Aimo Cajander

Aimo Cajander
7th Prime Minister of Finland[1]
In office
2 June 1922 – 14 November 1922
PresidentKaarlo Juho Ståhlberg
Preceded byJuho Vennola
Succeeded byKyösti Kallio
In office
18 January 1924 – 31 May 1924
PresidentKaarlo Juho Ståhlberg
Preceded byKyösti Kallio
Succeeded byLauri Ingman
In office
12 March 1937 – 1 December 1939
PresidentKyösti Kallio
Preceded byKyösti Kallio
Succeeded byRisto Ryti
Personal details
Born4 April 1879 (1879-04-04)
Uusikaupunki
Died21 January 1943(1943-01-21) (aged 63)
Political partyNational Progressive Party

Aimo Kaarlo Cajander (4 April 1879 – 21 January 1943) was the Prime Minister of Finland up to the Winter War.[2]

Cajander was born in Uusikaupunki, and became a botanist,[3] a professor of forestry 1911–34; director-general for Finland's Forest and Park Service 1934–1943; Prime Minister in 1922, 1924, and 1937–1939; chairman of the National Progressive Party 1933–1943; and Member of Parliament.

Cajander came into politics in 1922 when President Ståhlberg asked him to take office of prime minister. He had not earlier participated actively in politics. Ståhlberg invited him as prime minister second time in January 1924. Cajander's short-lived cabinets were merely caretakers before parliamentary elections.

Cajander joined in 1927 National Progressive Party and in 1928 he was chosen as Minister of Defence.[4] Cajander was elected to the Parliament in 1929. When Kyösti Kallio was elected president in 1937, Cajander was asked as the chairman of the National Progressive Party to form majority government. Cajander formed a coalition government of the two largest parties in the parliament - Social Democrats and Agrarian League. Cajander was idealist who did not believe yet in August 1939 that Soviet Union would attack Finland. Partly for this reason the Finnish Army was forced to the fight inadequately equipped. He died in Helsinki, aged 63.

Cajander's name is remembered for "Model Cajander", the fashion of many Finnish soldiers in Winter War: the army was poorly equipped, so mobilized reserves were given a utility belt, an emblem to be attached to the hat — to comply with the Hague Conventions; and a rifle. Otherwise, they had to use their own clothes and equipment.

Cabinets

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Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Governments in chronological order". Finnish government (Valtioneuvosto). Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Ministerikortisto". Valtioneuvosto. Archived from the original on 2009-05-02.
  3. ^ Cajander's Theory of Forest Types[permanent dead link] Barrington Moore - Ecology: Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 135–137.
  4. ^ "Council of State - Ministers of Defence". Valtioneuvosto.fi. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  5. ^ International Plant Names Index.  Cajander.
  6. ^ "Ar Triju zvaigžņu ordeni apbalvoto 22. saraksts" [Recipients of the Order of the Three Stars, No. 22]. Valdības Vēstnesis (in Latvian). No. 107. 1937-05-14. p. 1. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  7. ^ "Pyhän Karitsan suurristi min. Kukkoselle ja pääjoht. Cajanderille". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 12 January 1941. p. 10.
Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Finland
1922
Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of Finland
1924
Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of Finland
1937–1939
Succeeded by