Ståhlberg kidnapping

K.J. and Ester Ståhlberg at the Joensuu railway station on October 15th, 1930, after they had been kidnapped in Helsinki and were taken by car to Joensuu in Eastern Finland.

The Ståhlberg kidnapping refers to an incident that occurred on October 14, 1930, at approximately 9:00 AM EET, in which the former and first President of Finland, Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg, and his wife, Ester Ståhlberg, were abducted from their home in Helsinki, Finland, by members of the Lapua Movement.^[1]^[2] The kidnapping was spearheaded by an ex-White general by the name of Kurt Martti Wallenius. Threats of execution were issued when the Lapuans' demands were not met, however Wallenius and his henchmen were too incompetent to handle the kidnapping and too hesitant to carry out their murder threat.^[2] The Finnish public was both ashamed and horrified by this pointless act of lawlessness, and a general adverse reaction against the Lapuans greatly eroded their already dwindling popular support.^[2] In addition to this, the kidnapping was decisive in forcing the election of Pehr Evind Svinhufvud to the presidency against Ståhlberg in February 1931.^[1] After the kidnapping the Lapuans threatened to assassinate Ståhlberg.^[3]

Reaction[]

Ståhlberg's kidnapping was also widely covered in foreign newspapers. Swedish newspapers in particular wrote on the subject. In Sweden, the news caused even a slight foreign policy scandal. When Dagens Nyheter wrote that such news should come from Mexico or one of the "Nigger republics" and not from a Western European cultural state, the Mexican envoy protested vehemently. The ambassador reminded that Mexico is a cultural state and should not be equated with a country like Finland.^[4]

References[]

^ ^a ^b Capoccia, Giovanni (2005). Defending Democracy: Reactions to Extremism in Interwar Europe. JHU Press.
^ ^a ^b ^c Trotter, William R. (1991). A Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-40. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. ISBN 978-0-945575-22-1.
^ Rintala, Marvin (1969). Four Finns: Political Profiles. University of California Press.
^ Perälä, Reijo (2006). "Laillisuusmies Ståhlberg Lapuan liikkeen hampaissa". Finnish Broadcasting Company.

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[:0-1] Capoccia, Giovanni (2005). Defending Democracy: Reactions to Extremism in Interwar Europe. JHU Press.

[:1-2] Trotter, William R. (1991). A Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-40. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. ISBN 978-0-945575-22-1.

[3] Rintala, Marvin (1969). Four Finns: Political Profiles. University of California Press.

[4] Perälä, Reijo (2006). "Laillisuusmies Ståhlberg Lapuan liikkeen hampaissa". Finnish Broadcasting Company.

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v t Far-right politics in Finland
Pre-1945 groups	Academic Karelia Society Blue Cross Blue-and-Blacks Export Peace Finnish Realm Union Finnish-Socialist Workers' Party Finnish National Socialist Labor Organisation Front Soldier League National Socialists of Finland Finnish People's Organisation Finnish Labor Front Labor Organisation of Brothers-in-Arms Lalli Alliance of Finland Lapua Movement Organisation of National Socialists National Socialist Union of Finland National Trade Union Confederation of Finland NSDAP/AO Party of Finnish Labor Patriotic Citizens of Viitasaari Patriotic People's Movement Patriotic People's Party People's Community Society Rising Finland Stormers
Post-1945 groups	Atomwaffen Division Finland Blue-and-Black Movement Blue and White Front Finns Party Finnish People First Finnish People's Blue-Whites For Independence Kohti Vapautta! Nordic Resistance Movement Patriotic People's Movement Power Belongs to the People Suomen Sisu Soldiers of Odin
Pre-1945 people	Reino Ala-Kulju Vilho Annala Hjalmar von Bonsdorff Severin Dobrovolsky Kai Donner Johan Christian Fabritius Petter Forsström C. A. J. Gadolin Herman Gummerus Reidar Hedman Vilho Helanen Gunnar von Hertzen Carl-Gustaf Herlitz Antti Isotalo Y. W. Jalander Kustaa Jussila Kaarlo Kares Hans Kalm Arvi Kalsta Toivo Karanko Yrjö Kivenoja Juhani Konkka Vihtori Kosola Jussi Leino Gunnar Lindqvist Arvi Malmivaara Jussi Muilu Iisakki Nikkola Vietti Nykänen Thorvald Oljemark Johannes Öhquist Martti Pihkala Otto Piisinen Boris Popper Niilo Rauvala Erkki Räikkönen Hilja Riipinen John Rosberg Yrjö Ruutu Yrjö Saarinen Antti Salamaa Bruno Salmiala Kaarlo Salovaara Jaakko Seise Elias Simojoki Teo Snellman Arne Somersalo Paavo Susitaival Eino Tuomivaara Örnulf Tigerstedt Ensio Uoti Mauno Vannas Kurt Martti Wallenius
Post-1945 people	James Hirvisaari [fi] [fi] Seppo Lehto Olavi Mäenpää Pekka Siitoin Ano Turtiainen
Pre-1945 events	Assassination of Heikki Ritavuori Murder of Onni Happonen [fi] [fi] Mäntsälä rebellion Peasant March Ståhlberg kidnapping Vaasa riot
Post-1945 events	Kursiivi printing house arson [fi] Jyväskylä library stabbing [fi] [fi]
Other	Ajan Suunta Finnish volunteers in the Waffen-SS Kansallissosialisti Magneettimedia Pro-German resistance movement in Finland (Thoralf Kyrre, Lauri Törni)