Corneliu Zelea Codreanu

Iron Guard

romanian orthodox christianity

Corneliu Zelea Codreanu was a Romanian political and military leader, best known as the founder of the Iron Guard Legion, a far-right nationalist and ultra-religious movement in Romania. He was born on 13 September 1899 and was a central figure in Romanian politics in the 1920s and 1930s. His ideology combined nationalism, Orthodox Christianity and a rejection of communism, liberalism and Jewish influence in Romanian society. The Iron Guard was a fascist group that sought the creation of a Romanian state based on traditional Christian values, social order and anti-communism. Codreanu promoted the idea of "national renewal" through fighting the established political system, which he considered corrupt, and establishing an authoritarian government with a strong emphasis on Christian mysticism and spirituality. Codreanu was arrested several times for his political activities and was eventually executed in 1938 by the authoritarian regime of Ion Antonescu, who had initially been an ally of the Iron Guard. His figure remains controversial in Romanian history, being admired by some as a martyr of Romanian nationalism and condemned by others due to his links to fascism and political violence.

Member of Parliament from Romania