Juho Kusti Paasikivi
Humanist of the day

Juho Kusti Paasikivi

Juho Kusti Paasikivi was the seventh president of the Republic of Finland and the first to hold office in the postwar period, where he played an important role on the foreign policy stage. Although Paasikivi is known as a legal scholar, his initial interest in the University came in the shape of Russian history, language and culture. Indeed, his background in the humanities became a useful resource, one which Paasikivi exploited in the struggle for independence and later in the machinations of the Second World War.

Juho Kusti Paasikivi

Juho Kusti Paasikivi
Born November 27, 1870, Tampere. Died December 14, 1956, Helsinki.

Master of Arts (history) 1892, Imperial Alexander University
Master of Laws (Roman and Canon), 1897, Imperial Alexander University, Licentiate and Doctor of Laws, 1901, Imperial Alexander University

President of the Republic of Finland, 1946–1956
Prime Minister of the Republic of Finland, 1944–1946
President, Kansallis-Osake-Pankki bank 1914–1934
Director General, State Treasury, 1903–1194
Assistant, Administrative Law department, 1902–1903, Imperial Alexander University
(Supernumerary) Finnish-language Lecturer, Faculty of Jurisprudence, 1899–1902, Imperial Alexander University

Finnish Ambassador to Moscow, 1940–1941
Minister without Portfolio in Risto Ryti’s government, January 1, 1939–March 27, 1940
Finnish High Representative and Minister, Stockholm, 1936–1939
Chairman, Council of the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus), 1934–1936
Vice-chairman, Senate Economic Affairs Committee, 1918
Member, Helsinki City Council, 1915–1918
Senator, Head of the Finance Committee, 1908–1909
Member of Parliament, Finnish Party, 1907–09 and 1910–1913
Secretary for the Commoners at the Diet, 1904–1905

Photo: Suomen valokuvataiteen museo
Written by Tero Juutilainen
Translated by John Calton

A versatile politician

Juho Kusti Paasikivi is best known as the president of the Republic of Finland, but the presidency was just the tip of the iceberg, a vote of thanks and confidence for all the political work he had done over a long period.

The political charge probably got started in the…

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