Matti Lonkainen Explained

Matti Lonkainen
Office1:Member of the Parliament of Finland
Constituency1:Kuopio Province East
Term Start1:1 June 1909
Term End1:16 May 1918
Birth Date:14 April 1874
Birth Place:Tohmajärvi, Russian Empire
Death Place:Helsinki, Finland
Party:Social Democratic Party of Finland
Occupation:Smallholder

Matti Pekanpoika Lonkainen (14 April 187414 November 1918) was a Finnish smallholder, politician and member of the Parliament of Finland, the national legislature of Finland. A member of the Social Democratic Party, he represented Kuopio Province East between June 1909 and May 1918.[1] He died in captivity following the Finnish Civil War.

Early life

Lonkainen was born on 14 April 1874 in Tohmajärvi in the south-east of the Grand Duchy of Finland.[1] [2] Following the death of his father in 1880 Lonkainen was forced to beg.[1] [3] He worked on the railways, as a stonemason and as farm worker in Tohmajärvi.[1] [3] He was a smallholder in Värtsilä.[1]

Lonkainen was married to Helena. Their daughter Kerttu died in August 1907 aged eight months.[4]

Politics, civil war and death

Lonkainen joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) around 1904.[3] He was elected to the Parliament of Finland at the 1909 parliamentary election.[5] [6] He was re-elected at the 1910, 1911, 1913, 1916 and 1917 parliamentary elections.[7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Following the Finnish Revolution, Lonkainen was elected to the Central Workers' Council of Finland, the legislature of the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic (the Reds), without his knowledge or consent.[12] [13] He did not attend any session of the Central Workers' Council.[12] [13]

In April 1918, as the bitter Finnish Civil War drew to a conclusion, leading SDP members who had not participated in the revolution, including Lonkainen, published a declaration condemning the revolutionaries.[14] [15] This did not protect Lonkainen from the retribution meted out against SDP members by the victorious Whites following the end of the civil war.

In early May 1918 the Whites published a list of leaders of the "Red Rebellion" (the failed Finnish Revolution) which included 37 SDP MPs:[16] [17] Lonkainen was included on the list due to his membership of the Central Workers' Council.[16] [17] On 14 May 1918 White prosecutor Immi Savonius announded that 56 SDP MPs, including Lonkainen, would be charged with treason and ordered their arrest.[18] [19] Lonkainen and five other SDP MPs submitted a notice to the White parliamentary authorities stating that they had not taken part in the rebellion.[20] [21]

Lonkainen was arrested on 16 May 1918 by White military intelligence in front of the parliament building while on the way to a parliamentary session.[13] [22] He was taken initially to intelligence headquarters on Vuorimiehenkatu 1 before being imprisoned in Helsinki County Prison.[13] [22] Lonkainen denied the charge of rebellion during interrogation by the city prosecutor Adolf Mesterton.[12] [22] The prosecutor gave written testimony that Lonkainen's statements were credible.[12] [22]

The White authorities continued with Lonkainen prosecution for treason despite Mesterton's testimony. They claimed that he was involved the production and approval of the Me vaadimme (We Demand) declaration published by the SDP on 1 November 1917.[23] The also claimed that he was aware that there was a threat of rebellion, that he agitated for rebellion and that he belonged to the Central Workers' Council, the highest council of the revolutionaries.[23] Lonkainen denied ever attending a session of the Central Workers' Council and claimed that he had never agitated for rebellion and that he had opposed Me vaadimme internally.[23] On 12 October 1918 the 28th Department of the State Criminal Court (Valtiorikosoikeus) handed down sentences to 40 SDP MPs for treason and high treason.[24] [25] Lonkainen was found guilty of preparation for high treason and sentenced to two years imprisonment and lost his civic rights for six years.[26] [27] [28]

Lonkainen had been ill for some time and was transferred from Sörnäinen Prison to Helsinki Surgical Hospital where he died on 14 November 1918.[2] [29] According to the White medical authorities his death had been caused by appendicitis.[30] [31]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kansanedustajat: Matti Lonkainen . . 16 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230328115202/https://www.eduskunta.fi/FI/kansanedustajat/Sivut/910994.aspx . 28 March 2023 . Helsinki, Finland . fi.
  2. Web site: Person: Lonkainen, Matti . . . 16 December 2023 . Helsinki, Finland.
  3. Book: Punaset III : v. 1909 valittujen uusien sosialidemokratisten edustajien kuvat ja elämäkerrat . 1909 . Työväen Sanomalehti O.Y. . Helsinki, Finland . 13 . 16 December 2023 . fi . Helsinki University Library.
  4. News: Kuollut . 16 December 2023 . Rajavahti . 95 . 26 August 1907 . Sortavala, Finland . 3 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  5. News: Valresultaten . 16 December 2023 . Nya Pressen . 107 . 12 May 1909 . Helsinki, Finland . 3 . sv . National Library of Finland.
  6. News: Kuulutus . 17 December 2023 . Savon Työmies . 55 . 22 May 1909 . Kuopio, Finland . 1 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  7. News: Waalien tulokset . 17 December 2023 . Rajavahti . 18 . 16 February 1910 . Sortavala, Finland . 3 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  8. News: Kuulutus . 17 December 2023 . Karjalan Sanomat . 9 . 24 January 1911 . Joensuu, Finland . 2 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  9. News: Walittuja edustajia . 17 December 2023 . . 181 . 11 August 1913 . Tampere, Finland . 2 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  10. News: Joensuusta ja likitienoilta: Walitut edustajat . 17 December 2023 . Karjalan Sanomat . 76 . 13 July 1916 . Joensuu, Finland . 2 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  11. News: Julistus . 17 December 2023 . . 105 . 15 October 1917 . Kuopio, Finland . 1 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  12. News: Sosialistiset kansanedustajat . 17 December 2023 . . 98 . 30 June 1918 . Helsinki, Finland . 6 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  13. News: Sosialidemokraatti sen puolueen Juustajat . 17 December 2023 . Työn Valta . 64 . 6 July 1918 . Helsinki, Finland . 2 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  14. News: Julistus Suomen työwäelle! . 17 December 2023 . . 33 . 21 April 1918 . Helsinki, Finland . 8 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  15. News: Liian myöhään: 25 vanaveteläistä . 17 December 2023 . Työn Valta . 21 . 23 April 1918 . Helsinki, Finland . 1 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  16. News: Uppreret och den socialdemokratiska landtdagsgruppen . 23 August 2023 . . 40 . 5 May 1918 . Helsinki, Finland . 7 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  17. News: Kapinallisia kansan edustajia . 23 August 2023 . . 4014 . 7 May 1918 . Turku, Finland . 4 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  18. Book: Toiset Valtiopäivät 1917: Pöytäkirjat II - Istunnot 49-101 -Toukokuun 15 päivästä 1918 Valtiopäivien loppuun . 1918 . . Helsinki, Finland . 139–140 . 23 August 2023 . fi.
  19. News: Kapinaan osalliset eduskunnan jäsenet . 23 August 2023 . . 57 . 17 May 1918 . Turku, Finland . 2 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  20. News: Sosialistiset kansan edustajat . 17 December 2023 . . 51 . 15 May 1918 . Pori, Finland . 2 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  21. News: Revolten och de soc. dem. lantdagsmännen . 17 December 2023 . . 58 . 15 May 1918 . Turku, Finland . 5 . sv . National Library of Finland.
  22. News: Sosialististen kansanedustajain Sangasemkiset . 17 December 2023 . . 4066 . 1 July 1918 . Turku, Finland . 1 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  23. News: Förräder:målen mot de socialdemokrafiska lantdagsmännen . 17 December 2023 . Dagens Press . 158 . 4 October 1918 . Helsinki, Finland . 5 . sv . National Library of Finland.
  24. News: Kapinallisten kansanedustajain tuomiot . 28 August 2023 . . 4170 . 13 October 1918 . Turku, Finland . 1 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  25. News: Kapinallisten kansanedustajain tuomiot . 28 August 2023 . . 121 . 15 October 1918 . Kemi, Finland . 3 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  26. News: Tuomiot julistettu sos.-dem. kansanedustajain jutuissa . 25 August 2023 . . 24 . 12 October 1918 . Helsinki, Finland . 3 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  27. News: Sos.-dem. kansanedustajain tuomiot . 25 August 2023 . . 25 . 14 October 1918 . Helsinki, Finland . 3 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  28. News: De socialistiska lantdagsmännen dömda . 25 August 2023 . Dagens Press . 166 . 14 October 1918 . Helsinki, Finland . 4 . sv . National Library of Finland.
  29. News: Kuollut sosialistinen kansanedustaja . 17 December 2023 . Itä-Suomen Työmies . 185 . 16 November 1918 . Viipuri, Finland . 5 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  30. News: Edustaja Lonkainen kuollut . 17 December 2023 . Laatokka . 132 . 19 November 1918 . Joensuu, Finland . 5 . fi . National Library of Finland.
  31. News: Kuollut kansanedustaja . 17 December 2023 . . 206 . 19 November 1918 . Seinäjoki, Finland . 5 . fi . National Library of Finland.

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