interbellum, much of Linkomies's rhetoric and political energy was directed against the Swedish-speaking Finns, and the remnants of their privileges and dominance in Finnish society; but also against Sweden and Scandinavia, which he perceived as both too Socialist and too eager to dominate Finland. However, in the 1950s, after the disappointment over Sweden's limited support during the wars, he contributed energetically to inter-Nordic contacts and cultural exchange, and may be credited for the at least partial healing of the rupture between Conservatives in Finland and Scandinavia, that had its background in fennomania and the Åland Crisis. An assessment of Linkomies's role as politician is complicated by the fact that he at, in at least two critical moments in Finland's history deliberately spoke and acted against his own conviction, if one is allowed to believe his account in his memoirs. In the early 1930s, he argues that his ambition was to steer Finland's Conservative party, Kokoomus, in democratic direction after its entanglement with the semi-fascist Lapua Movement. But in order to achieve this, he appeared to conform to the lesser evils of anti-parliamentarism, militant anti-Socialism, and authoritarianism. During the Continuation War, after the Wehrmacht’s defeat at Stalingrad, he was appointed prime minister with peace at the top of his agenda, but neither in deeds nor in words would the government led by him and president Ryti reveal this aim, fearing the majority of Finns were unprepared, and the German co-belligerent still too strong. Furthermore, he did not dare to establish contacts with the growing domestic opposition to the war, and only very cautiously and hesitantly with countries that probably would have been inclined to support the peace process, notably the United States, Sweden, and Britain, if they had had confidence in Finland's wish for peace. Cabinets Linkomies Cabinet References External links Edwin Linkomies in 375 humanists 11.02.2015, Faculty of Arts, University of Helsinki 1894 births 1963 deaths Politicians from Vyborg People from Viipuri Province (Grand Duchy of Finland) National Coalition Party politicians Finnish scientists Prime Ministers of Finland Continuation War World War II political leaders Classical scholars of the University of Helsinki Recipients of Finnish presidential pardons Finnish classical scholars Rectors of the University of Helsinki Chancellors of the University of Helsinki Finnish Latinists