Leon Șușman

Leon Șușman (June 10, 1910–July 19, 1957)[1] was a member of the fascist paramilitary organization the Iron Guard who, following the Soviet occupation of Romania and establishment of the Socialist Republic of Romania, became the leader of an anti-communist paramilitary group in the Apuseni Mountains.[2]

Șușman was born in Măhăceni, Alba County on June 10, 1910, in a family of Greek-Catholic peasants. After graduating with a Law degree from the University of Cluj, he practiced law in Ocna Mureș until May 15, 1948, when the Communist leadership started to arrest ex-members of the Iron Guard and fascist sympathizers.[3] At that time, he and his brother Gheorghe Şuşman went underground, hiding from the authorities in the area between Turda, Ocna Mureș, Aiud, and Blaj.

From 1949 to 1950 Șușman led an anti-communist paramilitary group in the Măhăceni–Aiud area. Between 1950 and 1957, he was the leader of the resistance group in the Poșaga area, together with the Greek-Catholic priest Simion Roșa.[1]

To eliminate the Șușman resistance group, the Romanian security forces used informers against them and intercepted the correspondence of family members.[4] Șușman died in Poșaga de Sus of wounds sustained in a shootout with Securitate troops during the night of July 18–19, 1957.[2][1]

References
  1. "18/19 iulie 1957 – într-o ambuscadă la Poșaga, în Munții Apuseni, sunt împușcați Leon Șușman și Simion Roșa". memorialsighet.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  2. Pădurean, Claudiu (June 20, 2010). "Cum a murit șeful luptei anticomuniste din Apuseni". România Liberă (in Romanian). Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  3. Anghel, Viorel (August 15, 2008). "Haiducii demnității". paginiromanesti.ca (in Romanian). Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  4. Miroiu, Andrei (2010). "Wiping Out 'The Bandits': Romanian Counterinsurgency Strategies in the Early Communist Period". The Journal of Slavic Military Studies. 23 (4): 666–691. doi:10.1080/13518046.2010.526021.
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