White Supremacists Put Romanian Fascist Codreanu Back in Spotlight

On August 12, many Americans were introduced to a new figure of racial intolerance: Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, when a white supremacist wore a T-shirt with his name on it to a rally in Charlottesville, Va. So, who was Codreanu, and why has a Romanian, who died before World War II, been lionized by white supremacists in the United States? Codreanu (September 13, 1899–November 30, 1938) was the leader of the main Romanian fascist organization, the Legion of the Archangel Michael, also known as the Iron Guard. In the years before World War II, Codreanu advocated for the elimination of Jews from Romania. He promoted virulent antisemitism and nationalism, declaring unequivocally to his followers, “The historical mission of our generation is solving the kike problem.” Kike is antisemitic slang referring to Jewish people. Rejecting democratic values and an admirer of Nazi Germany, Codreanu advocated the use of violence as a political weapon. <a href="https://us-holocaust-museum.medium.com/romanian-fascist-codreanu-back-in-spotlight-21273d8b590b">Learn More</a>