Kyösti Kallio (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈkyø̯sti ˈkɑlːio], 10 April 1873 – 19 December 1940) was a Finnish politician who served as the fourth president of Finland from 1937 to 1940. His presidency included leading the country through the Winter War;[2] while he relinquished the post of commander-in-chief to Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, he played a role as a spiritual leader. After the war, he became both the first President of Finland to resign and the only one to die in office, dying of a heart attack while returning home after submitting his resignation.
Kyösti Kallio | |
|---|---|
 Kallio in 1937 | |
| 4th President of Finland | |
| In office 1 March 1937 – 19 December 1940 | |
| Prime Minister | Aimo Cajander Risto Ryti |
| Preceded by | Pehr Evind Svinhufvud |
| Succeeded by | Risto Ryti |
| 9th, 13th, 17th and 22nd Prime Minister of Finland[1] | |
| In office 7 October 1936 – 15 February 1937 | |
| President | Pehr Evind Svinhufvud |
| Preceded by | Toivo Mikael Kivimäki |
| Succeeded by | Aimo Cajander |
| In office 16 August 1929 – 4 July 1930 | |
| President | Lauri Kristian Relander |
| Preceded by | Oskari Mantere |
| Succeeded by | Pehr Evind Svinhufvud |
| In office 31 December 1925 – 13 December 1926 | |
| President | Lauri Kristian Relander |
| Preceded by | Antti Tulenheimo |
| Succeeded by | Väinö Tanner |
| In office 14 November 1922 – 18 January 1924 | |
| President | Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg |
| Preceded by | Aimo Cajander |
| Succeeded by | Aimo Cajander |
| 11th, 13th, 16th, 19th, 21st and 24th Speaker of the Finnish Parliament | |
| In office 21 October 1930 – 8 October 1936 | |
| Preceded by | Juho Sunila |
| Succeeded by | Väinö Hakkila |
| In office 1 February 1929 – 16 August 1929 | |
| Preceded by | Paavo Virkkunen |
| Succeeded by | Paavo Virkkunen |
| In office 3 September 1927 – 31 January 1928 | |
| Preceded by | Paavo Virkkunen |
| Succeeded by | Paavo Virkkunen |
| In office 2 May 1924 – 31 March 1925 | |
| Preceded by | Paavo Virkkunen |
| Succeeded by | Wäinö Wuolijoki |
| In office 6 September 1922 – 14 November 1922 | |
| Preceded by | Wäinö Wuolijoki |
| Succeeded by | Wäinö Wuolijoki |
| In office 8 May 1920 – 29 March 1921 | |
| Preceded by | Lauri Kristian Relander |
| Succeeded by | Wäinö Wuolijoki |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 April 1873 Ylivieska, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire |
| Died | 19 December 1940 (aged 67) Helsinki, Finland |
| Political party | Agrarian |
| Spouse | Kaisa Nivala |
| Children | 6 |
| Occupation | Farmer Bank clerk |
| Signature |  |
Kallio was the only president of Finland who did not have an academic or similar degree.[2] He was a prominent leader of the Agrarian League party, and served as Prime Minister four times and Speaker of the Parliament six times.[3][4] During his political career, he also served as a five-time Minister of Agriculture for most of the period between 1917 and 1922, including in the Independence Senate and the Civil War-era White cabinet, led a 1922 land reform to aid tenant farmers in acquiring their own land, and was a candidate in the 1931 presidential election before defeating incumbent president Pehr Evind Svinhufvud in the subsequent elections of 1937.
Biography
editEarly life
editKyösti Kallio, originally Gustaf Kalliokangas (forename Finland Swedish pronunciation: [ˈɡʉstɑːf], surname Finnish pronunciation: [ˈkɑlːioˌkɑŋːɑs]), was born in Ylivieska, Grand Duchy of Finland, which was an autonomous region of the Russian Empire at the time. His father Mikko Kalliokangas was a farmer and prominent local politician. Young Kyösti's life also included his father's unmarried and childless cousin, Anttuuna Kangas, or aunt Anttuuna, who arranged for the boy to go to Raahe's junior high school in 1886.[5] After that, he was educated in Oulu where he became acquainted with Santeri Alkio, author and future ideologue of the Agrarian League.[6]
Start of career
editKallio entered politics during the first Russification campaign of Finland as a member of the Young Finnish Party. He served in the Diet of Finland from 1904 to 1906 as a member of the Estate of the Peasantry.[7] He joined the newly founded Agrarian League in 1906 and became one of its most prominent leaders.
Finland gains independence
editAfter the February Revolution of 1917 dethroned Tsar Nicholas II, the Russian provisional government tasked Vice Admiral Adrian Nepenin with overseeing the change of government in Finland. Nepenin started by inviting a handful of Finnish politicians to discuss the situation on March 17. Kallio represented the Agrarian League; and when the Finnish politicians the next day sent a delegation to Saint Petersburg to negotiate a cessation to the Russification campaign, Kallio was again a member. The delegation was successful, and Finland was permitted to assemble a fully parliamentary Senate. Kallio came to serve as Agrarian minister in the Senate of Oskari Tokoi, which took office March 26. Most of his time was spent trying to mediate the agrarian strikes and finding foodstuffs for the country, while the First World War raised the prices in Europe.
After the Tsar had been dethroned, the Finnish Parliament had to decide whether the highest authority in the country had passed on to the Russian Provisional Government, the Finnish Parliament, or the Finnish Senate. The question led to serious strife between the right-wing and left-wing elements of the Parliament. Kallio initially supported the socialists in demanding that power transfer to the Parliament, but disapproved of their cooperation with Russian Bolsheviks and Mensheviks; and Kallio ultimately voted against the bill they had drafted. Nonetheless, the socialist proposal passed, which the Russian Provisional Government saw as an affront to their power; and Alexander Kerensky consequently dissolved the Finnish Parliament on September 8. Kallio and the Socialist senators resigned from the senate, which continued to operate under the leadership of E. N. Setälä.
After the October Revolution, the Finnish bourgeoisie were willing to compromise and give parliament the highest authority fearing Bolshevik rule would spread to Finland. Setälä's Senate resigned immediately after the question was settled. Kallio was again named Agrarian Minister in the Senate of P. E. Svinhufvud whose first priority was to declare Finland independent. On December 4 the Senate introduced a declaration of independence to the Parliament; and the next day Kallio wrote a resolution, which the Parliament passed with votes 100–88.
Civil war
editDuring the Civil War in Finland, Kallio hid in red-dominated Helsinki, because he was at least nominally on the white side and therefore a "class enemy"; he formed a new senate (government) in Helsinki after German troops had defeated the reds in the city. Afterwards he became a moderate peace-maker and disapproved of retaliation against the reds. In his reconciliation speech in Nivala, Kallio said the following:
We have to create a Finland where there are no reds or whites, but only Finns who love their country, citizens of the Republic of Finland, who all feel like members of society and enjoy themselves here.[8][9]
Formation of the republic
editDuring the debates over the form of the new state in 1918, Kallio resigned from the senate because he supported a republic instead of constitutional monarchy. Eventually, the monarchist stand lost, and he returned to the Cabinet to become prime minister. He was a reformist who emphasized education, settlement, and land reform. His greatest achievement was "Lex Kallio" in 1922, legislation allowing the state to buy land to encourage new settlements, and to let the former tenant farmers and other landless rural people buy small farms (see, for example, Seppo Zetterberg et al., ed., "Suomen historian pikkujättiläinen").
Supported prohibition
editHe supported prohibition in Finland, and was dismayed when it was repealed in 1932.
Non-violent anti-communist
editKallio was an anti-communist, suppressing the Communist Party of Finland (SKP) in 1923. However, he resorted to legislative methods. When the violent right-wing Lapua Movement asked him to become their leader, he refused and was then instead subjected to their death threats.
President
editKallio was elected president with the votes of a centrist (Agrarian and Progressive) and social democratic coalition, which wanted to ensure that President Svinhufvud would not be re-elected. Kallio took the role of a parliamentarian president and avoided use of his personal power.
On the eve of the Winter War, when Marshal Mannerheim once again threatened to resign from his post as chairman of Finland's Defence Council due to a schism with the cabinet, Kallio convinced him to stay. During the war Kallio resisted the idea of giving up any territory to the Soviet Union, but was forced to agree to sign the Moscow Peace Treaty in 1940. His health began to fail – and his right arm was paralyzed – He was not active in the dealings with Germany leading to the Continuation War. On 27 August Kallio suffered a serious stroke.[10] Prime Minister Risto Ryti took over his duties. Kallio's heart became weak while he knowingly took risks by agreeing to the formal farewell ceremonies.[11][12]
Resignation and death
edit
Kallio left a notice of resignation on 27 November 1940. He was planning to leave the capital and retire to his farm at Nivala after the farewell ceremonies on the evening of 19 December 1940; but he collapsed and died that night at the Helsinki Central Railway Station in the arms of his adjutant before a guard of honour while a band played the patriotic Finnish march Porilaisten marssi.[13][14][6] One story tells that Kallio died in the arms of Marshal Mannerheim,[15] but this is most likely part of the construction of Mannerheim's personal cult. In reality, Kallio died in the arms of his adjutant Aladár Paasonen[16] and colonel A. F. Airo[citation needed].
Religious views
edit
A significant part of Kallio's personality and a motive for the social reforms which he supported and promoted was his deep Christian faith, which he had adopted already at home, and which was deepened during his marriage to Kaisa Nivala, who was also a devout Christian. Although Kallio was often too busy to go to church, he prayed often when encountering difficulties in making political decisions, and some of these prayers he recorded in his diary. He also read Christian books with his wife and often discussed them by exchanging letters. He often referred to God in his speeches, and during the Winter War he asked the Finns who were serving their country to read the Bible. When he was forced to sign the harsh Moscow Peace Treaty in March 1940, Kallio quoted freely from the Book of Zechariah, saying:
"May my hand, which is forced to sign such a paper, wither."
His right arm was paralysed the following summer, and he was forced to switch his writing hand. In the Presidential Palace, shortly before leaving for Helsinki Central Railway Station for the last time, Kallio sang a hymn with his family.[11][17][18]
Supplemental biography
editKyösti Kallio was deeply religious - he came from a pietist family[5] - and was an absolute teetotaller. In 1932 he took the repellation of prohibition in Finland that had been in force since 1919 as a personal defeat. When Kallio was visiting the parliament of Hungary in his role as speaker of the parliament of Finland, he caused a complete shock to his hosts by requesting milk to drink at the official banquet. When Kallio became president, the largest change in the presidential palace in Finland was the complete stop of serving alcoholic beverages in all events. In addition, there was no dancing at any Indendence Day Reception during Kallio's time as president.[19]: 116 When appointing Kaarlo Hillilä as the governor of the Lapland Province Kallio made him promise not to drink any alcohol.[20] Kaisa Kallio's loom was taken into the presidential palace into the same room where Ellen Svinhufvud's loom had been taken away from shortly before.[19]: 121
When a condolence petition was being assembled in Nivala in 1904 in memory of the recently assassinated governor-general Nikolay Bobrikov, Kallio snatched the paper from the hand of the petitioner, tore it into pieces in front of him and threw it into the fire.[19]: 109
Kallio's religiousness and abstinence from alcohol gave him an image of a solemn and narrow-minded person. However, his close friends have described him as a social person who understood intelligent wordplay.[19]: 116 In appropriate company, Kallio indulged in good-natured humour. In his youth, Kallio's favourite sport was cross-country skiing, and he won numerous prizes in skiing competitions. In his older years, Kallio raised racehorses, and even in his years as a government minister he successfully took part in races. In addition to this, Kallio had time to attend theatre plays and concerts.[5]
In popular culture
editKallio was played by Ossi Ahlapuro in the 2001 television film Valtapeliä elokuussa 1940, directed by Veli-Matti Saikkonen.[21]
Gallery
edit-
Kallio and Juho Niukkanen in 1920s. -
Kallio speaking on the radio in 1930s. -
Kallio in his office. -
president Svinhufvud, president Kallio and marshal Mannerheim -
Kallio stepping out of his car; Marshal Mannerheim stands left from him. -
Kallio giving his New Year's speech in 1940. -
The funeral of President Kyösti Kallio in 1940
Cabinets
edit| Kyösti Kallio | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Armiger | Kyösti Kallio |
Honours
edit
Awards and decorations
edit
Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose (Finland)- Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Liberty
Knight of the Order of the Seraphim (Sweden)- Order of the Polar Star (Sweden)
Order of the Falcon (Iceland)
Collar of the Order of the White Star- Cross of Liberty Military Leadership (Estonia)
- Cross of Liberty Civilian Service (Estonia)
- Order of the Cross of the Eagle
- Order of the Estonian Red Cross
Order of the Three Stars (Latvia)
Order of Merit (Hungary)
Order of Polonia Restituta
References
edit
- ^ "Governments in chronological order". Finnish government (Valtioneuvosto). Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- ^ a b Sodanajan politiikot Ryti ja Kallio - YLE (in Finnish)
- ^ "Ministerikortisto". Valtioneuvosto. Archived from the original on 2009-05-03.
- ^ "Edustajamatrikkeli". Eduskunta. Archived from the original on 2012-02-12.
- ^ a b c Matti Kuusi (1965). Suomen tasavallan presidentit (in Finnish). Porvoo: WSOY. pp. 96–97.
- ^ a b Kari Hokkanen. "Kallio, Kyösti (1873 - 1940) President of Finland". Biografiakeskus, Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura. Retrieved 2013-01-10.
- ^ Viljo Hytönen (1926). Talonpoikaissäädyn historia. II Osa: Säädyn jäsenet, sihteerit ja tulkit (in Finnish). Helsinki: Otava. pp. 111–113.
- ^ "Kyösti Kallio". kyostikallio.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- ^ Tolkki, Kristiina (5 May 2018). "Nivalassa juhlitaan Kyösti Kallion sovintopuhetta sata vuotta sitten – Katso presidentti Niinistön ja pääministeri Sipilän puheet, suora lähetys klo 13.15 alkaen". Yle (in Finnish). Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- ^ Sakari Virkkunen, Suomen presidentit II: Kallio - Ryti - Mannerheim ("Finnish Presidents II: Kallio - Ryti - Mannerheim"), Helsinki: Otava Publishing Ltd., 1994
- ^ a b Virkkunen, "The Finnish Presidents II"
- ^ Kari Hokkanen, "A Biography of Kyösti Kallio, II: 1930-1940" 1930-1940, Helsinki 1986
- ^ Perälä, Reijo (September 8, 2006). "Kyösti Kallio kuolee, presidentiksi Risto Ryti". Elävä arkisto (in Finnish). Yle. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ Aladár Paasonen (1974). Marsalkan tiedustelupäällikkönä ja hallituksen asiamiehenä (Marshall's chief of intelligence and Government's official. In Finnish). Weilin, Göös, Helsinki
- ^ HS: Presidentti Kyösti Kallion salonkivaunu jäi Helsingin rautatieasemalle (in Finnish)
- ^ Turtola, Martti: Mannerheimin ristiriitainen upseeri: eversti Aladár Paasosen elämä ja toiminta, WSOY 2012, p. 130. ISBN 978-951-0-36944-9
- ^ Hokkanen, "A Biography of Kyösti Kallio, II"; "The Presidents of the Republic 1931-1940". Helsinki, 1994
- ^ Kyösti Kallion puheet (Speeches of Kyösti Kallio, in Finnish) Helsinki, 1941
- ^ a b c d Kataja, Anna-Maija: Itsenäisen Suomen presidentit. Jyväskylä: Gummerus, 1992. ISBN 951-20-4008-5.
- ^ Virolainen, Johannes: Polun varrelta: merkintöjä ja muistikuvia ihmisistä ja tapahtumista, p. 298. Helsinki: Otava, 1993.
- ^ Valtapeliä elokuussa 1940 (TV Movie 2001) – IMDb
External links
edit- Newspaper clippings about Kyösti Kallio in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW
- Kyösti Kallio in The Presidents of Finland