Minister of Defence (Finland)

Minister of Defence of the Republic of Finland Puolustusministeri Försvarsminister
Flag of the Minister of Defence
200px Incumbent Antti Kaikkonen since 28 February 2023
Ministry of Defence
Member of	Cabinet
Seat	Helsinki, Finland
Nominator	Prime Minister
Appointer	President
Term length	Four years (de facto)
Formation	1918 (1918)
First holder	Wilhelm Thesleff
Website	www.defmin.fi/english

The Minister of Defence (Finnish: puolustusministeri, Swedish: försvarsminister) 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. The current Minister of Defence is Antti Kaikkonen.

From June to November 1918 the post was called Chief of the War Department, and from then until 1922 the post was called the Minister of War.

The President of the Republic is the commander-in-chief of the Finnish Defence Forces. The commander of the military forces is the Chief of Defence.

Ministry Offices

Finnish Ministry of Defence Offices consists of two wings:

• South Makasiinikatu 8 since - Built by CL Engel as barracks for the Finnish Guard in 1922 and destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt by retaining the original walls from 1954-1956 and used as Defense Headquarters since 1956
• Fabiansgatan 2 - newer wing was built in 1961 by Finnish architects Viljo Revell and Heikki Castrén.

Previous Ministry Offices

• Eteläesplanadi 10 - 1918-1921 it was located here and now home to Ministry of Justice
• Korkeavuorenkatu 21 (Ohrana House) - relocated in 1921 and here until beginning of World War II; now Finnish Border Guard Headquarters
• Snellmaninkatu 4-6 - moved here 1941 to 1956 which now home to Finnish Financial Supervision Authority

List of Ministers of Defence

№		Minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
1	Vilhelm Thesleff	Vilhelm Thesleff (1880–1941)	27 May 1918	27 November 1918		Independent	Paasikivi I
2		Rudolf Walden (1878–1946)	27 November 1918	15 August 1919		Independent	Ingman K. Castrén
3	Karl Emil Berg	Karl Emil Berg (1869–1921)	15 August 1919	15 March 1920		Independent	Vennola I
4	Bruno Jalander	Bruno Jalander (1872–1966)	15 March 1920	9 April 1921		Independent	Erich
5	Onni Hämäläinen (1885–1954)	9 April 1921	3 September 1921		Independent	Vennola II
(4)	Bruno Jalander	Bruno Jalander (1872–1966)	3 September 1921	22 June 1923		Independent	Vennola II Cajander I Kallio I
6		Kyösti Kallio (1873–1940)	22 June 1923	16 August 1923		Centre	Kallio I
7	Vilho Nenonen	Vilho Nenonen (1883–1960)	16 August 1923	18 January 1924		Independent	Kallio I
8	Viktor Henrik Schvindt (1866–1928)	18 January 1924	11 March 1924		Independent	Cajander II
9	Ivar Aminoff	Ivar Aminoff (1868–1931)	11 March 1924	31 May 1924		Independent	Cajander II
10	Lauri Malmberg	Lauri Malmberg (1888–1948)	31 May 1924	31 March 1925		Independent	Ingman II
11	Aleksander Lampén (1879–1935)	31 March 1925	31 December 1925		National Coalition	Tulenheimo
12	Leonard Hjelmman	Leonard Hjelmman (1869–1952)	31 December 1925	13 December 1926		National Coalition	Kallio II
13	Kaarlo Heinonen (1878–1944)	13 December 1926	17 December 1927		Social Democratic	Tanner
14	Jalo Lahdensuo (1882–1973)	17 December 1927	22 December 1928		Centre	Sunila I
15		Aimo Cajander (1879–1943)	22 December 1928	16 August 1929		National Progressive	Mantere
16	Juho Niukkanen	Juho Niukkanen (1888–1954)	16 August 1929	4 July 1930		Centre	Kallio III
17	Albin Manner (1888–1954)	10 July 1930	21 March 1931		Centre	Svinhufvud II
(14)	Jalo Lahdensuo (1882–1973)	21 March 1931	14 December 1932		Centre	Sunila II
18	Arvi Oksala	Arvi Oksala (1891–1949)	14 December 1932	12 March 1937		Independent	Kivimäki Kallio IV
(16)	Juho Niukkanen	Juho Niukkanen (1888–1954)	12 March 1937	27 March 1940		Centre	Cajander III Ryti I
(2)		Rudolf Walden (1878–1946)	27 March 1940	1 December 1944		Independent	Ryti II Rangell Linkomies Hackzell U. Castrén Paasikivi II
19	Väinö Valve	Väinö Valve (1895–1995)	1 December 1944	17 April 1945		Independent	Paasikivi II
20		Mauno Pekkala (1890–1952)	17 April 1945	27 March 1946		People's Democratic	Paasikivi III Pekkala
21	Yrjö Kallinen	Yrjö Kallinen (1886–1976)	27 March 1946	29 July 1948		Social Democratic	Pekkala
22	Emil Skog	Emil Skog (1897–1981)	29 July 1948	17 March 1950		Social Democratic	Fagerholm I
23	Kustaa Tiitu	Kustaa Tiitu (1896–1990)	17 March 1950	17 January 1951		Centre	Kekkonen I
(22)	Emil Skog	Emil Skog (1897–1981)	17 January 1951	9 July 1953		Social Democratic	Kekkonen II-III
24	Kauno Kleemola	Kauno Kleemola (1906–1965)	9 July 1953	17 November 1953		Centre	Kekkonen IV
25	Päiviö Hetemäki	Päiviö Hetemäki (1913–1980)	17 November 1953	5 May 1954		National Coalition	Tuomioja
(22)	Emil Skog	Emil Skog (1897–1981)	5 May 1954	27 May 1957		Social Democratic	Törngren Kekkonen V Fagerholm II
26	Atte Pakkanen	Atte Pakkanen (1912–1994)	27 May 1957	2 September 1957		Centre	Sukselainen I
27	Pekka Malinen	Pekka Malinen (1921–2004)	2 September 1957	29 November 1957		People's	Sukselainen I
28	Kalle Lehmus (1907–1987)	29 November 1957	26 April 1958		Independent	von Fieandt
29	Edvard Björkenheim (1901–1965)	26 April 1958	29 August 1958		Independent	Kuuskoski
30	Toivo Wiherheimo	Toivo Wiherheimo (1898–1970)	29 August 1958	13 January 1959		National Coalition	Fagerholm II
31	Leo Häppölä (1911–1998)	13 January 1959	14 July 1961		Centre	Sukselainen II
(29)	Edvard Björkenheim (1901–1965)	14 July 1961	13 April 1962		Centre	Miettunen I
32	Arvo Pentti	Arvo Pentti (1915–1986)	13 April 1962	18 December 1963		Centre	Karjalainen I
33	Kaarlo Leinonen (1914–1975)	18 December 1963	12 September 1964		Independent	Lehto
(32)	Arvo Pentti	Arvo Pentti (1915–1986)	12 September 1964	27 May 1966		Centre	Virolainen
34	Sulo Suorttanen (1921–2005)	27 May 1966	14 May 1970		Centre	Paasio I Koivisto I
(32)	Arvo Pentti	Arvo Pentti (1915–1986)	14 May 1970	15 July 1970		Independent	Aura I
35	Kristian Gestrin	Kristian Gestrin (1929–1990)	15 July 1970	29 October 1971		Swedish People's	Karjalainen II
(32)	Arvo Pentti	Arvo Pentti (1915–1986)	29 October 1971	23 February 1972		Independent	Aura II
36	Sulo Hostila (1920–2002)	23 February 1972	4 September 1972		Social Democratic	Paasio II
(35)	Kristian Gestrin	Kristian Gestrin (1929–1990)	4 September 1972	30 September 1974		Swedish People's	Sorsa I
37	Carl-Olaf Homén (born 1936)	1 October 1974	13 June 1975		Swedish People's	Sorsa I
38	Erkki Huurtamo (1917–1999)	13 June 1975	30 November 1975		Independent	Liinamaa
39	Ingvar S. Melin	Ingvar S. Melin (1932–2011)	30 November 1975	29 September 1976		Swedish People's	Miettunen II
40	Seppo Westerlund (1930–2014)	29 September 1976	15 May 1977		Liberals	Miettunen II
41	Taisto Tähkämaa (born 1924)	15 May 1977	26 May 1979		Centre	Sorsa II
42	Lasse Äikäs (1932–1988)	26 May 1979	19 February 1982		Centre	Koivisto II
43	Juhani Saukkonen (born 1937)	19 February 1982	6 May 1983		Centre	Sorsa III
44	Veikko Pihlajamäki (1922–2007)	6 May 1983	30 April 1987		Centre	Sorsa IV
45	Ole Norrback	Ole Norrback (born 1941)	30 April 1987	13 June 1990		Swedish People's	Holkeri
46	Elisabeth Rehn	Elisabeth Rehn (born 1935)	13 June 1990	1 January 1995		Swedish People's	Holkeri Aho
47	Jan-Erik Enestam	Jan-Erik Enestam (born 1947)	2 January 1995	13 April 1995		Swedish People's	Aho
48	Anneli Taina	Anneli Taina (born 1951)	13 April 1995	15 April 1999		National Coalition	Lipponen I
(47)	Jan-Erik Enestam	Jan-Erik Enestam (born 1947)	15 April 1999	17 April 2003		Swedish People's	Lipponen II
49	Matti Vanhanen	Matti Vanhanen (born 1955)	17 April 2003	24 June 2003		Centre	Jäätteenmäki
50	Seppo Kääriäinen	Seppo Kääriäinen (born 1948)	24 June 2003	19 April 2007		Centre	Vanhanen I
51	Jyri Häkämies	Jyri Häkämies (born 1961)	19 April 2007	22 June 2011		National Coalition	Vanhanen II Kiviniemi
52		Stefan Wallin (born 1967)	22 June 2011	5 July 2012		Swedish People's	Katainen
53		Carl Haglund (born 1979)	5 July 2012	29 May 2015		Swedish People's	Katainen Stubb
54		Jussi Niinistö (born 1970)	29 May 2015	6 June 2019		Finns	Sipilä
55	Antti Kaikkonen	Antti Kaikkonen (born 1974)	6 June 2019	5 January 2023		Centre	Rinne Marin
56	Mikko Savola	Mikko Savola (born 1981)	5 January 2023	28 February 2023		Centre	Marin
(55)	Antti Kaikkonen	Antti Kaikkonen (born 1974)	28 February 2023	Incumbent		Centre	Marin

See also

• Minister of Defence

External links

• The Ministry of Defence of Finland