Communist Party Central Committee Headquarters, Bucharest
Courtesy Scott Edelman

Palace of ÍÍÍthe Council of State May Day banner reads, "May Our Dear Fatherland, the Romanian Socialist Republic, Live Long and Flourish"
Courtesy Scott Edelman

Founded in 1921, the Communist Party was declared illegal in 1924 and forced underground until 1944. Because of the party's association with Moscow, it was unable to attract broad support. The communists came to power as a result of the Soviet occupation of Romania during the final year of the war. With Soviet backing, the party gradually consolidated power and sought to extend its base of popular support. In early 1948, it merged with a wing of the Social Democratic Party to form the Romanian Workers' Party. By the end of 1952, however, almost all of the Social Democrats had been replaced by Communists.

Data as of July 1989