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Arne Somersalo

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Arne Somersalo
Somersalo dressed in IKL party uniform. He is wearing theIron Cross,awarded during his service in theImperial German Army.
Commander of theFinnish Air Force
In office
1920–1926
Preceded bySixtus Hjelmmann
Succeeded byVäinö Vuori
Personal details
Born
Arne Sakari Sommer

(1891-03-18)18 March 1891
Tampere,Grand Duchy of Finland
Died17 August 1941(1941-08-17)(aged 50)
Karelo-Finnish SSR,Soviet Union
Cause of deathKilled in action
CitizenshipFinnish
Political partyLapua Movement,Patriotic People's Movement
Alma materUniversity of Helsinki,University of Jena
OccupationMilitary officer
Known forSoldier, activist
AwardsOrder of the Cross of Liberty,Iron Cross1st and 2nd class[1]

Arne Sakari Somersalo(bornArne Sommer;18 March 1891 – 17 August 1941) was aFinnishofficer andanti-communistactivist.[2]

Somersalo was educated at theUniversity of Helsinkibefore studyingnatural sciencesat theUniversity of Jena.[3]Based inGermanyduring theFirst World Warhe enrolled in theGerman Armyas an officer in 1916, serving until the armistice.[3]He would later claim that the war had been the death of oldEuropeand argued that one of its main positives was that it had "rescued our nation from the deadly, slimy embrace of a lothsomecuttlefish"in reference toRussia.[4]He transferred straight to theFinnish Armyand from 1920 to 1926 was the commander of theFinnish Air Force.[5]

He became involved in politics in 1926 when he started editing theright wingjournalValkoinen Vartioand then founded the fiercely anti-communist Finnish Defence League.[5]He joined theLapua Movementin 1930 then thePatriotic People's Movement(IKL) in 1932, serving as a delegate to theParliament of Finlandfor the latter from 1933 to 1935 forTurku.[5]He was also theeditor-in-chiefof the IKL party newspaperAjan Suuntafrom 1931 to 1935.[2]Ideologically he was a supporter ofcorporatismand was close tofascism.[5]In 1934, Somersalo was arrested for making insulting statements against Estonian PresidentKonstantin Päts.He was sentenced to four months in prison.[6]

Recalled to active service for theWinter War,Somersalo acted as Chief of Staff for the frontline inSuomussalmiand was awarded theOrder of the Cross of Libertyfor his actions.[2][5]During theContinuation War,he acted as aliaison officerfor the GermanSSdivisionNordinFinnish Lapland.[2]He waskilled in actionnear Kiestinki (Kestenga), USSR on 17 August 1941.[5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^Niinistö, Jussi (1998).Suomalaisia soturikohtaloita.Suomalaisuuden liitto.
  2. ^abcdBiography at the Parliament of Finland (in Finnish)
  3. ^abPhilip Rees,Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890,1990, p. 364
  4. ^Hans Rogger, Eugen Weber,The European Right,University of California Press, p. 413
  5. ^abcdefRees,Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right,p. 365
  6. ^"Pehr Evind Svinhufvud".Estofilia 100.Retrieved12 December2023.
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