Tradition
Iron Guard
Overview
The Iron Guard (Romanian: Garda de Fier) was a far-right, revolutionary, fascist paramilitary organization and political party active in the Kingdom of Romania during the interwar period and the Second World War. Founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel Michael (Legiunea Arhanghelul Mihail) or the Legionary Movement (Mișcarea Legionară), the movement was strongly anti-democratic, anti-communist, and antisemitic, and its ideology inspired both political violence and forms of Christian terrorism. It differed from other European far-right movements of the period due to its spiritual basis, as the Iron Guard was deeply imbued with Romanian Orthodox Christian mysticism.
In March 1930, Codreanu formed the Iron Guard as a paramilitary branch of the Legion, which in 1935 changed its official name to the "Totul pentru Țară" party—literally, "Everything for the Country". It existed into the early part of the Second World War, during which time it came to power. Members were called Legionnaires or, outside of the movement, "Greenshirts" because of the predominantly green uniforms they wore.
When Marshal Ion Antonescu came to power in September 1940, he brought the Iron Guard into the government, creating the National Legionary State. In January 1941, following the Legionnaires' rebellion, Antonescu used the army to suppress the movement, destroying the organization; its commander, Horia Sima, along with other leaders, escaped to Germany.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.
Those countries still continued countries of states; that is, of classes, orders, and distinctions such as had before subsisted, or nearly so. Indeed, the force and form of the institution called states continued in greater perfection in those republican communities than under monarchies. From all those sources arose a system of manners and of education which was nearly similar in all this quarter of the globe; and…
Edmund Burke, Selections from the Speeches and Writings of Edmund Burke
States what Iron Guard is.
The city now being built, Romulus enlisted all that were of age to bear arms into military companies, each company consisting of three thousand footmen and three hundred horse. These companies were called legions, because they were the choicest and most select of the people for fighting men. The rest of the multitude he called the people; one hundred of the most eminent he chose for counselors; these he styled…
Plutarch, Plutarch
Close in meaning to Iron Guard; the term itself is not named.
The fall of the western empire is the third great revolution in the affairs of mankind, of which ancient history has preserved any distinct or circumstantial account. It was brought about by the irresistible superiority which the militia of a barbarous has over that of a civilized nation; which the militia of a nation of shepherds has over that of a nation of husbandmen, artificers, and manufacturers. The victories…
Adam Smith, An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
Close in meaning to Iron Guard; the term itself is not named.
Philosophers who discussed Iron Guard
- Mircea Eliade
- Constantin Noica
- Emil Cioran
- Julius Evola
- Constantin Rădulescu-Motru
- Nae Ionescu
- Mircea Vulcănescu
- Octav Onicescu
- Petre P. Negulescu
- Ionel Gherea
Related ideas
- Eastern Orthodox Church
- Antisemitism
- God in Christianity
- Fascism
- Freemasonry
- Atheism
- Mircea Eliade
- Soteriology
- Spanish Civil War
- Marxism
- Great Depression
- Mormonism
- Populism
- Nazi Germany
- Iași
- Nazi Party
- Nationalism
- Ottoman Empire
- Political spectrum
- Wayback Machine
- Religion
- Orthodoxy
- Spain
- Sigmund Freud
Place in the tradition
Part of Authoritarianism.