Kyösti Kallio
Kyösti Kallio (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈkyø̯sti ˈkɑlːio]; 10 April 1873 – 19 December 1940) was a Finnish politician who served as the fourth president of Finland from 1937 to 1940. His presidency included leading the country through the Winter War; while he relinquished the post of commander-in-chief to Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, he played a role as a spiritual leader. After the war, he became both the first President of Finland to resign and the only one to die in office, dying of a heart attack while returning home after submitting his resignation.
Kyösti Kallio | |
|---|---|
Kallio in 1937 | |
| 4th President of Finland | |
| In office 1 March 1937 – 19 December 1940 | |
| Prime Minister | Aimo Cajander Risto Ryti |
| Preceded by | Pehr Evind Svinhufvud |
| Succeeded by | Risto Ryti |
| 9th, 13th, 17th and 22nd Prime Minister of Finland | |
| In office 7 October 1936 – 15 February 1937 | |
| President | Pehr Evind Svinhufvud |
| Preceded by | Toivo Mikael Kivimäki |
| Succeeded by | Aimo Cajander |
| In office 16 August 1929 – 4 July 1930 | |
| President | Lauri Kristian Relander |
| Preceded by | Oskari Mantere |
| Succeeded by | Pehr Evind Svinhufvud |
| In office 31 December 1925 – 13 December 1926 | |
| President | Lauri Kristian Relander |
| Preceded by | Antti Tulenheimo |
| Succeeded by | Väinö Tanner |
| In office 14 November 1922 – 18 January 1924 | |
| President | Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg |
| Preceded by | Aimo Cajander |
| Succeeded by | Aimo Cajander |
| 11th, 13th, 16th, 19th, 21st and 24th Speaker of the Finnish Parliament | |
| In office 21 October 1930 – 8 October 1936 | |
| Preceded by | Juho Sunila |
| Succeeded by | Väinö Hakkila |
| In office 1 February 1929 – 16 August 1929 | |
| Preceded by | Paavo Virkkunen |
| Succeeded by | Paavo Virkkunen |
| In office 3 September 1927 – 31 January 1928 | |
| Preceded by | Paavo Virkkunen |
| Succeeded by | Paavo Virkkunen |
| In office 2 May 1924 – 31 March 1925 | |
| Preceded by | Paavo Virkkunen |
| Succeeded by | Wäinö Wuolijoki |
| In office 6 September 1922 – 14 November 1922 | |
| Preceded by | Wäinö Wuolijoki |
| Succeeded by | Wäinö Wuolijoki |
| In office 8 May 1920 – 29 March 1921 | |
| Preceded by | Lauri Kristian Relander |
| Succeeded by | Wäinö Wuolijoki |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 April 1873 Ylivieska, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire |
| Died | 19 December 1940 (aged 67) Helsinki, Finland |
| Political party | Agrarian |
| Spouse | Kaisa Nivala |
| Children | 6 |
| Occupation | Farmer Bank clerk |
| Signature | |
Kallio was the only president of Finland who did not have an academic or similar degree. He was a prominent leader of the Agrarian League party, and served as Prime Minister four times and Speaker of the Parliament six times. During his political career, he also served as a five-time Minister of Agriculture for most of the period between 1917 and 1922, including in the Independence Senate and the Civil War-era White cabinet, led a 1922 land reform to aid tenant farmers in acquiring their own land, and was a candidate in the 1931 presidential election before defeating incumbent president Pehr Evind Svinhufvud in the subsequent elections of 1937.