Pehr Evind Svinhufvud

Pehr Evind Svinhufvud
Pehr Evind Svinhufvud during the Interwar Years
3rd President of Finland
In office 2 March 1931 – 1 March 1937
Prime Minister	Juho Sunila Toivo Mikael Kivimäki Kyösti Kallio
Preceded by	Lauri Kristian Relander
Succeeded by	Kyösti Kallio
Prime Minister of Finland
In office 4 July 1930 – 18 February 1931
President	Lauri Kristian Relander
Preceded by	Kyösti Kallio
Succeeded by	Juho Sunila
In office 27 November 1917 – 27 May 1918
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Juho Kusti Paasikivi
Regent of Finland
In office 18 May 1918 – 12 December 1918
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Gustaf Mannerheim
Chairman of the Senate of Finland
In office 27 November 1917 – 27 May 1918
Preceded by	Eemil Nestor Setälä
Succeeded by	Juho Kusti Paasikivi
Personal details
Born	Pehr Evind Svinhufvud af Qvalstad (1861-12-15)15 December 1861 Sääksmäki, Grand Duchy of Finland
Died	29 February 1944(1944-02-29) (aged 82) Luumäki, Republic of Finland
Political party	Young Finnish Party (before 1918) National Coalition Party (after 1918)
Spouse	Ellen Timgren
Children	Pehr Yngve, Ilmo Gretel, Aino Mary Alfthan, Eino Gustaf, Arne Bertel and Veikko Eivind See Svinhufvud family
Alma mater	Imperial Alexander University (now University of Helsinki)
Occupation	Lawyer, Judge
Signature
Nickname	Ukko-Pekka

Pehr Evind Svinhufvud af Qvalstad (Finland Swedish: [ˈpæːr ˈeːvind ˈsviːnhʉːvʉd]; Finnish: [ˈpeːr ˈeʋind ˈsʋinhu̥fvud]; 15 December 1861 – 29 February 1944) was the third president of Finland from 1931 to 1937. Serving as a lawyer, judge, and politician in the Grand Duchy of Finland, which was at that time an autonomous state under the Russian Empire’s rule, Svinhufvud played a major role in the movement for Finnish independence. He was the one who presented the Declaration of Independence to the Parliament.^[1]

From December 1917, Svinhufvud was the first head of government of independent Finland as Chairman of the Senate.^[1] He led the White government during the Finnish Civil War while Mannerheim led their armies. After the war, he served as Finland's first temporary head of state with the title of Regent during the project to establish a German-aligned monarchy in the country, until late 1918 when he stepped down in favour of Mannerheim. He later served as Prime Minister from 1930 to 1931,^[2][3] before being elected to the presidency. As president, he was notable for putting an end to the Mäntsälä rebellion.

As a conservative and nationalist who was strong in his opposition to communism and the Left in general, Svinhufvud did not become a President embraced by all the people, although as the amiable Ukko-Pekka ("Old Man Pekka"), he did enjoy wide popularity.^[4] Svinhufvud's sharp line as a defender of Finland's legal rights during the period under Russian rule was especially valued in the early years of independence until the end of the World War II, unlike in later decades. Ever since communism and the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s, appreciation of Svinhufvud has begun to increase.^[5]