![Kekkonen-Hana-Maui-1961](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Kekkonen-Hana-Maui-1961.jpg)
The Note Crisis ( fi, noottikriisi, sv, notkrisen) was a political crisis in
Soviet–Finnish relations in 1961. The
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
sent
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
a
diplomatic note
Diplomatic correspondence is correspondence between one state and another and is usually of a formal character. It follows several widely observed customs and style in composition, substance, presentation, and delivery and can generally be categor ...
on October 30, 1961, referring to the threat of war and
West German
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
militarization and proposing that Finland and the Soviet Union begin consultations on securing the defence of both countries, as provided for in the
Finno-Soviet Treaty of 1948. The note coincided with the detonation of the
Tsar Bomba
The Tsar Bomba () ( code name: ''Ivan'' or ''Vanya''), also known by the alphanumerical designation "AN602", was a thermonuclear aerial bomb, and the most powerful nuclear weapon ever created and tested. Overall, the Soviet physicist Andrei Sa ...
, the most powerful nuclear test in history, and followed close on the heels of the
Berlin Crisis and
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion (, sometimes called ''Invasión de Playa Girón'' or ''Batalla de Playa Girón'' after the Playa Girón) was a failed military landing operation on the southwestern coast of Cuba in 1961 by Cuban exiles, covertly fina ...
.
The note precipitated a crisis in Finland: activating the military provisions of the treaty would have frustrated Finland's post-war policy of neutrality in international affairs and greatly damaged Finland's relations with the West. One of the crucial goals of Finnish foreign policy was to reinforce the credibility of Finland's neutrality in the eyes of Western powers which were skeptical of the country's ability to resist Soviet influence.
At the time the note was sent, president
Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (; 3 September 1900 – 31 August 1986), often referred to by his initials UKK, was a Finnish politician who served as the eighth and longest-serving president of Finland from 1956 to 1982. He also served as Prime Minister ...
was in the
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...
on vacation, during his successful visit to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. The proposed consultations threatened the achievements of the previous decade, during which Finland had attained
UN membership and the Soviets had vacated the
Porkkala military base near Helsinki, leased to them in 1944 for fifty years. At worst, the note was seen as the possible first step towards establishing a Soviet military presence in Finland, and even further, the ''de facto'' end of Finnish independence.
President Kekkonen handled the matter by arranging a personal meeting with
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...
in
Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk (, also ; rus, Новосиби́рск, p=nəvəsʲɪˈbʲirsk, a=ru-Новосибирск.ogg) is the largest city and administrative centre of Novosibirsk Oblast and Siberian Federal District in Russia. As of the Russian Census ...
. As a result of the meeting, the Soviet Union agreed to "postpone" the consultations indefinitely, charging the Finns with monitoring the security situation in Northern Europe. The Finnish interpretation of the agreement was that the Soviets thereby left the matter of initiating military consultations to Finnish discretion, and the crisis was defused.
The most common view today is that the Soviet Union was mainly motivated by a desire to ensure Kekkonen's re-election
in 1962. Kekkonen, who enjoyed the confidence of the Soviet leadership, was seeking re-election for the first time, and his main opponent, , was regarded as having a good chance of victory with the backing of a six-party coalition, including two major parties, the
Social Democrats
Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote so ...
and the
National Coalition
The National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces ( ar, الائتلاف الوطني لقوى الثورة والمعارضة السورية), commonly named the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) ( ar, الائتلاف الو ...
. The extent to which Kekkonen may himself have been involved in orchestrating the incident is disputed, but it is commonly accepted that he was expecting a Soviet intervention in the presidential election, and Kekkonen is known to have planned dissolving the
Finnish parliament
The Parliament of Finland ( ; ) is the unicameral and supreme legislature of Finland, founded on 9 May 1906. In accordance with the Constitution of Finland, sovereignty belongs to the people, and that power is vested in the Parliament. The ...
, forcing his opponents to campaign together in the Presidential election and against each other in the parliamentary election at the same time.
As a result of the crisis, Honka dropped his candidacy in November 1961, and in January 1962, Kekkonen was re-elected by an overwhelming vote of 199 out of 300 electoral college votes. During his second term in office, the Social Democrats were reconciled with Kekkonen's
Agrarian League, leading to a new era in Finnish internal politics dominated by this so-called "red earth" alliance.
Timeline
* 10 October 1961: President Kekkonen went on a three-week state visit to
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
* 16. – 17 October 1961: In
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
, Kekkonen discussed with
US President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
and
Secretary of State Dean Rusk
David Dean Rusk (February 9, 1909December 20, 1994) was the United States Secretary of State from 1961 to 1969 under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, the second-longest serving Secretary of State after Cordell Hull from the F ...
. In a statement concluded at the end of the discussions, the United States stated that it respected Finland's
policy of neutrality
A neutral country is a state that is neutral towards belligerents in a specific war or holds itself as permanently neutral in all future conflicts (including avoiding entering into military alliances such as NATO, CSTO or the SCO). As a type of ...
.
* 30 October 1961: In Moscow,
Soviet Foreign Minister
The Ministry of External Relations (MER) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (russian: Министерство иностранных дел СССР) was founded on 6 July 1923. It had three names during its existence: People's Co ...
Andrei Gromyko
Andrei Andreyevich Gromyko (russian: Андрей Андреевич Громыко; be, Андрэй Андрэевіч Грамыка; – 2 July 1989) was a Soviet communist politician and diplomat during the Cold War. He served as ...
handed over a note to Finnish Ambassador to the Soviet Union,
Eero A. Wuori, drawing attention to the
Federal Republic of Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...
's increased military activities in the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.
The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...
and proposing "consultations on measures due to the threat of a military attack by
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
". President Kekkonen was informed of the note while he was resting in the
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...
. The President continued his original program of visits despite the note. Finnish Foreign Minister
Ahti Karjalainen
Ahti Kalle Samuli Karjalainen (10 February 1923 – 7 September 1990) was a Finnish politician. He was a member of the Agrarian League (later known as Keskusta, Centre Party) and served two terms as Prime Minister of Finland. He is, however, bett ...
, who was part of the delegation, immediately returned to Finland.
* 1 November 1961: Kekkonen gave a speech at the dinner of the
World Affairs Council in Los Angeles in which he stated that the note had not brought anything new to the
relations between Finland and the Soviet Union
Relation or relations may refer to:
General uses
*International relations, the study of interconnection of politics, economics, and law on a global level
*Interpersonal relationship, association or acquaintance between two or more people
*Public ...
, but that it reflected the tension prevailing in Europe. Foreign Minister Karjalainen, who arrived in Helsinki on the same day, announced that the President would give a radio and television message after returning back to Finland.
* 3 November 1961: President Kekkonen returned to Finland. On the same day in
Tamminiemi
Tamminiemi ( sv, Villa Ekudden; ) is a villa and Historic house museum, house museum located in the Meilahti district of Helsinki, Finland. It was one of the three official residences of the President of Finland, from 1940 to 1982. From 1956, unti ...
(presidential residence in Helsinki), he met with Prime Minister
Martti Miettunen
Martti Juhani Miettunen (17 April 1907 – 19 January 2002), was a Finnish politician who served twice as Finland's prime minister, from 1961 to 1962 and again from 1975 to 1977.
Miettunen was born in Simo, the son of a smallholder. He studi ...
and Foreign Minister Karjalainen and told them that he was preparing a speech in which he would announce that he would refuse consultations and withdraw his presidential candidacy.
* 5 November 1961: Kekkonen gave a radio and television message in which he appealed for Finland's policy of neutrality and did not consider it necessary to examine whether the conditions for negotiations required by the
Finno-Soviet Treaty existed. However, Kekkonen did not announce his resignation from the presidential candidacy.
* 6 November 1961: Foreign Minister Karjalainen met with the Ambassador of the Soviet Union,
Alexei Zakharov. Karjalainen suggested a discussion with Foreign Minister Gromyko on the political side of the note and the postponement of military consultations. The aim of Kekkonen and Karjalainen was to start a discussion with the Soviet leadership only for political reasons and to avoid a discussion about the threat of war and the military side. On November 7, Kekkonen told the Finnish military leadership that military problems were not the main reason for the note, even though the situation was otherwise military. He ordered the military leadership to stay out of the negotiations and also banned the taking of precautionary measures in the garrisons.
* 10 November 1961: Foreign Minister Karjalainen fly to
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
on a negotiating trip .
* 11 November 1961: Foreign Minister Karjalainen negotiated with Foreign Minister
Andrei Gromyko
Andrei Andreyevich Gromyko (russian: Андрей Андреевич Громыко; be, Андрэй Андрэевіч Грамыка; – 2 July 1989) was a Soviet communist politician and diplomat during the Cold War. He served as ...
in Moscow. Gromyko stated that the Soviet military leadership had long called for military consultations with Finland and that the country's political leadership had so far rejected these demands because it relied on Finland's foreign policy leadership. The Karelian suggested the negotiations were noted for political reasons. Gromyko demanded some quick political evidence from Finland of the continuity of Finland's foreign policy so that military consultations would not have to be started. Karjalainen suggested that bringing forward the parliamentary elections from July to February 1962 could be such evidence.
* 12 November 1961: Karjalainen returned to Finland and explained the results of the negotiations to President Kekkonen and the parliamentary groups.
* 14 November 1961: President Kekkonen dissolved the Finnish Parliament and ordered
new general elections to be held on February 4, 1962.
* 15 November 1961: Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister
Vasili Kuznetsov informed Finnish Ambassador Wuori that bringing forward the parliamentary elections alone was not enough, but urgent negotiations were still needed, as the international situation had further tightened since the note was handed down due to joint military exercises planned by the
Federal Republic of Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...
and
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
.
* 17 November 1961: Ambassador Wuori received a hint that President Kekkonen could travel to
Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk (, also ; rus, Новосиби́рск, p=nəvəsʲɪˈbʲirsk, a=ru-Новосибирск.ogg) is the largest city and administrative centre of Novosibirsk Oblast and Siberian Federal District in Russia. As of the Russian Census ...
in a week to meet
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...
. Wuori arrived in Helsinki the same evening and negotiated in
Tamminiemi
Tamminiemi ( sv, Villa Ekudden; ) is a villa and Historic house museum, house museum located in the Meilahti district of Helsinki, Finland. It was one of the three official residences of the President of Finland, from 1940 to 1982. From 1956, unti ...
with Kekkonen, Miettunen and Karjalainen.
* 18 November 1961: The Finnish government proposed that President Kekkonen will meet Khrushchev to resolve the note crisis. On 19 November, Ambassador Zakharov confirmed that Khrushchev was ready for the meeting.
* 20 November 1961:
Bernard Gufler
Bernard Anthony Gufler (1 June 1903 – 6 September 1973) was a distinguished American diplomat and member of the United States Foreign Service. In a long career he served in many postings abroad, including Ambassador to Ceylon and Ambassador to ...
delivered a secret message from Kennedy to Kekkonen. The US president promised non-military American support for Finnish neutrality and independence.
* 22 November 1961: President Kekkonen left for a conference trip to Novosibirsk. According to Ahti Karjalainen, the atmosphere in Helsinki was such that Kekkonen's departure from the main
Helsinki Central railway station
Helsinki Central Station ( fi, Helsingin päärautatieasema, sv, Helsingfors centralstation) ( HEC) is the main station for commuter rail and long-distance trains departing from Helsinki, Finland. The station is used by approximately 400,000 peo ...
could have gathered large crowds to sing patriotic hymns as in autumn 1939 just before
Winter War
The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...
. This would have made Kekkonen's negotiations more difficult, so the president's entourage traveled by car from Helsinki first to
Loviisa
Loviisa (; sv, Lovisa ; formerly Degerby) is a municipality and town of inhabitants () on the southern coast of Finland. It is located from Helsinki and from Porvoo. About 43 per cent of the population is Swedish-speaking.
The municipality co ...
, where Kekkonen met his brother Jussi Kekkonen, and then to
Luumäki
Luumäki () is a municipality of Finland. Its seat is in the Taavetti village. It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the South Karelia region. The municipality has a population of
() and covers an area of of
which
is ...
, where the entourage boarded the train to Moscow. From
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, the Kekkonen continued on November 23 by plane to
Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk (, also ; rus, Новосиби́рск, p=nəvəsʲɪˈbʲirsk, a=ru-Новосибирск.ogg) is the largest city and administrative centre of Novosibirsk Oblast and Siberian Federal District in Russia. As of the Russian Census ...
.
* 24 November 1961: Kekkonen and Khrushchev negotiated all day in Novosibirsk. Kekkonen suggested that the Soviet Union refrain from consultations to prevent an increase in war psychosis. In Kekkonen's opinion, Finland's policy of neutrality provided sufficient security guarantees for the Soviet Union. According to Khrushchev, the note was not due to a lack of confidence in Finland, but to the increased military threat of the
Federal Republic of Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...
. According to Khrushchev, the Western military alliance
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
was coming under German control, and he was particularly concerned about German military cooperation with
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
and
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
. Khrushchev stated that the Soviet Union had full confidence in President Kekkonen and then suggested that, because of that confidence, military consultations be postponed only if there was an urgent need. Khrushchev also criticized the actions of
Väinö Tanner
Väinö Alfred Tanner (; 12 March 1881 – 19 April 1966; surname until 1895 ''Thomasson'') was a leading figure in the Social Democratic Party of Finland, and a pioneer and leader of the cooperative movement in Finland. He was Prime Minister ...
and
Väinö Leskinen
Väinö Olavi Leskinen (8 March 1917, in Helsinki – 8 March 1972, in Helsinki) was a Finnish politician, minister and a member of the parliament from Social Democratic Party of Finland. He is perceived as one of the major Finnish social democra ...
, claiming that they were reviving the old brotherhood with Germany and working against the Soviet Union.
* 25 November 1961:
Olavi Honka
Olavi is a Finnish masculine given name from Olav/Olaf
Olaf or Olav (, , or British ; Old Norse: ''Áleifr'', ''Ólafr'', ''Óleifr'', ''Anleifr'') is a Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse origin, reconstructed a ...
withdraws as presidential candidate. The decision was his own personal decision, as the Soviet Union had not made this a condition for waiving consultations. On the same day, Kekkonen returned from Novosibirsk to Moscow and ate lunch with
Soviet general secretary Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev; uk, links= no, Леонід Ілліч Брежнєв, . (19 December 1906– 10 November 1982) was a Soviet Union, Soviet politician who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Gener ...
in the
Kremlin
The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty, Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of th ...
.
* 26 November 1961: President Kekkonen returned to Finland and gave a radio and television speech at 9 pm, in which he announced that the Soviet Union had given up demanding consultations. Kekkonen said that the Soviet Union trusted Finland's policy, but added that "if we cause trust to run out of our own actions, the reason is ours".
See also
*
Finlandization
Finlandization ( fi, suomettuminen; sv, finlandisering; german: Finnlandisierung; et, soomestumine; russian: финляндизация, finlyandizatsiya) is the process by which one powerful country makes a smaller neighboring country refrai ...
*
Night Frost Crisis
*
Paasikivi–Kekkonen doctrine
The Paasikivi-Kekkonen doctrine was a foreign policy doctrine established by Finnish President Juho Kusti Paasikivi and continued by his successor Urho Kekkonen, aimed at Finland's survival as an independent sovereign, democratic, and capitali ...
References
External links
Noottikriisi.YLEn Elävä arkisto
Further reading
*
{{Finland topics
Political history of Finland
Finland–Soviet Union relations
1961 in the Soviet Union
1961 in Finland
1961 in international relations
Urho Kekkonen