Juho Kusti Paasikivi

7th President of Finland (1870-1956)

Juho Kusti Paasikivi (27 November 1870–14 December 1956 Helsinki). He was the seventh president of Finland, from 1946 to 1956. He was first person to have his picture printed on Finnish money. First wife was Anna Matilda Forsman (1897–1931).

Juho Kusti Paasikivi
7th President of Finland
In office
11 March 1946 – 1 March 1956
Preceded byCarl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
Succeeded byUrho Kekkonen
Prime Minister of Finland
In office
27 May 1918 – 27 November 1918
Preceded byP. E. Svinhufvud
Succeeded byUrho Castrén
In office
17 November 1944 – 26 March 1946
Preceded byLauri Ingman
Succeeded byMauno Pekkala
Personal details
Born(1870-11-27)27 November 1870
Koski, Finland
Died14 December 1956(1956-12-14) (aged 86)
Helsinki, Finland
NationalityFinnish
Political partyKokoomus
Spouse(s)Anna Forsman
Alli Valve
Signature

Paasikivi studied history and law in Imperial Alexander University in Helsinki. He was especially interested in history of Russia. He became a doctor in law in 1901, and associate professor in 1902. In 1913 he became director of KOP bank.[1]

Paasikivi was elected in parliament in 1907, and second time 1910. This was time when Finland was still part of Russian empire. At the time when Finland became independent, Paasikivi was among those who supported monarchy.[2]

During the second world war Paasikivi was negotiating with Soviet Union. In 1946, when President Mannerheim resigned, parliament selected Paasikivi as his successor. In 1950 he won an election wand was selected for second term. In 1956 he was not an official candidate, but he got some votes as "Black horse".[2]

The foreign policy doctrine established by Paasikivi and continued by his successor Urho Kekkonen, The "Paasikivi-Kekkonen line", aimed at Finland's survival as an independent sovereign, democratic, and capitalist country in the immediate proximity of the Soviet Union.[3]

References

change
  1. From student of history to bank director 375 Humanists
  2. 2.0 2.1 Tuomo Polvinen, ”Paasikivi, Juho Kusti (1870 - 1956)”.Finnish Dictionary of National Biography online.
  3. Kekkonen diaries reveal how Paasikivi-Kekkonen line was born Archived 2015-01-09 at the Wayback Machine hs.fi