Pehr Evind Svinhufvud

Pehr Evind Svinhufvud af Qvalstad (December 15, 1861 – February 29, 1944) was the President of Finland from 1931 to 1937. Serving as a judge in the Russian Grand Duchy of Finland, he played a major part in the movement for Finnish independence. He was the first pre-presidential Head of State in independent Finland, first as Chairman of the Senate, and then subsequently as Protector of State or Regent. He also served as Prime Minister 1930-1931.

Prime Minister and President

In 1925 he was the Presidential candidate for the conservative Kokoomus party, but was not elected. After the emergence of the anti-communist Lapua Movement, President Relander appointed him as Prime Minister of Finland on the Lapua Movement's insistence. Svinhufvud was elected President in 1931, and appointed Mannerheim as Chairman of the Defence Council, not least of all as an answer to the Lapua movement's fear of having fought the Civil War in vain.

Related Topics:
1925 - ''Kokoomus'' party - Anti-communist - Lapua Movement - Relander - Prime Minister of Finland - 1931

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He resisted both Communist agitation and the Lapua Movement's exploits. All Communist members of parliament were arrested.

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In February 1932 there was a so-called Mäntsälä Rebellion, when the Suojeluskunta-Militia and the Lapua Movement demanded the Cabinet's resignation. The turning point came with the President's broadcast radio speech, in which he called on the rebels to surrender and ordered all Civil Guard members who were heading for Mäntsälä to return to their homes:

Related Topics:
1932 - Mäntsälä Rebellion - ''Suojeluskunta''-Militia

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"Throughout my long life, I have struggled for the maintenance of law and justice, and I cannot permit the law to now be trampled underfoot and citizens to be led into armed conflict with one another.....Since I am now acting on my own responsibility, beholden to no-one, and have taken it upon myself to restore peace to the country, from now on every secret undertaking is aimed not only at the legal order but at me personally as well - at me, who have myself marched in the ranks of the Civil Guards as an upholder of social peace.....Peace must be established in the country as swiftly as possible, and the defects that exist in our national life must thereafter be eliminated within the framework of the legal order." His speech stopped the rebellion before anything serious happened.

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Svinhufvud was not a supporter of Parliamentarism. He believed it to be better for Finland if the Social Democrats could be kept outside of the Cabinet. It was due to this that, in the Presidential election of 1937, the Social Democrats and the Agrarian party voted against him. He was not re-elected.

Related Topics:
Parliamentarism - 1937

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At the end of Winter War, he unsuccessfully sought audience with both Hitler and Mussolini but met only Pope Pius XII. During the Continuation War he supported the idea of an expansionistic war.

Related Topics:
Winter War - Hitler - Mussolini - Pope Pius XII - Continuation War

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Svinhufvud died at Luumäki in 1944, while Finland was seeking peace with the Soviet Union.

Related Topics:
Luumäki - 1944 - Soviet Union

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He refused to Finnicize his 500 years old surname (maybe because its literal meaning is swinehead).

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