UC Irvine

Romania’s militaristic and fascist Iron Guard movement–also known as the Legion of the Archangel Michael–called for a violent, spiritual crusade to reclaim the nation’s blood and soul. This thesis considers how the Iron Guard conceived of a “new man” and “legionary woman” through topics like ultranationalism, physical education, and mysticism. The movement’s forceful rejection of urbanism and foreign influences culminated in a deeply anti-semitic philosophy that asked its male followers to embark on a journey of regeneration through discipline, labor, and violence. The Iron Guard asked “legionary sisters” to defend against invading cultural forces, yet largely confined women’s participation to domestic and spiritual duties. To understand the psychic appeal of Romanian fascism, this thesis will wander through rural Romanian towns, unpacking how the cult of death and spectacles of the “new man” manifested on the bodies of the legionaries. The study analyzes several publications from the movement’s father, Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, especially his 1933 organizational guide for legionaries, The Nest Leader’s Manual. It will address gaps in scholarship by centering gender in the mythological core of Romanian fascism. In doing so, it considers: what role did gender and the conception of a "new man" play in the political ideology and culture of interwar Romania's Iron Guard movement?