Part 2/10:
Born into humble beginnings in Southern Romania, Ceaușescu's ambition propelled him from his rural hometown to Bucharest, where he began his career as an apprentice shoemaker. His early involvement in the rising communist youth movement of the 1930s set the stage for a swift ascent through the ranks of Romania's planned economy following World War II. After the death of the previous leader, Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, a power struggle ensued, allowing Ceaușescu to claim control over the Romanian Socialist Republic.