Max Jakobson

Max Jakobson

Max Jakobson (born September 30, 1923 in Viipuri , † March 9, 2013 in Helsinki ) was a Finnish diplomat , politician and journalist .

Max Jakobson took part in the Continuation War against the Soviet Union in Karelia in 1942/43 . He started his career as a journalist. Jakobson worked, among other things, in the Finnish-language service of the BBC and from 1948 to 1953 as a London correspondent for the newspaper Uusi Suomi .

From 1953 to 1974 he was an employee of the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was Political Director (1962–1965), Finland's Ambassador to the United Nations (1965–1972) and Sweden (1972–1974). Jakobson became one of the most important thought leaders in Finnish foreign policy after World War II . He was one of the architects of the CSCE conference in Helsinki .

Jakobson was an advisor to the Finnish Presidents Urho Kekkonen, Mauno Koivisto and Martti Ahtisaari . Until his death he was one of the most important publicists on Finnish foreign policy. In 1971 Jakobson was a candidate for the office of Secretary General of the United Nations on the initiative of Urho Kekkonen . The candidacy failed because of Soviet resistance and because of his Jewish descent.

Main publications

• Diplomaattien talvisota (1955)
• Max Jakobson: The Diplomacy of the Winter War: An Account of the Russo – Finnish War, 1939–1940 . Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA 1961.
• Kuumalla linjalla (1968)
• Paasikivi Tukholmassa (1978)
• Veteen Piirretty Viiva (1980)
• 38. Kerros (1983)
• Max Jakobson: Finland: Myth and Reality . Otava, Helsinki 1987.
• Vallanvaihto (1992)
• Finland in the New Europe (1998)
• Väkivallan vuodet 20. vuosisadan tilinpäätös (1999).
• Pelon ja toivon aika, 20.vuosisadan tilinpäätös (2001).
• Tilinpäätös, 20. vuosisadan tilinpäätös (2003).
• Tulevaisuus? (2005)
• Finland. A Lone Wolf (2006) - Review, NORDEUROPAforum 2/2006

further reading

• Jukka Tarkka: Max Jakobson - kansainvälinen suomalainen. Helsinki: Otava 1983

Web links

• Literature by and about Max Jakobson in the catalog of the German National Library