Chief of Defence (Finland)
Encyclopedia
The Chief of Defence is the Chief of Defence
Chief of Defence
The Chief of Defence is the highest ranked commissioned officer of a nation's armed forces. The term CHOD is in common use within NATO and the European Union as a generic term for the highest national military position within the NATO and EU member states, rather than the actual term used for...

 and commander of the Finnish Defence Forces
Finnish Defence Forces
The Finnish Defence Forces are responsible for the defence of Finland. It is a cadre army of 15,000, of which 8,900 are professional soldiers , extended with conscripts and reservists such that the standard readiness strength is 34,700 people in uniform...

, under the authority of the Commander in Chief, President of Finland
President of Finland
The President of the Republic of Finland is the nation's head of state. Under the Finnish constitution, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people of Finland for a term of six years....

. He commands the Finnish Army
Finnish Army
The Finnish Army is the land forces branch of the Finnish Defence Forces.Today's Army is divided into six branches: the infantry , field artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, engineers, signals, and materiel troops.-History of the Finnish Army:Between 1809 and 1917 Finland was an autonomous part of...

, the Finnish Air Force
Finnish Air Force
The Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...

, the Finnish Navy
Finnish Navy
The Finnish Navy is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The Navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS" simply short for "Finnish Navy Ship"...

 and is assisted by the Defence Command. He is the highest-ranking officer of the forces (Admiral or General) and his deputy is the Chief of Staff of the Defence Command . The current Chief of Defence is General Ari Puheloinen
Ari Puheloinen
Ari Tapani Puheloinen is a Finnish General and Chief of Defence of the Finnish Defence Forces....

.

In contrast to many other Western countries, the Finnish Defence Forces have an actual military commander with direct authority over all forces, and the Chief of Staff is a separate position. The Chief of Defence is responsible for all operative aspects of the Defence Forces, while the Ministry of Defence, headed by the civilian minister, plans the long-term economical aspects. In administrative matters, the Chief of Defence has the authority to form or disband any unit below Brigade level and to make any necessary reorganization to the command structure of the Defence Forces, unless such changes have wide impacts on the Finnish society, on the financies of the state or on the personnel of the Defence Forces. In command matters, the Chief of Defence has the authority to make any command decision that is not reserved to the President of Finland. In matters reserved to the Minister of Defence or to the President of Finland, the Chief of Defence prepares the decision and introduces his proposal to the Minister or to the President.

The immediate subordinates of the Chief of Defence are
  • Chief-of-staff of the Defence Command
  • Commander of the Finnish Army
    Finnish Army
    The Finnish Army is the land forces branch of the Finnish Defence Forces.Today's Army is divided into six branches: the infantry , field artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, engineers, signals, and materiel troops.-History of the Finnish Army:Between 1809 and 1917 Finland was an autonomous part of...

  • Commander of the Finnish Navy
    Finnish Navy
    The Finnish Navy is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The Navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS" simply short for "Finnish Navy Ship"...

  • Commander of the Finnish Air Force
    Finnish Air Force
    The Finnish Air Force is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions...

  • Rector of the National Defence University


The Chief of Defence is elected by the President of Finland on the nomination of the Finnish Council of State
Finnish Council of State
The Cabinet of Finland is the body that directs the Government of Finland. However, in governmental translations to English, the distinction is often blurred between cabinet and government in the wider sense...

 and may be asked to retire whenever a reason occurs. However, since 1972, all Chiefs of Defence have retired only after fulfilling the statutory retirement age of 63.

List of Finnish Chiefs of Defence

  • Supreme Commander of the forces of the Republic of Finland (Suomen tasavallan joukkojen ylipäällikkö)
    • General of the Cavalry Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
      Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
      Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim was the military leader of the Whites in the Finnish Civil War, Commander-in-Chief of Finland's Defence Forces during World War II, Marshal of Finland, and a Finnish statesman. He was Regent of Finland and the sixth President of Finland...

       (January 28-May 30, 1918)>
  • Supreme Commander of the Finnish Military Forces (Suomen sotajoukkojen ylipäällikkö)
    • Major General
      Major General
      Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

       Karl Fredrik Wilkman
      Karl Fredrik Wilkama
      Karl Fredrik Wilkama, born Wilkman, was a Finnish General of the Infantry. He was the supreme commander of the Finnish Defence Forces.Wilkama became an officer in the Imperial Russian Army in 1899...

       (May 31-August 12, 1918)
    • Minister of Defence (Finland)
      Minister of Defence (Finland)
      The Minister of Defence is a member of the Finnish Council of State. As the head of the Ministry of Defence, the minister is responsible for the administration of national defence. The ministry is headquartered in Helsinki...

      , Major General Vilhelm Aleksander Thesleff
      Vilhelm Aleksander Thesleff
      Vilhelm Aleksander Thesleff was a Finnish general, first Minister of defence of Finland and briefly the commander in chief of the Finnish army....

       (August 13-November 27, 1918)
    • War Minister, Colonel
      Colonel
      Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

       Rudolf Walden
      Rudolf Walden
      Karl Rudolf Walden was a Finnish industrialist and general.He received his military education in Hamina Cadet School 1892–1900....

       (November 27-December 31, 1918)

    • Commander of the Finnish Army (Suomen armeijan päällikkö)
      • General Major Karl Fredrik Wilkman (January 1-June 19, 1919)
      • General Major Kaarlo Edward Kivekäs
        Kaarlo Edward Kivekäs
        Kaarlo Edward Kivekäs was a Finnish general. He was the Chief of Defence of the Finnish Defence Forces in 1919. Kivekäs is recipient of the Latvian military Order of Lāčplēsis, 2nd class.-External links:*...

         (June 20–September 11, 1919)

    • Commander of the Military Personnel (sotaväen päällikkö)
      • General Major Karl Fredrik Wilkama
        Karl Fredrik Wilkama
        Karl Fredrik Wilkama, born Wilkman, was a Finnish General of the Infantry. He was the supreme commander of the Finnish Defence Forces.Wilkama became an officer in the Imperial Russian Army in 1899...

         (September 12, 1919–August 7, 1924)
      • Lieutenant General
        Lieutenant General
        Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....

         Vilho Petter Nenonen
        Vilho Petter Nenonen
        Vilho Petter Nenonen was a Finnish general.Received his military education in the Hamina Cadet School 1896-1901, in the Mihailov Artillery School in St Petersburg 1901-1903, and in St Petersburg Artillery Academy 1906-1909. He served in the Russian army during World War I...

         (August 8, 1924–April 16, 1925)
      • Jaeger Colonel* Lauri Malmberg
        Lauri Malmberg
        Kaarlo Lauri Torvald Malmberg was a Finnish general and son of Emil and Aino Malmberg. He was the Chief of Defence of the Finnish Defence Forces in 1925....

         (April 17–October 1, 1925)
      • Lieutenant General Karl Fredrik Wilkama
        Karl Fredrik Wilkama
        Karl Fredrik Wilkama, born Wilkman, was a Finnish General of the Infantry. He was the supreme commander of the Finnish Defence Forces.Wilkama became an officer in the Imperial Russian Army in 1899...

         (October 2, 1925–May 21, 1926)
      • Lieutenant General Aarne Sihvo (May 22, 1926–January 15, 1933)
      • Lieutenant General Hugo Viktor Österman
        Hugo Viktor Österman
        Hugo Viktor Österman was a Finnish Lieutenant-General during World War II. He was commander of the Finnish Army 1933-1939....

         (January 16, 1933–October 16, 1939)


    • Field Marshal (Finland)
      Field Marshal (Finland)
      In Finnish Defence Forces Field Marshal is officially not an active military rank but an honorary rank that can be bestowed upon 'especially distinguished generals'...

      , later Marshal of Finland
      Marshal of Finland
      Marshal of Finland was the title awarded to the Finnish Commander-in-Chief Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim on his 75th birthday on June 4, 1942. The fully honorary rank was specially created for Mannerheim...

       C. G. E. Mannerheim (October 17, 1939–January 12, 1945, also Supreme Commander from November 20, 1939)
    • General of the Infantry* Erik Heinrichs
      Erik Heinrichs
      Axel Erik Heinrichs was a Finnish military general. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...

       (January 12–July 1, 1945)
    • Lieutenant General Jarl Lundqvist (July 2, 1945–June 3, 1946)
    • General of the Infantry* Aarne Sihvo (June 4, 1946–May 31, 1953)
    • General of the Infantry* Kaarlo Heiskanen
      Kaarlo Heiskanen
      Kaarlo Aleksanteri Heiskanen was a Finnish general and Knight of the Mannerheim Cross. He was the Chief of Defence of the Finnish Defence Forces between 1953 and 1959....

       (June 1, 1953–October 28, 1959)
    • General of the Infantry* Sakari Simelius
      Sakari Simelius
      Jaakko Sakari Simelius was a Finnish General of the Infantry. He was the Chief of Defence of the Finnish Defence Forces between 1959 and 1965.-External links:*...

       (October 29, 1959–November 12, 1965)
    • General of the Infantry* Yrjö Keinonen
      Yrjö Keinonen
      Yrjö Ilmari Keinonen was a Finnish General of the Infantry and Knight of the Mannerheim Cross. He was the Chief of Defence of the Finnish Defence Forces between 1965 and 1969.-External links:*...

       (November 13, 1965–April 30, 1969)
    • General
      General
      A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....

       Kaarlo Leinonen
      Kaarlo Leinonen
      Kaarlo Olavi Leinonen was a Finnish general and Minister of Defence. He was the Chief of Defence of the Finnish Defence Forces between 1969 and 1974.-External links:*...

       (May 1, 1969–March 14, 1974)
    • General Lauri Sutela
      Lauri Sutela
      General Lauri Johannes Sutela was a Finnish military officer. He served as an officer in the engineer corps during World War II....

       (March 15, 1974–October 11, 1983)
    • General Jaakko Valtanen
      Jaakko Valtanen
      Jaakko Valtanen is a Finnish general. He is the former Chief of Defence of the Finnish Defence Forces from 1983 to 1990.-External links:*...

       (October 12, 1983–February 28, 1990)
    • Admiral
      Admiral
      Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...

       Jan Klenberg
      Jan Klenberg
      Jan Gottfrid Klenberg is a Finnish admiral. He is the former Chief of Defence of the Finnish Defence Forces. Klenberg was the first navy officer in that position.-External links:*...

       (March 1, 1990–October 31, 1994)
    • General Gustav Hägglund
      Gustav Hägglund
      Johan Edvin Birger Gustav Hägglund is a retired Finnish general. He was the Chief of Defence 1994—2001, and Chairman of the European Union Military Committee 2001–2004....

       (November 1, 1994–June 3, 2001)
    • Admiral Juhani Kaskeala
      Juhani Kaskeala
      Admiral Pauli Juhani Kaskeala is a senior Finnish admiral and was Chief of Defence of the Finnish Defence Forces from 2001 to August 1, 2009....

       (June 4, 2001-2009)
    • General Ari Puheloinen
      Ari Puheloinen
      Ari Tapani Puheloinen is a Finnish General and Chief of Defence of the Finnish Defence Forces....

      (August 1, 2009-)>


    (*) The service branch included in the ranks of General of the Infantry (jalkaväenkenraali) and Jaeger Colonel (jääkärieversti) are honorary and do not affect seniority.
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