Biography Mihail Moruzov

1 biography

1.1 life
1.2 career
1.3 downfall

biography
early life

moruzov born in zebil, tulcea county, nicolae , maria moruzov; had 4 brothers , 2 sisters. family of russian origin, lipovans or possibly descendants of zaporozhian cossacks. grandfather simion priest, father, served @ russian church in tulcea forty years.

he married twice: first wife s family name văraru, , couple had daughter, aurora-florina; after divorced, married teodora săndulescu, professor silistra whom divorced. education limited, delayed permanent appointment intelligence chief (the position demanded university studies): paid daily wage temporary employee. in addition russian, learned @ home, , romanian, knew ukrainian, bulgarian, turkish , tatar (languages spoken in native dobruja , nearby budjak).

career

from 1917 1919 headed dobruja information , security service, 1924 1940, secret intelligence service of romanian army, instrumental in creating. clandestine work took place amid turbulent backdrop—the socio-economic upheaval following world war i; rise of iron guard; threat, both internal , external, of communism, , increasing authoritarianism of king carol ii, who, along other political , military leaders, trusted , stood moruzov qualities , successes. self-confident , ambitious, intrigues included gathering compromising information on figures, amplifying , creating new imbroglios, , betraying ssi’s activities.

his office equipped recording devices (on tapes , discs), bugs, detectors, transparent mirrors, periscopes indirect observation , sensitive photoelectric cells. powerful mercedes-benz had recording device , two-way radio. after 1936, moruzov established schools preparing specialists, such radio-telegraph operators, photo , film experts, , fingerprinters.

moruzov had keen talent bringing impressive network of informants. horia sima 1 of these, paid, according gheorghe, brother of successor eugen cristescu, 200,000 lei month. others included princess caradja (who worked multiple agencies), major cristian nicolae (a relative of brătianu family), eugen titianu (who kept him abreast of events @ newspaper universul), mitiță constantinescu , victor iamandi (who offered information on dinu brătianu , elder liberals), ghiţă marincu (who had links main parties), alexandru vaida-voevod, nicolae iorga (who carried out historical studies ssi) , admiral ion coandă. reserved substantial amounts of money key figures in leadership of ministry of defence , general staff (one method used rent rooms them @ inflated prices).

downfall

toward end of career, moruzov’s fascination technical aspects of espionage, along attitude of indispensability, caused him neglect mission of providing intelligence nation’s leaders consider saw fit. eugen cristescu later wrote: “moruzov had long become entangled in network of internal political intrigues [and] had confused political information politics , informants’ game political game. fell cascade of intrigues between foreign intelligence services fought influence in our country”.

his activities drew ire of sima , ion antonescu, mother, liţă baranga, had drawn compromising file, , wife, maria, had initiated bigamy trial. unfortunately moruzov, events in late summer of 1940 brought chief adversaries antonescu , sima power premier (with dictatorial powers) , vice-premier. arrested on 6 september 1940 and, before investigation complete, killed in jilava massacre 26–27 november, in cell number 1.