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Virtual Exhibition Talk: “The Mussolini of the North”: A Transnational Look at Finnish Interwar Fascism
November 3, 2021 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

The politician, farmer Vihtori Kosola poses for the sculptor Mauno Oittinen, 1930. Photographed by Pietinen, Inventory ID: HK19670603:100, Collection of Historical Images, Finnish Heritage Agency.
Part of the Library’s This Fascist Life: Radical Right Movements in Interwar Europe event series.
Similar to most other European fascist movements, the core of Finnish interwar fascism consisted of right-wing war veterans. As the experiences of the 1918 Finnish Civil War played a crucial role in their radicalisation, many previous studies have focused on the domestic Finnish perspective to explain the phenomenon. Instead, in this lecture, Marja Jalava will follow the transnational turn within the broader field of fascist studies by focusing on the Lapua Movement and the Patriotic People’s Movement as Finnish manifestations of a European-wide, transnational mobilisation.
About the speaker:
Professor Marja Jalava gain her PhD in 2005 in Finnish and Nordic History at the University of Helsinki. She works currently as Professor in Cultural History at the School of History, Culture and Arts Studies at the University of Turku. Her research interests lie in the modern history of Finland and other Nordic countries. Among her long-term interests is the history of nationalism and cultural radicalism.
Event guidelines:
1. The Library will send you a Zoom link and joining instructions via email prior to the event. Please check your junk email folders.
2. Please try and join 5 minutes before the event start time and we will let you into the room (do try and bear with us if this takes a few minutes).
3. If you would like to ask a question during the event, please type your question into the chat function, and we will endeavour to answer as many questions as possible during the Q&A. Your webcam will not be seen during this event.
4. The event will be recorded for the Library’s YouTube channel and will be shared at a later date.
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