Gheorghe Cantacuzino-Grănicerul | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Gheorghe Cantacuzino |
| Other name | Grănicerul |
| Nickname | Zizi |
| Born | (1869-12-25)December 25, 1869 |
| Died | October 9, 1937(1937-10-09) (aged 67) |
| Buried | Bellu Cemetery, Bucharest |
| Allegiance |  Romania Spain |
| Branch | Romanian Armed Forces |
| Years of service | 1883 — 1918 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | 1st Border Guard Regiment Border Guard Brigade |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Order of Michael the Brave, 3rd Class (October 16, 1916)[1] |
| Spouse | Elena Kalinderu |
Gheorghe Cantacuzino-Grănicerul (December 25, 1869 – October 9, 1937) was aRomanian landowner, general, and far-right politician who was a member of theIron Guard, and a member of the Legionary Senate.
Gheorghe Cantacuzino was born inParis into the nobleGreekCantacuzino family. He was the son of engineerI.G. Cantacuzino, a descendant of PrinceȘerban Cantacuzino. He studied at the Romanian high school inFontenay-aux-Roses until 1881 and at the "Saint George" High School in France. In 1883 he entered the Military School inCraiova, and starting with 1890 at the Infantry School inBucharest.[2]
In 1892, Cantacuzino became a second lieutenant and was attached to a mountain troops unit. Later in 1910 he was promoted to the rank of major and appointed chief of staff of the Minister of War,Nicolae Filipescu. He participated in theSecond Balkan War in 1913 and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel in 1914.
At the beginning of theFirst World War he was commander of the 1st Regiment of Border Guards fromPredeal, with which he occupied the city ofBrașov, one of the first victories since the beginning of the war. During the retreat of the Romanian troops in front of the offensive of theCentral Powers soldiers, he participated in the battles on thePrahova Valley, from theRucăr-Bran Pass and then on the front from the Argeș Mountains to the riverOlt. Wounded by a shell, Cantacuzino returned to command the regiment after recovery. Cantacuzino was promoted to the rank of colonel and later to the rank of general. He was decorated with theOrder of Michael the Brave, 3rd class, for the way he led the Border Guard Brigade in the 1916 campaign. "For the bravery and worth shown on the battlefield in the Carpathians." from the High Decree no. 2990 of October 1, 1916, page 55.[1]
In 1917 he commanded the Border Guard Brigade fromTârgu Ocna and participated, under the command of GeneralAlexandru Averescu, in the battles on theOituz Valley, ensuring the stabilization of the front in this region. After the armistice, the border guard brigade was moved toIași. In December 1918, after the signing of theTreaty of Bucharest, he resigned from the army considering that the treaty was incompatible with the honor of soldier. He was transferred to the reserve with the rank of general. In 1915 he sold one of his estates inVâlcea County to buy 15 modern machine guns with which he endowed the regiment.[3]
French GeneralHenri Berthelot, the head of theFrench Military Mission during the First World War, characterized Gheorghe Cantacuzino as follows: "He is a man whom you must imprison in time of peace and release in time of war."[4]
Instead, the politicianConstantin Argetoianu characterized him caustically: "Poor Zizi was a joke all his life and so he will die, but not on the front but in his bed."[5]
Gheorghe Cantacuzino was appointed administrator of civil hospitals and was elected deputy ofVâlcea County from thePeople's Party led byAlexandru Averescu in 1920 and, later, was deputy ofTulcea County for theProgressive Conservative Party for both 1922 and 1926.[6]
On December 10, 1934,Corneliu Zelea Codreanu appointed him president of the nationalist partyTotul pentru Țară, the successor of theIron Guard, after the latter was outlawed, thede facto leader remaining Codreanu himself.[7]
In 1936, Gheorghe Cantacuzino led a group of Legionnaires who went to fight in theSpanish Civil War on the side of theNationalist faction.[8] After a short stay inSpain, he returned to Romania the same year, leaving only the rest of the group on the front. He died in Bucharest in 1937 and was buried in the city'sBellu Cemetery.[9]
Gheorghe Cantacuzino was married to Elena Kalinderu and was the owner of the building in Imprimeriei Street, no. 3 (later Gutenberg Street). From 1937 onwards, the property served as the Totul pentru Țară party headquarters, in addition to the general Iron Guard headquarters inBucureștii Noi known as Casa Verde ("the Green House"). In 1940, a second building, built by Legionnaires through voluntary work, was opened on the property.[10]
The original house, located in a protected area and despite a request to classify the building as a historical monument, was demolished in May 2010 due to dysfunctions between theCulture Department of Bucharest, theNational Commission of Historical Monuments, and theMinistry of Culture and Prefecture.[6][11][9] As of 2023, the second building on the property (built by Legionnaires) continues to exist.
Gheorghe Manu was Gheorghe Cantacuzino's uncle.[12]