 Unlike the other two, he had not spent World War II in Moscow, but the Comintern's suggestion in 1940 that Georgescu be made General Secretary kept Gheorghiu-Dej wary of his influence.Furthermore, as Luca and Pauker began to fall from grace in early 1952 (their fate having been decided in Moscow), he made the mistake of standing by them.Initially "assigned to work at a lower level", he was arrested on February 18, 1953, and investigated by his former subordinates at the Securitate for three years.