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Erkki Räikkönen
Erkki Aleksanteri Räikkönen (13 August 1900 – 30 March 1961) was a Finnish nationalist leader. Born in St. Petersburg to a cantor, he attended the University of Helsinki before taking part in the ill-fated mission to secure independence for Karelia in 1921.[1] Like most of those who took part in this event he joined the Academic Karelia Society (AKS), helping to found the movement along with Elias Simojoki and Reino Vähäkallio.[1] He quit in 1928 to join Itsenäisyyden Liitto (Independence League), a group that had been formed by Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, Räikkönen's most admired political figure.[1] Räikkönen took this decision in response to the banning of the Lapua Movement, a move that had left the far right in Finland without a wide organisational basis (groups like AKS having small, elite memberships).[2] Along with Herman Gummerus and Vilho Annala Räikkönen was the founder of the Patriotic People's Movement in 1932.[1] He would not stay a member long however as the group soon became purely Finnish (isolating the Swedish-speaking Räikkönen) and he moved closer to Nazism.[1] Having left the movement he contented himself with editing the journal Suomen Vapaussota, whilst also becoming involved in Gustav Vasa movement, a Nazi organization for Finland's Swedish-speaking population and Blue Cross, another Nazi group.[1] He ultimately emigrated to Sweden in 1945 and lived out his life there in retirement.[1][3] References
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