Long Shadow of Finland's Fuehrer

HIstory of Finland is not well understood by outsiders. Especially during the Cold War there was a special culture. Many things were underdstood between the lines - by Finns. Under President Kekkonen (1956-1981) Finland adapted to reality of the Soviet Union. Kekkonen managed to keep people behind his foreign policy. However, there was supressed anticommunist subculture flourishing. It was not found in the universities, but many patriotic people were not happy with the official...
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HIstory of Finland is not well understood by outsiders. Especially during the Cold War there was a special culture. Many things were underdstood between the lines - by Finns. Under President Kekkonen (1956-1981) Finland adapted to reality of the Soviet Union. Kekkonen managed to keep people behind his foreign policy. However, there was supressed anticommunist subculture flourishing. It was not found in the universities, but many patriotic people were not happy with the official propaganda.
History was told in a new light. For example Finns were expected to thank Soviet Union for extorting heavy War compensations from Finland. Finns knew that it was Soviet Union that attacked Finland in 1939. Soviet Union had also pact with Germany.
Truth was twisted. School books and TV programs gave credit to Soviet Union for helping Finland develope industrially through these War compensations - which would in normal conditions be considered unjust. Soviets demanded ships and other big industrial products. War veterans didn't have time to go to universities. They worked hard to save Finland after the war by paying these War compensations. It was a grand strategy created by our wise leaders. Finland defended herself by not giving any reason for Soviet Union to interfere more directly. Soviet Union had a military base near Helsinki in Porkkala until 1955.
Finland became heavily dependent on Soviet trade. Level of trade with Soviet union was many times around 15-25% of total. That reality gave Soviets weapon to pressure Finland. Soviet Union for example reacted to rise of Finland trade with Western Germany in 1958. Finland's trade with West Germany had reached the level of trade with Soviet Union.
Situation reached critical phase in the 1970s. Soviet Union squeezed Finland heavily. A security guard of Kekkonen remembered that they already prepared to use real bullits if communists try to take over the country. That time there was an overly ambitious Soviet ambassador who seemed to orchestrate a communist revolution in Finland.
Finns were thinking that they have to fight again alone. No help from the Western powers was pouring to Chechs in 1968.
This book is about Pekka Siitoin. He organized terror campaigns against communist newspapers. THey called and threatened editors and sent smoke bombs etc. It escalated and a member of his group burned down Soviet paid printing house in 1976. Siitoin was sentenced to prison for that.
Finland was outwardly submissive. However, after Siitoin was realeased from prison he was even advocating Fascist authoritarian system for Finland.
He appointed himself the Fuehrer of Finland. Swastika flag was placed on top of his house in Naantali. This all was tolerated by our government at that time. Germany and Austria and even Britain jailed rightticians in the eighties. Their crime had been only wrong opinions and perhaps support of Hitler.
In Finland swastika is still allowed symbol. Some neighbour may complain if someone uses swastika flag as his curtain. However it is not crimilized. I saw israeli flags as curtains also 25 years ago. Nowadays immigrants would not tolerate such. There are always some who use swastika flags, mostly visibly to cause a reaction.
Iiro Nordling, the author of this book has studied political history and also moved in poltical circles since the 1990s. Many insights in this book are gained through listening political gossips from left and right. He knew personally Pekka Siitoin who asked him to author an authorized biography of him.
This book is a must for everyone who wants to understand Finland's political culture and recent rise of extrerme right wing. Finland elite tries to hide these ideas from outsiders. There are many projects to uplift the image of Finland. We are portrayed as the happiest people or our educational system is applouded. This book is bound to straighten that biased picture in everyone's mind.