THE FIFTIES IN FINLAND Finnish society in the 1950s from the perspective of the cultural and industrial-banking elites. Alice Hudlerova University College London School of Slavonic and East European Studies Submitted for PhD degree in History April 2002 ProQuest Number: U643425 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest. ProQuest U643425 Published by ProQuest LLC(2016). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ABSTRACT THE FIFTIES IN FINLAND Finnish society in the 1950s from the perspective of the cultural and industrial-banking elites The main topic of the dissertation is the 1950s in Finland, analysed from the perspective of the cultural and industrial-banking elites. During the first post-war decade, Finland witnessed an immense political reorientation in terms of both foreign and domestic politics occurring as a result of the war. Such circumstances were a salient influence on the position and role of the cultural and industrial-banking ehte who, like the rest of the Finnish society, were required to adjust to the post-war circumstances. The process of their adaptability is of particular significance for this study. The cultural and economic background of Finland in the 1950s is scrutinised within the thesis to illustrate the post-war situation and to facilitate an understanding of the subject. The first part embodies the definitions related to the role of the cultural elite. An emphasis is placed on the old Academy of Finland and the University of Helsinki, and their educational function in the post-war period. Two generations are involved in the study: the older, which comprises members of the cultural elite already active during the inter-war period; and the younger, who began their academic career after the war. Their mutual confrontation is widely discussed within the context of the dissertation. In the second part, the industrial-banking elite’s economic and social involvement is identified. The economic situation of post-war Finland is outlined together with the significance of Finnish integration into the Western European economic structures, which occurred during the 1950s. The role of the industrial-banking elite within the process of integration is emphasised as it was of crucial importance. The conclusion leads into a twofold comparison: firstly, between the younger and older generation of the cultural elite, where the first generation was strongly under the influence of the inter­ war ideology and the latter already enjoyed the new opportunities created in the post-war period. Secondly, a comparison is made between the adaptability of the cultural and industrial-banking elites, who both reacted differently to the post-war situation. This leads to the conclusion that the industrial and financial circles appeared to be more responsive to the changes and less dependent on Finnish inter-war patriotic ideology. CONTENTS ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................................. 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................................... 5 LIST OF ABREVIATIONS......................................................................................................... 6 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................... 7 1 DEFINITION OF ELITE.............................................................................................. 26 1.1 Identification and definition of the cultural elite ...................................... 36 1.1.1 Definition and role of the intellectual, the intelligentsia and the cultural elite ............................................................................... 36 1.1.2 The concept of the Finnish cultural elite ....................................... 45 1.1.3 Identification of the cultural elite....................................................... 47 1.2 The industrial-banking elite ................................................................................... 53 1.2.1 A definition of the Finnish industrial-banking elite ......................... 54 1.2.2 Identification of the industrial-banking elite and their social background ............................................................................ 57 1.3 The intermediary group .......................................................................................... 64 2 THE 1950s IN THE FINNISH CONTEXT.................................................................. 77 2.1 Post-war political reorientation and the key concepts used for the characterisation of the 1950s .............................................................. 77 2.1.1 The Left and the cultural and industrial-banking elites .................... 83 2.2 The concept of myth fi-om a historical perspective .................................................. 94 2.3 Social developments in the 1950s ............................................................................ 101 2.3.1 Heikki Waris’ predictions ..................................................................... 101 2.3.2 The social transition ............................................................................. 103 3 THE CULTURAL ATMOSPHERE IN FINLAND DURING THE 1950s....................... 113 3.1 Cultural conformity ......................................................................................................... 114 3.2 Dangerous thoughts ......................................................................................................... 122 3.3 Conft-ontation between the younger and older generations ......................................... 138 3.3.1 The position of historians ............................................................................ 138 3.3.2 The confi-ontation between historians and social scientists .................... 147 3.3.3 The American influence ............................................................................. 155 3.4 New trends ........................................ 162 4 THE CULTURAL ELITE: ITS ADAPTABILITY AND ASPIRATIONS..................... 169 4.1 The cultural elite ............................................................................................................. 178 4.1.1 Recruitment of the older generation into the elite ................................. 178 4.1.2 The academic involvement of the cultural elite ...................................... 182 4.1.3 The political involvement of the cultural elite ...................................... 188 4.1.4 Adaptability and responsibility ............................................................... 193 4.2 Recruitment of the younger generation into the elite ............................................... 198 5 THE INDUSTRIAL-BANKING ELITE: ITS ADAPTABILITY AND INFLUENCE.............................................................................................. 210 5.1 The importance of economic institutions and post-war economic integration ........................................................................... 212 5.1.1 The post-war economic situation in Finland and the importance of integration ......................................................................................... 217 5.2 The industrial-banking elite .............................................................................. 225 5.2.1 Recruitment into the elite ...................................................................... 227 5.2.2 The domestic involvement of the industrial-banking elite ................. 233 5.2.3 The international involvement of the industrial-banking elite 244 5.2.4 Adaptability and responsibility ............................................................. 253 5.3 The banking sector ..................................................................................... 256 5.3.1 The Swedish and Finnish-speaking banks: competition and interaction ................................................................... 257 5.4 Advances in education and their impact on recruitment into the elite .............. 263 5.4.1 The situation in Finland ............................................................................. 265 5.5 The crossover between the industrial and cultural elites ............................................ 272 CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................................... 277 INDEX OF NAMES............................................................................................................................... 291 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................................................... 295 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Although I carry the responsibility for the content of my thesis, I would like to express my gratitude to the following people without whom my dissertation would not have been written: Professor David Kirby, from the School of