Aarne Sihvo

Aarne Sihvo (22 November 1889 – 12 June 1963) was a Finnish general and politician.[1][2]

Aarne Sihvo
Aarne Sihvo
Born(1889-11-22)22 November 1889
Virolahti, Viipuri Province, Grand Duchy of Finland
Died12 June 1963(1963-06-12) (aged 73)
Helsinki, Finland
Allegiance Finland
Years of service1918 - 1953
RankGeneral
Commands heldChief of Defence
Battles/warsFinnish Civil War
Winter War
Continuation War
AwardsOrder of Lāčplēsis, 2nd class (Latvian)

Biography

Sihvo was born in Virolahti to a family of school teachers: Antti Adolf Sihvo and Minna Elisabeth o.s. Nyman. He graduated from a high school in 1910 and began studying medicine in the Helsinki University.[3]

Portrait by Antti Favén in 1918

In 1915 he moved to Germany where he started his military education. During the Civil war in Soviet Russia in 1918 Aarne commanded the front in Karelia between Saimen and Ladoga Lake. His military operations as a part of Karelian army concluded to holding a position south of Vuoksen. His youth, his background as a hunter and his speaking Finnish made him an alternative to Gustaf Mannerheim. But despite his successful initial career he left the Army in 1918 because he couldn't come to terms with German orientation. He was an adherent of Republic unlike with many advocates of monarсhy of his country. Aarne Sihvo had run as a candidate for parliamentary elections in 1919 as a member of the National Progressive Party and won the majority of votes in his district.[4]

He was a member of the Parliament of Finland from 1919 to 1920, representing the National Progressive Party.[5] He was the Chief of Defence of the Finnish Defence Forces 1926–1933 and 1946–1953. Sihvo was a recipient of the Latvian military Order of Lāčplēsis, 2nd class.[6]

Sihvo died aged 73, in Helsinki. He is buried in the Hietaniemi Cemetery in Helsinki.[7]

References
  1. Saarikoski, Vesa (14 December 2006). "Sihvo, Aarne (1889 - 1963)". Kansallisbiografia. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  2. Backman, Nils-Eric (15 November 1997). "Jääkärikenraali Sihvo on tutkijalleen kuin perhetuttu". Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  3. sotaväen päälliköksi Retrieved on 19 Jan 2018
  4. Aarne Retrieved on 19 Jan 2018
  5. "Eduskunta - kansanedustajat". Eduskunta.fi. Archived from the original on 14 October 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  6. Priedītis, Ērichs Ēriks (1996). Latvijas Valsts apbalvojumi un Lāčplēši (in Latvian). Riga: Junda. ISBN 9984-01-020-1. OCLC 38884671.
  7. "Hietaniemen hautausmaa – merkittäviä vainajia" (PDF). Helsingin seurakuntayhtymä. Retrieved 2016-08-26.

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