Iuliu Maniu (8 January 1873 – 5 February 1953) was Prime Minister of Romania from 10 November 1928 to 6 June 1930 (succeeding Vintila Bratianu and preceding Gheorghe Mironescu), from 13 June to 9 October 1930 (succeeding Mironescu and preceding Alexandru Vaida-Voevod), and from 20 October 1932 to 13 January 1933 (interrupting Vaida-Voevod's two terms).
Biography[]
Iuliu Maniu was born in Sziladybadacsony, Austria-Hungary (now Badacin, Romania) on 8 January 1873, and he was elected to the Hungarian Parliament in 1906, where he pressed for the minority rights of Romanians living in Transylvania. He served in the Austro-Hungarian Army, but in May 1918 helped to organize a successful mutiny of Romanian troops. He became a pivotal figure in achieving Transylvanian admission to Romania in 1919. His political experience served him well as a leading member of the Romanian National Party, which he made into a major political force on the platform of nationalism. In 1926, he became leader of the National Peasants' Party, after the merger of the RNP with the Peasants' Party of Romania. The NPP received over 75% of the vote in the 1928 elections. His government tried to attract foreign investment, promoted the consolidation of agricultural lands, and generally passed legislation to favor the peasantry. Ultimately, however, his reforms had limited effect owing to the onset of the Great Depression. Weakened by interparty squabbles and the return of Carol II, he resigned in 1930. Despite his hostility to Carol, he briefly returned as Prime Minister, only to resume his opposition to the King in 1933. To this end, he even formed a brief alliance with the fascist Iron Guard in 1937. Despite initial support for Ion Antonescu, he became a leading member of the resistance movement and was instrumental in overthrowing Antonescu in 1944, and bringing Romania into the war against Nazi Germany. Although he had been allied with the Soviet Union, he was a strong anti-communist and in 1947 was imprisoned by the new regime, and sentenced to solitary confinement for life. He died in prison in 1953 at the age of 80.