Karl-August Fagerholm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karl-August Fagerholm
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| 20th Prime Minister of Finland | |
| In office 29 August 1958 – 13 January 1959 |
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| President | Urho Kekkonen |
| Preceded by | Reino Kuuskoski |
| Succeeded by | V. J. Sukselainen |
| In office 3 March 1956 – 27 May 1957 |
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| President | Urho Kekkonen |
| Preceded by | Urho Kekkonen |
| Succeeded by | V. J. Sukselainen |
| In office 29 July 1948 – 17 March 1950 |
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| President | Juho K. Paasikivi |
| Preceded by | Mauno Pekkala |
| Succeeded by | Urho Kekkonen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 December 1901 Siuntio, Finland |
| Died | 22 May 1984 (aged 82) Helsinki, Finland |
| Political party | Social Democratic |
| Spouse | Judith Jormala |
| Children | 3 |
Karl-August Fagerholm (born December 31, 1901, in Siuntio – died May 22, 1984, in Helsinki) was an important Finnish politician. He served as the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament and was the Prime Minister of Finland three times (1948–50, 1956–57, and 1958–59). Fagerholm became a key leader of the Social Democrats after the Continuation War ended. He was a Swedish-speaking Finn who favored close ties with Scandinavia. This made him seem more acceptable to the Soviet Union's leaders than some other Finnish politicians. However, his career after the war faced strong opposition from both the Soviet Union and the Communist Party of Finland. He almost became president in 1956 but lost by a very small margin to Urho Kekkonen.
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Early Life and Political Beginnings
Karl-August Fagerholm was born in Siuntio. He was the youngest child of a stonecutter. His father died before he was born. In his youth, Fagerholm worked as a paperboy and later as a barber. He even became the chairman of the Barbers' Union for a few years.
In 1930, he was elected to Finland's Parliament. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Social Democrats faced challenges. This was because they had been on the losing side of the Finnish Civil War. There was also a rise in anti-socialist feelings in Finland. This led to a shift towards right-wing ideas. For example, the semi-fascist Lapua Movement appeared. Because of this, socialists were not allowed in the government from 1929 to 1937.
However, in 1937, things changed. Fagerholm became the Minister for Social Affairs. He held this position in several governments until 1943.
Finland's Neutral Stance
As a government minister, Fagerholm helped lead Finland's policy of staying neutral. This meant Finland wanted to be friends with its neighbors, especially other Nordic countries. Many politicians believed this approach would protect Finland from the Soviet Union. Fagerholm, being a Swedish speaker and a Social Democrat, was well-suited for this task. But there was not enough time for this policy to fully succeed.
Finland During World War II
When the Winter War began, some countries, like Sweden, were still unsure about Finland's foreign policy. The Winter War ended with Finland losing Finnish Karelia. This made many people feel that the neutral Nordic policy had failed.
In 1940, the Soviet Union stopped talks about a defense partnership between Sweden and Finland. This meant Finland's neutral path was blocked. Fagerholm then had less influence on policy decisions. Finland eventually became closely linked with Nazi Germany. German troops were stationed in Finland. This led to Finland joining the Continuation War alongside Germany.
Challenges During the War
During the Continuation War, there were problems with how Finland treated some refugees. In one sad event in 1942, eight Jewish refugees were handed over to the German secret police (Gestapo). This made Fagerholm consider resigning from his position.
After the Battle of Stalingrad, it became clear that Nazi Germany would lose World War II. A new government was formed to seek peace with the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. Fagerholm was not part of this new government.
When the war ended in September 1944, Finland was in a very weak economic state. The country had lost many people and much property. Also, over 400,000 people had to move from areas lost to the Soviet Union. Finland also had to pay large war reparations. These payments were a huge burden. They amounted to more than 2% of Finland's total yearly income (gross national product) from 1944 to 1952. The Soviet Union sometimes used these payments to pressure the Finnish government. They encouraged strikes to cause problems with deliveries. This was to increase the influence of Finnish Communists.
Post-War Years and Leadership
After the war, Fagerholm was chosen to lead Finland's Social Democrats. The previous leader, Väinö Tanner, had to step down. This was because many people, including the Soviet Union, did not trust him. Fagerholm's main job was to rebuild and strengthen the Social Democrats. This time, the criticism came from the political left, especially from Communists.
Fagerholm was seen as a good choice because he had not been a strong supporter of the Continuation War. He was a compromise candidate. This meant he was accepted by both those who supported Tanner and those who had criticized the war.
Dealing with Communists
The Soviet Union's victory in World War II made their supporters in Finland more powerful. In 1946, the Communist-allied Mauno Pekkala became prime minister. He led a government that included Social Democrats. Fagerholm chose to focus on being the party chairman and stayed out of the government.
Fagerholm believed that Communism could not be defeated by force. He thought it should be fought through open debate and free elections. In the late 1940s, Social Democrats worked hard to prevent Communists from taking over trade unions. They often succeeded in winning elections within these unions.
Fagerholm as Prime Minister (1948-1950)
In July 1948, new parliamentary elections were held. The Communists lost a lot of support. Their number of seats in Parliament dropped significantly. Because of this, Communists were not included in the new government. Fagerholm led this new government, which was a minority cabinet. This meant it did not have a clear majority of seats in Parliament. It relied on support from other parties, like the National Coalition Party and some Liberals and conservatives.
Fagerholm's government passed an important law about public pensions. This helped many people.
As the leader of the Social Democrats, he was prime minister from 1948 to 1950. During this time, he faced strong opposition from Communists. The Soviet Union also accused him of trying to weaken the Finno-Soviet Treaty of 1948 by making Finland join NATO. Even Finland joining the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1949 was viewed with suspicion. However, this actually helped Finland meet its war reparation payments to the Soviet Union.
In 1949, Communist strike leaders tried to take control of the dockworkers' union. This was part of the opposition Fagerholm faced. It also threatened the stability of his government.
The 1950s and Political Challenges
After the war, the government controlled prices and wages to stop inflation. One of Fagerholm's goals was to let unions and employers negotiate wages themselves. In January 1950, Parliament agreed to increase wages and end government wage controls.
Soon after, a new government led by Urho Kekkonen took power. Wage negotiations stalled. Fagerholm, who was now the Speaker of Parliament, helped find a solution. Most trade union members supported this solution.
Fagerholm's relationship with the elderly president of Finland, Juho Kusti Paasikivi, was sometimes difficult. Some people say Fagerholm's foreign policy ideas were similar to Paasikivi's. However, Fagerholm was a Social Democrat, while Paasikivi was more conservative. Some also claimed Fagerholm had contacts with the US embassy and received money from the US. Paasikivi, however, often favored Kekkonen, who had the support of the Soviet Union.
In the 1956 Finnish presidential election, Fagerholm almost won. He received 149 votes, while Urho Kekkonen received 151. If just two more electors had voted for him, he would have won. Instead, Fagerholm became prime minister again, leading a government made up of four parties.
Third Term as Prime Minister (1958-1959)
During his second term as prime minister (1956-1957), Fagerholm visited the Soviet Union. Relations seemed to get better. After a break from office, Fagerholm again led a government in July 1958. This was his third time as prime minister. The Communists had become the largest party in Parliament at this time.
President Kekkonen did not try to calm the Soviet Union's fears. The Soviets worried that Finland would stop its careful policy of not upsetting Soviet interests.
Finland had joined the Nordic Council in 1955. It also traded more and more with Western countries. Moscow saw this as a sign that Finland was moving closer to the West. This was especially true with Fagerholm as prime minister, as he was known for his pro-Nordic views and US connections.
So, in 1958, the Soviet government put pressure on Fagerholm's government. They canceled talks on economic issues. They wanted to make it clear that having Fagerholm as prime minister would be very costly for Finland. On October 21, 1958, the Soviet Ambassador was suddenly called back from Finland.
The Yrjö Leino Memoirs Crisis
Soon after, there was a new problem. This was about the memoirs of Yrjö Leino. He had been Finland's Communist Minister of the Interior from 1945 to 1948. The Soviets were very unhappy that Leino was writing his memories. A Soviet official demanded that Fagerholm's government stop the book from being published. Fagerholm explained that the government could not legally do anything. The book had not been released yet, and Finland did not have censorship.
The Soviet official warned that if the book was published, the Soviet Union would take "serious actions." Later that day, Fagerholm called the publisher and convinced them to cancel the book's release. (The entire print run of the book was later destroyed, but this happened after Fagerholm's term ended.) A publishing house director later said that the fuss about the book was too much for its content. He called it the first time Finland censored itself because of concerns about relations with the Soviet Union.
However, this was not enough to stop the Soviet pressure on Fagerholm. On December 4, 1958, Fagerholm resigned. In January 1959, President Kekkonen traveled to Leningrad. He personally assured Nikita Khrushchev that Finland would be a "good neighbor." After a new prime minister from Kekkonen's party was appointed, all economic relations with the Soviet Union resumed.
Family Life
Karl-August Fagerholm married Judith Jormala in 1905. They had three children: Brita (1927–2013), Stina (born 1929), and Einar (born 1935). His granddaughters, Jannica (born 1961) and Catarina (born 1963), are well-known economists in Finland.
Fagerholm's Governments
- Fagerholm I Cabinet
- Fagerholm II Cabinet
- Fagerholm III Cabinet
