Michael forced at gunpoint to abdicate

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February 24, 1948

New details are emerging about the recent abdication of King Michael of Roumania. The Associated Press is reporting that Roumanian premier Petru Groza used a gun to force Michael to sign the act of abdication.

The report is based on an informant who left Romania following the king's abdication. He said that Groza "carried a pistol inside his jacket when he handed the abdication for Michael to sign. The following is the informant's account:
"An associate of the King who tried to use the telephone discovered the line was cut. Simultaneously it was found that the palace grounds were full of plain-clothes agents of the Communist-led government. The special palace guards had been replaced by detachments of the Tudor Vladimirescu division, a special Communist of the army organized from prisoners captured by the Russians.

"Michael stepped to the window and verified reports from his assistants of the situation."

It was then that Groza "ostentatiously swung back his jacket, and let the King see the pistol."

King Michael had no choice, but to sign the document.