica was a priest who abandoned the church and fought against the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
in the army of
Michael the Brave Michael the Brave ( or ; 1558 – 9 August 1601), born as Mihai Pătrașcu, was the Prince of Wallachia (as Michael II, 1593–1601), Prince of Moldavia (1600) and ''de facto'' ruler of Principality of Transylvania (1570–1711), Transylvani ...
, who later named him ''
ağa Ağa is a Turkish surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Mustapha Aga, Ottoman Empire ambassador to the Swedish Court *Osman Aga of Temesvar, Ottoman army officer *Sedefkar Mehmed Agha, Ottoman architect of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque *Sul ...
'', or supreme commander of the army. In 1595, Ağa Fărcaș led an army across the
Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...
, conquering the Bulgarian
citadel A citadel is the most fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of ''city'', meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. ...
Nikopol and marching to
Vidin Vidin (, ) is a port city on the southern bank of the Danube in north-western Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Romania and Serbia, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin (since ...
, where he was defeated by the Ottomans, and where he eventually died. After Ağa Fărcaș, the family had a succession of such dignitaries as Radu Fărcășanu (captain in 1639, treasurer in 1654, ''
stolnic ''Stolnic'' was a '' boier'' (Romanian nobility) rank and the position at the court in the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. The title approximately corresponds to seneschal and is borrowed from the Slavic title ''stolnik'' (from ...
'' in 1657 and ''mare
vornic Vornic was a historical rank for an official in charge of justice and internal affairs. He was overseeing the Royal Court. It originated in the Slovak '' nádvorník''. In the 16th century in Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrilli ...
''), Barbu Fărcășanu (''
logothete Logothete (, ''logothétēs'', pl. λογοθέται, ''logothétai''; Med. , pl. ''logothetae''; ; ; ; , ''logotet'') was an administrative title originating in the eastern Roman Empire. In the middle and late Byzantine Empire, it rose to become ...
'' and treasurer in 1674), Matei Fărcășanu (great stolnic in 1731), Constantin Fărcășanu (''
serdar Serdar may refer to * Serdar (given name) * Serdar (surname) Serdar is a surname of the following notable people: * Can Serdar (born 1996), German-Turkish football midfielder * Emerîkê Serdar (1935–2018), Kurdish-Yezidi writer from Armenia * I ...
'') and Enache Fărcășanu (''Grand Panetier'' named '' ispravnic'' of Romanați).


Youth and studies

Mihail Fărcășanu was born on November 10, 1907, in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, as the son of Gheorghe Fărcășanu and Mariei Fărcășanu (née Vasilescu). His father had a
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...
in law but he never practiced. Besides Mihail, the parents had three other boys, Gheorghe, Paul (adopted by an uncle, Paul Zotta), and Nicu, and two girls, Margareta (married Bottea) and Mia (married Lahovari). His parents lived in
Râmnicu Vâlcea Râmnicu Vâlcea (formerly ''Râmnic'', ) is a city in Romania. Located in the south-central part of the country, in the historical province of Oltenia, it is the seat of Vâlcea County and its main urban settlement. According to the 2021 Romanian ...
, where Fărcășanu attended primary school and then high school at Alexandru Lahovari High School (now
Alexandru Lahovari National College Alexandru Lahovari National College () is a high school located at 19 General Praporgescu Street, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania. History The school opened as a gymnasium in September 1891. Initially offering just one grade, it expanded to four by 189 ...
), graduating in 1927 ''
magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sout ...
''. In 1935 he attended the
London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...
, where he studied under
Harold Laski Harold Joseph Laski (30 June 1893 – 24 March 1950) was an English political theorist and economist. He was active in politics and served as the chairman of the British Labour Party from 1945 to 1946 and was a professor at the London School of ...
; Laski would go on to become president in 1945–1946 of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom. He completed his legal studies in Germany at the Friedrich Wilhelm University (since 1948
Humboldt University The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public university, public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick William III of Prussia, Frederick W ...
) in Berlin. His doctoral dissertation ''Über die geistesgeschichtliche Entwicklung des Begriffes der Monarchie'' (''On the History of the Development of the Concept of Monarchy'') was completed under the guidance of professor
Carl Schmitt Carl Schmitt (11 July 1888 – 7 April 1985) was a German jurist, author, and political theorist. Schmitt wrote extensively about the effective wielding of political power. An authoritarian conservative theorist, he was noted as a critic of ...
. His thesis was later published by the Konrad Tiltsch printing house in
Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...
. In Romania it was published in 1940 under the title ''Monarhia socială'' ("Social Monarchy") by Editura Fundației pentru Literatură și Artă Regele Carol II. Upon returning to Romania after his studies, he became a member of the National Liberal Party (Brătianu). In 1938 he married Pia Pillat, the daughter of poet
Ion Pillat Ion Pillat (31 March 1891 – 17 April 1945) was a distinguished Romanian poet. He is best known for his volume ''Pe Argeș în sus'' (''Upstream on the Argeș'') and ''Poeme într-un vers'' (''One-line poems''), and for his embryonic love f ...
and painter , making him brother-in-law of literary critic Dinu Pillat and writer Cornelia Pillat. His wife was the granddaughter of
Dinu Brătianu Dinu Brătianu (; January 13, 1866 – August 20, 1950), born Constantin I. C. Brătianu, was a Romanian engineer and politician who led the National Liberal Party (PNL) starting in 1934. Life Early career He was born at the estate of ''Flo ...
, president of the National Liberal Party.


Beginning of his publishing activity

In 1939 he was named editor-in-chief of ''Rumanian Quarterly'' magazine owned by the Anglo–Romanian Society. The president of the society was Nicolae Caranfil, with whom Fărcășanu collaborated closely in the Romanian National Committee and the League of Free Romanians. Vice presidents of the society were Zoe Ghețu, George Cretzianu, and Fr. Flow; honorary secretaries were Nicolae Chrissoveloni, Paul Zotta, and Ion Mateescu. The magazine's role was to contribute to the knowledge of cultural values between the two countries and to evidence the spiritual interrelations between the two cultures. The magazine carried articles signed by Romanian personalities such as
Nicolae Iorga Nicolae Iorga (17 January 1871 – 27 November 1940) was a historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, Albanologist, poet and playwright. Co-founder (in 1910) of the Democratic Nationalist Party (PND), he served as a member of Parliament ...
, Gheorghe Brătianu,
Tudor Arghezi Ion Nae Theodorescu (21 May 1880 – 14 July 1967) was a Romanian writer who wrote under the pen name Tudor Arghezi (. He is best known for his unique contribution to poetry and children's literature. Biography Early life He graduated from Sai ...
, Matila Ghyka, K. H. Zambaccian, Al. O. Teodoreanu,
Cella Delavrancea Cella Delavrancea (15 December 1887 – 9 August 1991) was a Romanian pianist, writer and teacher of piano, eldest daughter of writer Barbu Ștefănescu Delavrancea, sister of architect Henrieta Delavrancea-Gibory, Niculina Delavrancea and "Bebs" ...
, Militza Pătrașcu and foreign personalities such as Derek Patmore, Henry Baerlein, and journalist Sir Arthur Beverley Baxter. Fărcășanu signed an important essay entitled ''The Sense of the New Political Regime of Romania''. The magazine stopped publishing due to the start of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. In September 1940, he was named president of the National Liberal Youth by
Dinu Brătianu Dinu Brătianu (; January 13, 1866 – August 20, 1950), born Constantin I. C. Brătianu, was a Romanian engineer and politician who led the National Liberal Party (PNL) starting in 1934. Life Early career He was born at the estate of ''Flo ...
. Although the political parties were suspended by Mareșal
Ion Antonescu Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and Mareșal (Romania), marshal who presided over two successive Romania during World War II, wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister and ''Conduc ...
, the National Liberal Party continued its activities, especially its publishing activities. Between 1940 and 1944, Fărcășanu was editor-in-chief of the ''Românul'' magazine, worked on the publishing committee of ''Pământul românesc'' magazine, and wrote articles in the newspaper ''Viața Nouă''. In 1942 he published the essay ''Libertate și existență'' ("Freedom And Existence"). In 1943–1944 he was a war correspondent on the Eastern Front. Allegedly he was almost captured by the Soviet
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
at the bend of the
Don River The Don () is the fifth-longest river in Europe. Flowing from Central Russia to the Sea of Azov in Southern Russia, it is one of Russia's largest rivers and played an important role for traders from the Byzantine Empire. Its basin is betwee ...
, but managed to flee at the last moment.


After August 23, 1944

Right after the
royal coup Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or Royalty (disambiguation), royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Ill ...
of August 23, 1944, the ''Viitorul'' newspaper was reborn and Mihail Fărcășanu was appointed editor-in-chief. The organ of the Liberal Party had been banned in 1938 by
Carol II of Romania Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930, until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. As the eldest son of King Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I, in 1914. He was the f ...
and then by Ion Antonescu. In September 1944, at the proposal of Gheorghe Brătianu, he was reelected as president of the National Liberal Youth. According to his own account, Fărcășanu was the first to criticise
Ana Pauker Ana Pauker (born Hannah Rabinsohn; 13 February 1893 – 3 June 1960) was a Romanian communist leader and served as the country's List of Romanian Foreign Ministers, foreign minister in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Ana Pauker became the world' ...
in public, which reportedly stirred a massive communist fightback, calling Fărcășanu an agent of
Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
politician
Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and philologist who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief Propaganda in Nazi Germany, propagandist for the Nazi Party, and ...
, an enemy of the people and the working class, an adversary of the agriculture reform, and a saboteur of the national industry. He further claimed that when he published in the newspaper the translation of
Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...
's ''
For Whom the Bell Tolls ''For Whom the Bell Tolls'' is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1940. It tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer attached to a Republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. As a dynamiter, he is assigned ...
'', the communist press called him a fascist. In line with the
Denazification Denazification () was an Allied initiative to rid German and Austrian society, culture, press, economy, judiciary, and politics of the Nazi ideology following the Second World War. It was carried out by removing those who had been Nazi Par ...
process taking place in European countries formerly ruled by pro-Nazi regimes, the post-war government took steps to cleanse the police and safety services. Under pressure of the Soviets in the Ceasefire Commission, Nicolae Penescu (Minister of Internal Affairs in the Sănătescu cabinet) and
Nicolae Rădescu Nicolae Rădescu (; 30 March 1874 – 16 May 1953) was a Romanian army officer and political figure. He was the last pre- communist rule Prime Minister of Romania, serving from 7 December 1944 to 1 March 1945. Biography Early life and education ...
had to kick out from the two services many agents who had been loyal to the Antonescu dictatorship. These actions were approved by the
National Peasants' Party The National Peasants' Party (also known as the National Peasant Party or National Farmers' Party; , or ''Partidul Național-Țărănist'', PNȚ) was an Agrarianism, agrarian political party in the Kingdom of Romania. It was formed in 1926 throu ...
and the National Liberal Party, thinking that this would ensure a more favourable view of Romania from Moscow. Mihail Fărcășanu was a strong opponent of these actions. In January 1945 Fărcășanu organised ''Conferința Pregătitoare a Congresului Tineretului Național Liberal'' (Preparatory Conference of the National Liberal Youth Congress). The conference took place in
Sinaia Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named after ...
and commemorated 11 years since the assassination of
Ion G. Duca Ion Gheorghe Duca (; 20 December 1879 – 29 December 1933) was a Romanian liberal politician, diplomat, and lawyer who briefly served as Prime Minister from November to December 1933. A leading figure in the National Liberal Party, Duca hel ...
and the destruction of the commemorative plaque by the
Iron Guard The Iron Guard () was a Romanian militant revolutionary nationalism, revolutionary Clerical fascism, religious fascist Political movement, movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel M ...
legionnaires. Later that year, ''
Pravda ''Pravda'' ( rus, Правда, p=ˈpravdə, a=Ru-правда.ogg, 'Truth') is a Russian broadsheet newspaper, and was the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, when it was one of the most in ...
'' published an article about Mihail Fărcășanu entitled 'Fărcășanu's gang'' in which PNL and PNȚ stood accused of organizing a demonstration in support General Rădescu, which by the time had a falling-out with the Soviets. On February 13, 1945, revolting against Rădescu, the communists yelled: ("We want the arrest of Țețu!"), ("We want the arrest of Fărcășanu!"). In the later period of Rădescu's government, the communists embarked in a campaign to attract dissident factions of the pre-war political parties, succeeding in bringing several members into the ''Blocul Partidelor Democrate'' (BPD, Democratic Bloc of Parties). As a result, the liberal faction led by Gheorghe Tătărescu, and the PNȚ faction led by joined the communist-led alliance. The discussions about the attitude of the political parties continued even after the establishment of the
Petru Groza Petru Groza (7 December 1884 – 7 January 1958) was a Romanian politician, best known as the first Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister of the Romanian Communist Party, Communist Party-dominated government under Soviet Union, Soviet Sovie ...
government, Romania's first communist-dominated government.
Iuliu Maniu Iuliu Maniu (; 8 January 1873 – 5 February 1953) was a Romanian lawyer and politician. He was a leader of the National Party of Transylvania and Banat before and after World War I, playing an important role in the Union of Transylvania wi ...
proposed that the party maintain the opposition strategy it had adopted in the past, from the period when he was a deputy in
Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
after
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and even in the time when the parties were legally banned. This point of view was supported by Dinu Brătianu. Fărcășanu wanted to convince them that this would be an error with grave consequences. Fărcășanu said that if they thought the actions of the Communist Party would be suppressed by the Western countries, they were wrong. In autumn 1945, Fărcășanu participated, as a representative of the National Liberal Youth, in organising a great rally in the Piața Palatului (now Revolution Square, Bucharest), on November 8, the king's birthday. On the last day of 1945 a delegation of the allied powers arrived in Bucharest, led by Archibald Clark Kerr, 1st Baron Inverchapel,
W. Averell Harriman William Averell Harriman (November 15, 1891July 26, 1986) was an American politician, businessman, and diplomat. He was a founder of Harriman & Co. which merged with the older Brown Brothers to form the Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. investment ...
and Andrey Januaryevich Vyshinskiy. After the discussion Emil Hațieganu from the Peasants' Party and from the Liberal Party were assigned to the government as
ministers without portfolio A minister without portfolio is a government minister without specific responsibility as head of a government department. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet with decision-making authorit ...
. In February 1946 the two parties were authorised to publish their own works. Because the name ''Viitorul'' ("The Future") for the party newspaper was owned by Gheorghe Tătărescu, the liberals decided to call their newspaper ''Liberalul'' ("The Liberal"), a name that had used in the past for many newspapers, notably one published in
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the Cities in Romania, third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical ...
under Nicolae Gane and George G. Mârzescu. Being watched by the authorities, Fărcășanu did not assume the role of editor-in-chief, which was later occupied by Azra Berkowitz. In this period Fărcășanu organised three conferences that had to be held in the grand hall of the Fundației Carol I theater on May 12, 19 and 26, 1945. Inspired by a quote of Dinu Brătianu ''Libertățile se cuceresc uneori fără jertfe. Dar ele nu se pot menține decât cu jertfe'' ("Freedom is sometimes gained without sacrifice. But maintaining it calls for sacrifice"), the conferences, where ten associate professors announced their arrival, had the following program: * I. ''Cucerirea libertății'' ("Conquering freedom") – associate professors Mihail Fărcășanu, Dan Amedeu Lăzărescu, Radu Câmpeanu. * II. ''Pierderea libertății'' ("Losing freedom") – associate professors George Fotino,
Victor Papacostea The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
, C. C. Zamfirescu. * III. ''Recâștigarea libertăţii'' ("Regaining freedom") – associate professors Alice Voinescu, Paul Dimitriu, Paul Zotta, Mihai Popescu. At the first talk, after the first words spoken by Fărcășanu, a group of communist activists started a general riot screaming ''Vi s-au luat moșiile!'' ("Your estates have been taken away!"). Fărcășanu tried in vain to talk to the agitators. The conference could not take place in a civilised manner, which was seen as a victory for the communists. The Liberal Party's general secretary Dinu Brătianu, who had worked with
Teohari Georgescu Teohari Georgescu (January 31, 1908 – December 31, 1976) was a Romanian statesman and a high-ranking member of the Romanian Communist Party. Early life Born in Chitila, near Bucharest, he was the third of seven children of Constantin and ...
during the Rădescu government, convinced Fărcășanu to reschedule the conferences to avoid disruption by the communists. On May 19 Fărcășanu managed to organise his first conference, but by the order of the Ministry of the Interior the other two conferences were banned. This was the last time Fărcășanu appeared in a public action in Romania. In May 1946, the General Police made a report about the National Liberal Party (Dinu Brătianu). The report claimed that Mihail Romniceanu had given a secret order, which was delivered by his secretary Nicolae Magherescu to all the party organisations. This order allegedly said that the Liberal Party should initiate its own secret police to participate in all elections to ensure their proper organisation. The Liberal police would have been run by Fărcășanu. A similar organisation would have been initiated by the Peasants' Party under
Corneliu Coposu Corneliu (Cornel) Coposu () (20 May 1914 – 11 November 1995) was a Christian Democratic and liberal conservative Romanian politician, the founder of the Christian Democratic National Peasants' Party (), the founder of the Romanian Democratic ...
. These police organisations were never initiated, but because of the General Police report, Fărcășanu had to leave the country to avoid capture.


Flight from Romania

Aware of the fact that his life was at risk if he stayed in Romania, Mihai Fărcășanu made arrangements to flee Romania. He was helped in this endeavor by long-time friend Matei Ghica-Cantacuzino, a fighter pilot who had participated in the military operations in the war against the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, reaching
Stalingrad Volgograd,. geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area o ...
, where he took part in the bombing of the railway station on October 5, 1942. Ghica-Cantacuzino had left Romania, but he had returned with the intention of helping close friends escape. It was agreed that the Fărcășanu family's escape would take place in October 1946, from a small military airport near
Caransebeș Caransebeș (; ; , Hungarian pronunciation: ) is a city in Caraș-Severin County, part of the Banat region in southwestern Romania. One village, Jupa (), is administered by the city. The city is located at the confluence of the Timiș River with ...
. The plan was to use an old bomber which had just been repaired and was scheduled to be flown to its base near
Brașov Brașov (, , ; , also ''Brasau''; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the county seat (i.e. administrative centre) of Brașov County. According to the 2021 Romanian census, ...
. A government commission had just arrived in Caransebeș a day before the flight to inspect the aircraft and to make sure that there were no clandestine passengers on board, and that the aircraft had just enough fuel to fly , the distance between Caransebeș and Brașov. In agreement with Matei Ghica-Cantacuzino, the mechanic had tampered with the fuel gauge, making it indicate that the tank was only partly full while it was actually completely full. Fărcășanu, his wife Pia, and their friend were hiding in some bushes at the far end of the airfield. The plane started rolling towards the end of the runway having only Ghica-Cantacuzino and the mechanic on board. When the plane reached the end of the runway and turned around for take-off, outside the visibility of the control tower, the three stowaways boarded the plane that was racing its engines, and then took off immediately. In Yugoslav airspace, the plane was detected by the
Yugoslav Air Force The Air Force and Air Defence ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Ратно ваздухопловство и противваздушна одбрана, Ratno vazduhoplovstvo i protivvazdušna odbrana ; abbr. sh-Cyrl-Latn, label=none, separator=/, РВ и ПВ ...
, and in took all the skills of the pilot to evade the fighter planes, by flying into the clouds. The plane was, however, hit several times by bullets from the fighters, which took out all the navigation instruments except the altimeter. One of the fuel tanks was also hit. With a damaged plane, having practically no navigation instruments and very limited fuel, the pilot started crossing the
Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...
. They were able to land at military airport in
Bari Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...
, Italy, with practically empty fuel tanks. Ivor Porter, who at that time was British SOE and was working at the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Romania, had been informed about the escape attempt. He had sent a cable to the British authorities in Italy requesting them to ensure their protection. He later described the adventure in a book "Operation Autonomous", published in 1989. In his book, he states that if he had not sent such a cable, the escapees might have been sent back to Romania. The escape has also been described in a novel written by Pia Pillat, Fărcășanu's wife, who was also on the plane. The novel, called "The Flight of Andrei Cosmin", was first published in London in 1972 under the pen name Tina Cosmin, and has been translated into Romanian, being published in Romania in 2002. While it realistically presents the events, she has changed the names of the characters. Thus Mihail Fărcășanu is called Andrei Cosmin, Matei Ghica-Cantacuzino is Ștefan Criveanu, and Ivor Porter is Chris Nelson.


Activity in exile

Fărcășanu and his wife Pia settled in New York City where they soon became some of the most active members of the Romanian emigrants to the United States. Fărcășanu immediately started a political organization of Romanian refugees. In 1948 he founded the "Council of Romanian Democratic Parties". The Council had the objective of coordinating the activity of the representatives of Romanian political parties outside the Soviet zone of influence and of establishing the Romanian National Committee. Fărcășanu was one of the representatives of the Romanian National Liberal Party in this Council.Ion Calafeteanu – Politică și Exil. Din istoria exilului românesc – Editura Enciclopedică, București 2000


Participation in the international European movement

After the end of World War II, the great visionaries of a united Europe, among which
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
,
Jean Monnet Jean Omer Marie Gabriel Monnet (; 9 November 1888 – 16 March 1979) was a French civil servant, entrepreneur, diplomat, financier, and administrator. An influential supporter of European unity, he is considered one of the founding fathers of t ...
,
François Mitterrand François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was a French politician and statesman who served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, the longest holder of that position in the history of France. As a former First ...
,
Robert Schuman Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman (; 29 June 1886 – 4 September 1963) was a Luxembourg-born France, French statesman. Schuman was a Christian democrat, Christian democratic (Popular Republican Movement) political thinker and activist. ...
,
Altiero Spinelli Altiero Spinelli (31 August 1907 – 23 May 1986) was an Italian politician, political theorist and European federalist, referred to as one of the founding fathers of the European Union. A communist and militant anti-fascist in his youth, Spi ...
,
Konrad Adenauer Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer (5 January 1876 – 19 April 1967) was a German statesman and politician who served as the first Chancellor of Germany, chancellor of West Germany from 1949 to 1963. From 1946 to 1966, he was the first leader of th ...
, Grigore Gafencu,
Alcide de Gasperi Alcide Amedeo Francesco De Gasperi (; 3 April 1881 – 19 August 1954) was an Italian politician and statesman who founded the Christian Democracy party and served as prime minister of Italy in eight successive coalition governments from 1945 t ...
, and
Paul-Henri Spaak Paul-Henri Charles Spaak (; 25 January 1899 – 31 July 1972) was an influential Belgian Socialist politician, diplomat and statesman who thrice served as the prime minister of Belgium and later as the second secretary general of NATO. Nicknam ...
felt the need of an international organism aiming at a unification of the various nations, the respect of human rights and keeping the peace. On May 7–11, 1948 the 1948 Hague Congress was organized in
The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...
, chaired by Winston Churchill. The date was chosen so as to coincide with the third anniversary of the ceasefire which ended World War II in Europe. Following the resolution of this congress, on October 25, 1948 the
European Movement International The European Movement International is a lobbying association that coordinates the efforts of associations and national councils with the goal of promoting European integration, and disseminating information about it. History Initially the Eur ...
was founded, a nongovernmental organization formed by political personalities from different European countries who were supporting the principle of a united Europe. Romania was represented by Grigore Gafencu, Nicolae Caranfil, Mihail Fărcășanu, and
Iancu Zissu Iancu may refer to: Surname *Andrei Iancu (born 1968), American engineer and intellectual property attorney * Aurel Iancu (born 1928), Romanian economist, member of the Romanian Academy *Avram Iancu (1824–1872), Transylvanian Romanian revolutiona ...
, who signed the documents in capacity of founding members. The Romanian Section of the European Movement was initially headed by Grigore Gafencu, who had remarkable contributions both at the Hague Congress and in the following period. Consequently, for a long time, the section was headed by .


Last years

After the death of Louisa Hunnewell Gunther Fărcășanu, Fărcășanu donated the entire holdings of his ''Franklin Mott Gunther Foundation'' to the ''Adormirea Maicii Domnului'' (
Dormition of the Theotokos The Dormition of the Mother of God is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches (except the East Syriac churches). It celebrates the "falling asleep" (death) of Mary the '' Theotokos'' ("Mother ...
) Church in
Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
, Ohio, and to the church's museum. The church was founded on August 15, 1904, as the first
Romanian Orthodox The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; , ), or Romanian Patriarchate, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates in the Eastern Orthodox Church. S ...
church in the United States. He spent the last years of life in his house in the Georgetown district of Washington, D.C., being cared for by his sisters Margareta Bottea and Mia Lahovari and by his niece Domnica Bottea. He had a quiet life playing the violin daily and spending most of his time reading. He met frequently with Constantin Vișoianu, with whom he had collaborated to organise a Romanian resistance in exile. He never tried to write his memoirs or other literary works. Mihail Fărcășanu died on July 14, 1987, at the age of 79, not long before the fall of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe in 1989.


References


Bibliography

*Pia Bader Fărcășanu, ''Izgonirea din libertate. Două destine: Mihail Fărcășanu și fratele sau Nicolae'' ("Driven Away from Freedom. Two Destinies: Mihail Fărcășanu and His Brother Nicolae"), Institutul Național pentru Memoria Exilului Românesc, Bucharest, 2009.


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Farcasanu, Mihail 1907 births 1987 deaths Romanian political journalists Journalists from Bucharest Romanian emigrants to the United States Military personnel from Bucharest Alumni of the London School of Economics Humboldt University of Berlin alumni National Liberal Party (Romania) politicians Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty people