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Vilho Annala
Vilho Annala (17 January 1888 – 28 July 1960) was a Finnish civil servant, economist and far right politician. Early yearsAnnala was born in Lapua, and first came to prominence as a student at the University of Helsinki, where he edited the student union newspaper Ylioppilaslehti from 1916 to 1919.[1] He went on to work for the Bureau of Statistics, whilst serving on the editorial staff of the conservative daily Uusi Suomi.[1] He gained a doctorate in 1932 and became one of Finland's leading civil servants.[1] PoliticsAnnala joined the Lapua Movement and became Helsinki District Chairman in February 1931.[1] Ideologically Annala was heavily influenced by the corporatism of Italian fascism.[2] He supported the co-opting of the working classes into the Lapua Movement and opposed the influence of wealthy industrialists.[1] In April 1932 Annala joined Herman Gummerus and Erkki Räikkönen in founding the Patriotic People's Movement (IKL) and he served as caucus chairman from 1936 to 1944.[1] Between 1933 and 1945 he also represented the party in the Parliament of Finland.[1] Whilst the official leader was Vihtori Kosola real control of the movement rested with Annala and his close lieutenant Bruno Salmiala.[3] It was Annala who dictated the policy of the movement although his hard-line views led to condemnation by both the government and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland that damaged the group.[1] Annala held the post of Minister of Transport in the unity government of Johan Wilhelm Rangell from 1941 to 1943.[4] This however was a last throw for the IKL as the group faded soon afterwards and Annala left politics.[1] Later yearsWith his political career over Annala became an academic back at the University of Helsinki.[1] He served there as the professor of political economy 1951–57.[5] He died in Helsinki, aged 72. References
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