Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (1901-1965), the storied founder of the communist political movement within Romania survived 12 years in prison following the First World War and his activity as a then radical revolutionary. Escaping in 1944 and capitalising on the political chaos following the second war, Gheorghe would rise to become a secretary-general and subsequently the secretary of the Communist Party from 1944 to 1954. From 1952 to 1955, Gheorghiu-Dej served as the first Communist Prime Minister of Romania and established foreign and economic policies that served Romania’s national interests, rather than the interest of international socialism as defined by the Soviet leaders. He resigned as prime minister in 1955, but would assume the equivalent position of president of the State Council in 1961 and continue to adopt economic policies that pursued far-reaching industrialization despite the objections of other Soviet-bloc nations. Gheorghiu-Dej died in march 1965 and was succeeded by his protégé, Nicolae Ceaușescu.