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Who was Urho Kekkonen?
During World War II, Finland remained officially neutral, but aligned with Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union in the Continuation War of 1941 - 44. As a result, they were forced to pay hefty war reparations to the Soviets when the war ended. However, Finland was able to keep its Independence thanks in the main to the political skills of its leaders. The role of President Urho Kekkonen cannot be understated - or can it? Many of Kekkonen's actions are proving controversial in modern Finland. An extremely ambivalent figure, he frequently outmanoeuvred his rivals by pulling the 'Moscow card' when his authority was threatened. The next moment he did the same thing, this time saying no-one else could build strong trade relations with Western Europe. He was the only one who could take care of Moscow.
Starting with his childhood, Kekkonen's life is controversial. He allegedly claimed that he grew up in a poor farmhouse without a chimney. However, it was later found out that the photographic evidence to back up this claim was fake. The chimney had simply been airbrushed out of the photographs depicting Kekkonen's childhood home.
During the Finnish Civil War, Kekkonen fought for the White Guard and led a firing squad in Hamina. He personally admitted to killing a man in battle, but denied participating in the mass execution of Red troops carried out by his squad. However, a photograph taken at the time suggests that Kekkonen was present during the execution.
A good friend of mine and ‘amateur historian’ Petteri Rosvall writes: “A scoundrel or a hero, a political opportunist or a great Statesman? Probably both. Finland prospered under Kekkonen, but, he WAS a kind of dictator who never hesitated to play the Soviet card in domestic politics. A ladies' man extraordinaire, one time Finnish high jump champion (1.85 m in 1924) a great writer, a turncoat, a traitor, a secret policeman, a freedom fighter, and executioner, an icon for my generation.” He goes on to suggest that a film should be made of Kekkonen’s life with Ben Kingsley in the lead role and Jack Black as his drunken sidekick, Ahti Karjalainen. Max Jakobson, a Finnish historian, uses even stronger language, characterizing Kekkonen as “a saviour of the fatherland or a Faust who sold his soul to the Kremlin.”
In the Helsingin Sanomat International Edition published on 30 March, 2005, Teemu Luukka wrote that he had received a startling e-mail. “It contained an extract from a book published in the United States in 2000, according to which the Russians had used something called a ‘friendship drug’ on Finnish President Urho Kekkonen and the leadership of the Finnish Communist Party.” This may not be as far-fetched as it sounds. From the start Kekkonen had ruled with the assumption that the Soviet Union accepted only him. Through the defection of Oleg Gordievsky and the opening of the Soviet archives it is now known that keeping Kekkonen in power was the main aim of the Soviet Union in its relations with Finland.
History has proven that Kekkonen would do almost anything to ensure the survival of Finland; including licking the Soviets' boots (for as long as it took). Twenty years after his death and sixteen years after the collapse of the Soviet Union history is repeating itself. Finland is once again licking the boots of the great Bear, Russia, but they are not alone. This time it is for gas and petrol, and the rest of Europe's leaders are doing the same thing!
Mike Bangle’s is the owner of Talking English language consultancy and can be contacted at mike.bangle(at)phnet.fi
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