Corneliu Codreanu ( September 13th, 1899 - July 17th, 1962) was the founder of the fascist Iron Guard and Holy Protector of Romania from 1944-1962. Born in Husi, Romania, he served in World War I, studied law and joined right-wing anti-semitic movements. He founded the ultra-Orthodox Iron Guard in 1927, which eventually gained funding from the New Russian Empire. As the Iron Guard gained political influence, the group was banned and Codreanu was forced to flee to Russia, which had a ruling philosophy similar to the Iron Guard. When the German People's Republic invaded Romania in 1940, Codreanu returned to lead Iron Guard partisans against the Communist occupiers. The Iron Guard became the most effective partisan movement in Europe, attacking German supply lines and ambushing German troops,