Eljas Erkko
Encyclopedia
Juho Eljas Erkko was a Finnish
politician and journalist. He was a foreign minister and negotiated with the Soviet Union
before the Winter War
started. Erkko's father was politician and journalist Eero Erkko and son journalist Aatos Erkko
.
Eljas Erkko graduated as Abitur
in 1914, Vimpeli
School of War in 1918 and Master of Laws
in 1922. He was elected as a Member of Parliament
in 1 September 1933 from Uusimaa constituency
. Erkko was a President's
elector chosen by voters in the presidential election 1931, 1937, 1940 and 1943.
Erkko was the Finnish foreign minister between 1938 and 1939, as the Finns negotiated with the Soviet Union. The Soviets demanded exchange of areas with Finland. Erkko did not want to make any concessions. As the Winter War
started, Väinö Tanner
assigned a new government and decided to appoint himself as foreign minister. Between 1939 and 1940 he was a chargé d'affaires
in Stockholm
.
At the beginning of the Continuation War
, Erkko was a head of POW office in Finland till 1942. After the war, Erkko was charged in court-martial
in 1946, the charges were dropped.
Later years Erkko worked as CEO and head of corporate government of Sanoma. He was also a head of corporate government in many Finnish companies, such as Rautakirja
and Suomen Tietotoimisto
, and a head of supervisory board
in Kansallis-Osake-Pankki
. Erkko was also a head of government in the Finnish American Association.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
politician and journalist. He was a foreign minister and negotiated with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
before the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
started. Erkko's father was politician and journalist Eero Erkko and son journalist Aatos Erkko
Aatos Erkko
Aatos Juho Michel Erkko is a Finnish journalist and the main owner of Sanoma Corporation and the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper. He has a Master of Science degree in Journalism from the Columbia College of Columbia University. Erkko is married to Mrs. Jane Erkko...
.
Eljas Erkko graduated as Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
in 1914, Vimpeli
Vimpeli
Vimpeli is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Southern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
School of War in 1918 and Master of Laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
in 1922. He was elected as a Member of Parliament
Parliament of Finland
The Eduskunta , is the parliament of Finland. The unicameral parliament has 200 members and meets in the Parliament House in Helsinki. The latest election to the parliament took place on April 17, 2011.- Constitution :...
in 1 September 1933 from Uusimaa constituency
Uusimaa (constituency)
Uusimaa is an electoral district represented in the Finnish Eduskunta . It covers the administrative region of Uusimaa, excluding the city of Helsinki, which forms its own constituency...
. Erkko was a President's
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....
elector chosen by voters in the presidential election 1931, 1937, 1940 and 1943.
Erkko was the Finnish foreign minister between 1938 and 1939, as the Finns negotiated with the Soviet Union. The Soviets demanded exchange of areas with Finland. Erkko did not want to make any concessions. As the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
started, Väinö Tanner
Väinö Tanner
Väinö Tanner was a pioneer and leader in the cooperative movement in Finland, and Prime Minister of Finland from 1926 to 1927....
assigned a new government and decided to appoint himself as foreign minister. Between 1939 and 1940 he was a chargé d'affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
At the beginning of the Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
, Erkko was a head of POW office in Finland till 1942. After the war, Erkko was charged in court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
in 1946, the charges were dropped.
Later years Erkko worked as CEO and head of corporate government of Sanoma. He was also a head of corporate government in many Finnish companies, such as Rautakirja
Rautakirja
Rautakirja Oyj is a Finnish company operating subsidiary businesses such as R-Kioski, Suomalainen Kirjakauppa, and Finnkino.On the 25 August 2011 it was announced that Rautakirja will sell the Suomalainen Kirjakauppa segment of it's business to Otava for in excess of 27 million euro....
and Suomen Tietotoimisto
Suomen Tietotoimisto
Oy Suomen Tietotoimisto – Finska Notisbyrån Ab is a Finnish news agency, established in 1887 and based in Helsinki. Its largest owners are Alma Media, Sanoma and Turun Sanomat. YLE also owns a part of it....
, and a head of supervisory board
Supervisory board
A supervisory board or supervisory committee, often called board of directors, is a group of individuals chosen by the stockholders of a company to promote their interests through the governance of the company and to hire and supervise the executive directors and CEO.Corporate governance varies...
in Kansallis-Osake-Pankki
Kansallis-Osake-Pankki
Kansallis-Osake-Pankki was a Finnish commercial bank operating from 1889 to 1995. It was created by the fennoman movement as a Finnish language alternative to the largely Swedish language bank, Suomen Yhdyspankki . The two banks were merged in 1995 to form the Merita Bank...
. Erkko was also a head of government in the Finnish American Association.