Alexandru Averescu

From Freepedia

Image:General Averescu.jpg Image:General Alex Averescu.jpg Alexandru Averescu (14 November 1859, born in Babele, near Ismail, now in Ukraine — 1938) was a Romanian army general and Army Commander during World War I, often being credited with Romania's victory in this war.

Before the WWI he was Minister of War (1907-10) and commander of the II Corps in Craiova. During the war he commanded the Second Army in the defence of the Carpathians, the Army Group South in the Flamanda operation and again the Second Army in the victory of Mărăşti, July 1917.

During the war he developed a deep animosity towards the Chief of the General Staff, general Constantin Prezan and his right hand, major and then lieutenant-colonel Ion Antonescu, the Romanian dictator from 1940-44.

Averescu quit the army in the spring of 1918 for a political career. He presided over the People` s Party and he was immensely popular especially among peasants after the end of the war. However, although he was also Prime Minister of Romania for three mandates (1918, 1920-1921, 1926-1927), his political success is not as spectacular as the military one. He ended up as one of the pawns maneuvered by I.I.C. Bratianu, the liberal leader. He was promoted to Marshal of Romania in 1930.