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Michel Sturdza

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Prince Mihail R. Sturdza (1886 - 1980). Romanian nobleman and diplomat. Was a descendent of the whealty and influential Sturdza family of Romanian landowners, politicians and boyars. Played a brief role in Romanian interwar politics.

Mihail Sturdza, original a conservative and nationalist, was a member of the Iron Guard and develloped strong fascist and antisemitic convictions. As a supporter of the leader of the Iron Guard Horia Sima, he was a brief period (September 14, 1940 - January 26, 1941) Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania during the so called National Legionary State after the abdication of king Carol II.

As Foreign Minister Sturdza obtained in December 1940 the replacement of the German ambassador Wilhelm Fabricius with Manfred Freiherr von Killinger, perceived as more sympathetic to the Iron Guard[1]. After the clash between the Iron Guard and general Ion Antonescu in january 1941 (see Legionary Rebellion), which was won by the latter, Sturdza had to resign. Antonescu took over leadership of the ministry, with the compliant diplomat Constantin Greceanu as his right hand.

Sturdza was from 1938 Romanian ambassador in Denmark. In that capacity he was involved in the assassination of Romania's Prime Minister Armand Călinescu on 21 september 1939. It seems that the action was carried out with German approval and assistance. On September 1, representatives of Germany, Fascist Italy and the Iron Guard met with Sturdza in Copenhagen to discuss Călinescu's killing[2] [3].

After WW II Sturdza fled to USA, were he lived in Cleveland, and wrote several publications about the history of his native country and international affairs. In later years he was involved in rightwing organisations. In 1968 he published his memoirs[4], which took approval in rightwing circles for the cold war- and anti-communist points of view.


Notes

  1. ^ Deletant, p.63, 301
  2. ^ Ciobanu, p.57,58
  3. ^ Ignat & Matei, p.71,72,73
  4. ^ Sturdza


References

  • Dennis Deletant, Hitler's Forgotten Ally: Ion Antonescu and His Regime, Romania, 1940-1944, Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2006.
  • Nicolae Ciobanu, "Armand Călinescu: Jertfă pentru liniştea şi independenţa ţării. «Omul de oţel» împotriva Gărzii de Fier" ("Armand Călinescu: A Sacrifice for the Country's Peace and Security. The «Man of Steel» versus the Iron Guard"), in Dosarele Istoriei, 6/IV (1999)
  • Petru Ignat, Gheorghe Matei, "Asasinarea lui Armand Călinescu" ("Armand Călinescu's Assassination"), in Magazin Istoric, October 1967
  • Mihail R. Sturdza, 'The Suicide of Europe', memoirs of Prince Michel Sturdza, former Foreign Minister of Rumania. Western Islands Publishers, Boston, Los Angeles, 1968.
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