Jaakko Mäki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jaakko Mäki
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| Яакко Мя́ки | |
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| Member of the Parliament of Finland | |
| In office 1 August 1908 – 25 September 1918 |
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| Constituency | Vaasa Province South |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jaakko Kaunismäki
2 January 1878 Kokkola, Ilmajoki, Russian Empire |
| Died | 14 January 1938 (aged 60) Petroskoi, Soviet Union |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party of Finland |
| Occupation | Coppersmith |
Jaakko Mäki (Russian: Яакко Туомасович Мя́ки, romanized: Yaakko Tuomasovych Myáky; 2 January 1878 – 14 January 1938) was a Finnish coppersmith (someone who works with copper). He was also a politician and a member of the Parliament of Finland. This is Finland's main law-making body.
Mäki belonged to the Social Democratic Party. He represented the Vaasa Province South area. He served in parliament from August 1908 to September 1918. During the Finnish Civil War, Mäki went to Soviet Russia. He was later executed there in January 1938. This happened during a time called the Great Purge under Stalin.
Contents
Early Life and Work
Jaakko Mäki was born on January 2, 1878. His birthplace was Kokkola, in the Ilmajoki area of western Grand Duchy of Finland. His father was a farmer.
Jaakko went to public school for a few years. He also took vocational evening classes. These classes taught him practical skills for a job.
Later, Mäki moved to Helsinki. He worked there as a labourer on building sites. He joined the trade union for copper and tin roofers. A trade union is a group that protects workers' rights.
He then became an apprentice (a trainee) coppersmith. He worked at a workshop in Helsinki. In 1900, he earned a diploma in this skill. He also got a degree from the Central School of the Arts.
Mäki worked as a coppersmith in Helsinki and Ilmajoki. He became involved in protests against Russian policies. He fled to the USA in 1902 and worked various jobs until 1905.
He returned to Finland in 1905. He bought some land in Ilmajoki. From 1905 to 1918, he worked as a farmhand (a farm worker) and a blacksmith (someone who shapes metal). He was active in the co-operative movement in his village. He also helped start the Huissinkylä labour association.
Politics and the Civil War
Jaakko Mäki joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 1899. He was known as a good orator (speaker). He often gave speeches at party events.
He was elected to the Parliament of Finland in 1908. He was re-elected many times until 1917. His main goal in parliament was to change laws about crofting. This was about small farms and land rights. He was willing to work with other parties to make these changes.
During World War I, Finland relied on grain from Russia. But these imports stopped in 1917. This led to food shortages in Finland. Mäki was appointed to a committee. His job was to help solve disagreements between farm workers and employers.
As food shortages got worse, tensions grew. City workers felt that farmers were hoarding (saving up) food. Mäki spoke in parliament about this issue. He warned that workers should not starve while food was available.
Mäki was the chairman of the SDP's group in parliament from 1917 to 1918. After the 1917 election, other parties wanted to transfer the Russian Tsar's power to a small council. Mäki disagreed. He presented a plan called Me vaadimme (We Demand). This plan called for new laws, like an eight-hour workday.
Mäki attended meetings of the Workers' Revolutionary Central. This group included the SDP and Red Guards. He did not vote for the general strike that happened in November 1917. Before the strike, Mäki tried to get weapons for the Red Guards from Russia, but he was not successful.
Mäki was against armed conflict. In January 1918, he spoke out against all violence. The White Guard tried to arrest him, but he escaped. He joined the Red side. On January 28, 1918, Mäki and other MPs were arrested by the Red Guards. They were questioned at a police station.
After the Finnish Revolution in January 1918, Mäki got an important role. He became a commissioner in the revolutionary government. This government was called the Finnish People's Delegation. He also joined the board of the Bank of Finland. In March 1918, he became the deputy for agricultural affairs.
The war began to turn against the Reds in March 1918. Soviet Russia left Finland, and the German army helped the Whites. Mäki tried to start peace talks, but it didn't work. As the Reds faced defeat, their government moved to Viipuri. Mäki was given new duties in the maintenance and evacuation departments.
Life in Exile and Death
Mäki arrived in Petrograd, Soviet Russia, on April 29, 1918. He joined the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks). He was also part of the Communist Party of Finland. He served as a private in the Red Army.
In 1920, Mäki moved to Petroskoi (Petrozavodsk). He led the Agricultural Affairs Department there. He also directed the Finnish-speaking department of the Communist Party's regional committee. He worked at an agitation school and as an interrogator. He was also on the editorial boards of Kommunisti and Vapaus magazines.
From 1924 to 1929, Mäki was a secretary for the Communist Party in Uhtua District. He was also a member of the party's Executive Central Committee in Karelia. He held various leadership roles in the Communist Party until 1935. He also directed a state farm and a bakery.
In 1935, during Stalin's Great Purge, Mäki was removed from the communist party. He lost all his positions. He was arrested on July 29, 1937. He was accused of activities against the government. On January 4, 1938, he was sentenced to death by shooting. He was executed on January 14, 1938, near Petroskoi.
Years later, in September 1956, he was officially cleared of the charges. This is called being rehabilitated. His communist party membership was given back in December 1969.
Mäki's grandson, Pertti Mäki, has written two books about his grandfather's life.
Personal Life
Jaakko Mäki had four children in Finland: Veikko, Toivo, Helmi, and Hilda. He later married a Soviet citizen named Eeva.
See also
- List of Finnish MPs imprisoned for political reasons
