Wilhelm Alexander Thesleff, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

Wilhelm Alexander Thesleff

Finnish politician

Date of Birth: 27-Jul-1880

Place of Birth: Vyborg, Leningrad Oblast, Russia

Date of Death: 26-Mar-1941

Profession: military personnel, politician

Nationality: Finland

Zodiac Sign: Leo


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About Wilhelm Alexander Thesleff

  • Wilhelm Aleksander Thesleff (27 July 1880, Viipurin maalaiskunta, Grand Duchy of Finland - 26 March 1941, Helsinki) was a Finnish general, first Minister of Defence of Finland and briefly the commander in chief of the Finnish army. Thesleff began a military career in 1894 Hamina Cadet School from which he graduated in 1901.
  • He continued his military studies in St Petersburg, Nicholas General Staff Academy in the years 1904-1907, and the Officers Cavalry School 1910-1911.
  • He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, 12 June 1912. Thesleff attended the first world war the Russian army in 1914-1917, until he was taken prisoner by the Germans in Riga in September 1917.
  • In October 1917 he was transferred by request of the military committee to serve as a liaison officer between the Finnish Jäger battalion fighting under the German command and the Germans.
  • He deposed the unpopular Colonel Nikolai Mexmontan.
  • He was commander of the 27th Jäger Battalion from 6 November 1917 until 25 February 1918.
  • In March 1918 he was appointed as a liaison officer with the Baltic Sea Division during the Finnish Civil War. After the Finnish Civil War Thesleff became the War Minister, 27 May 1918 - 27 November 1918 in the first cabinet of Juho Kusti Paasikivi.
  • He was promoted to the rank of Major General, 14 June 1918.
  • After the resignation of Major General Wilkman, as a war minister, Thesleff became commander in chief of the Finnish military forces on 13 August 1918. Paasikivi cabinet had been leaning towards Imperial Germany.
  • When Germany was defeated in the First World War the cabinet resigned.
  • This also meant the end of Thesleff's political career.

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