1919 Finnish presidential election

none Finland presidential 1925 Finnish presidential election 1925 25 July 1919 Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg 1919.jpg Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg National Progressive Party (Finland) 143 Mannerheim1919.jpg Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Independent politician 50 President Office established Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg National Progressive Party (Finland)thumb|right|The presidential election taking place. thumb|The parade of the White Guard of Finland in Helsinki on 16 August 1919 Indirect presidential elections were held for the first time in Finland in 1919.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p627 978-3-8329-5609-7 Although the country had declared Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse king on 9 October 1918, he renounced the throne on 14 December. The president was elected by Parliament, with Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg of the National Progressive Party receiving 73% of the vote. Ståhlberg, a moderate, liberal and reformist politician, who favoured improving the material well-being of workers and other economically poor Finns, received the votes of Social Democrats, Agrarians and Progressives. He also firmly supported the new Finnish Republic, and a parliamentary form of government with a strong president as a mediator and a political reserve for politically troubled times. Mannerheim, an independent right-winger and monarchist, suspected the democratic, republican and parliamentary form of government of producing too partisan political leaders, and of working ineffectively during crises. Ståhlberg favoured the signing of a peace treaty between Finland and the Soviet Russia, while Mannerheim in the summer of 1919 strongly considered ordering the Finnish army to invade St. Petersburg to help the Russian Whites in that country's civil war. Only the National Coalitioners and Swedish People's Party voted for Mannerheim in this presidential election.Seppo Zetterberg (2003) Suomen historian pikkujättiläinen, WSOY, pp611–613Pentti Virrankoski (2009) Suomen historia, volumes 1 & 2, Finnish Literature Society, pp766–773Sakari Virkkunen (1994) Suomen presidentit I, Otava Ltd, pp11–22Sakari Virkkunen (1994) Suomen presidentit II, Otava LtdStig Jägerskiöld, Mannerheim 1867-1951, Otava Ltd, pp115–121, 123–124, 128 Results Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg National Progressive Party 143 Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Independent 50 Lauri Kristian Relander Agrarian League 1 Väinö Tanner Social Democratic Party 1 2 200 Nohlen See also List of candidates in Finnish presidential elections References Category:Presidential elections in Finland President Finland