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Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (3 September 1900 – 31 August 1986) was a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland (1950–1953, 1954–1956) and later as President of Finland (1956–1982). Kekkonen continued the "active neutrality" policy of his predecessor Juho Kusti Paasikivi, which came to be known as the Paasikivi-Kekkonen Line. This policy allowed Finland to retain independence and trade with both sides of the Cold War. Kekkonen was the longest-serving President of Finland.
Urho Kekkonen in Worldwar[]
Urho Kekkonen was the Finnish ambassador to the Soviet Union during the 1960s.[1] In 1965, he met with Soviet General Secretary Vyacheslav Molotov. Molotov, who remembered the Winter War of 1940, Finland's alliance with the Axis in World War II, and alignment with Germany ever afterward,[2] had long looked forward to extorting Finland into entering the Soviet sphere of influence in the aftermath of Germany's defeat in the Race-German War of 1965. Kekkonen turned the tables on Molotov by announcing that Finland had entered into negotiations with the Race to establish a Race military presence in Finland, giving them yet another staging area along the Soviet border in the event of a war between the Race and the Soviets.[3]
References[]
- ↑ Aftershocks, pg. 143.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Ibid., pg. 144.
| Political offices (OTL) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Karl-August Fagerholm |
Speaker of the Parliament of Finland 1948-1950 |
Succeeded by Karl-August Fagerholm |
| Preceded by Karl-August Fagerholm |
Prime Minister of Finland 1950-1953 |
Succeeded by Sakari Tuomioja |
| Preceded by Ralf Törngren |
Prime Minister of Finland 1954-1956 |
Succeeded by Karl-August Fagerholm |
| Preceded by Juho Kusti Paasikivi |
President of Finland 1956-1982 |
Succeeded by Mauno Koivisto |
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