Dumitru Dămăceanu
Dumitru Dămăceanu was a Romanian army officer in World War II, later promoted to brigadier-general, who played a predominant role in the royal coup of August 23, 1944.
Military and diplomatic career
Before World War II
Dămăceanu was born in the village of Cosmești, in Galați County, Romania. He attended the Costache Negruzzi Boarding High School of Iași, and then the Military School for Cavalry Officers in Târgoviște, graduating in 1916 with the rank of second lieutenant. He then fought in the Romanian campaign of World War I with the 6th Regiment Roșiori. After the war, he pursued his military education at Infantry Officer School in Sibiu and the Military Academy of Turin.In between the world wars, he was military attaché in Rome, Italy, director at the Voievodul Mihai School, and adjutant to King Carol II. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1938 and colonel in 1940.
During World War II
From 1941 to 1942 he was commanding officer of the 10th Roșiori Cavalry Regiment, fighting on the Eastern Front. From 1942 to 1944 he was Chief of Staff of the Capital Military Command. He was awarded the Order of Michael the Brave, 3rd class in October 1941 and the Order of the Star of Romania, Officer class, in July 1942.August 23, 1944 coup d'état
Colonel Dămăceanu participated in the August 23, 1944 coup d'état led by King Michael I against the government of Marshal Ion Antonescu. He organized and coordinated the military actions and resistance in Bucharest. On August 29, he was promoted to brigadier general. By the end of August 1944, he travelled to Moscow with a Romanian delegation; they were received by Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov on August 30 or 31. On September 12, 1944, General Dămăceanu was one of the plenipotentiary signatories of the Armistice Agreement between Romania and the Soviet Union.Paris Peace Conference
In 1946, he was a member of the Gheorghe Tătărescu-led Romanian delegation to the Paris World War II Peace Conference. The Peace Treaty with Romania was signed in Paris on February 10, 1947, in the Salon de l'Horloge of the Ministère des Affaires Étrangères. On the Romanian side, the four signatories were Gheorghe Tătărescu, Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu, Ștefan Voitec, and Dămăceanu. Other signatories included James F. Byrnes, Vyacheslav Molotov, and Ernest Bevin.1944–1947
In August 1946 he advanced in rank to major general. Later on, Dămăceanu was promoted to colonel general.From August 23, 1944, to December 30, 1947, he was Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Interior, Council of Ministers, Ministry of War-Land Forces.