Kyösti Kallio was a politician with a long-term vision. The central idea underlying his actions was to strengthen independence by integrating society through economic and social equality. As president at the time of the Winter War, Kallio contributed in particular to maintaining and strengthening the nation's morale; the shaky state of his health to a large extent kept him out of political decision-making.
Background
His father was one of the municipal leaders in Ylivieska, and Kyösti gained practical familiarity with local self-government from childhood onwards. From 1895 onwards, in his new home district of Nivala, Kallio's higher level of education and his position as the owner of a large farm led to his being given community duties; he enjoyed these and was good at them, and he quickly came to occupy the most important local positions of trust.
Education
Already during his years at grammar school in Oulu, Kallio had adopted a constitutionalist, pro-Finnish outlook, and this was strengthened and broadened by his youth-club and cooperative work
Career
Kallio served in the Diet of Finland 1904–1906 as a member of the Estate of the Peasantry. He joined the newly founded Agrarian Union (a farmers' party) in 1906 and became one of its prominent leaders. He became an Agrarian minister in the Senates of Oskari Tokoi, Pehr Evind Svinhufvud and Juho Kusti Paasikivi.
During the Civil War in Finland, Kallio hid in Red-dominated Helsinki, because he was at least nominally on the White side and therefore a "class enemy"; he formed a new senate (government) in Helsinki after German troops had defeated the Reds in the city. Afterwards he became a moderate peace-maker and disapproved of retaliation against the Reds.
During the debates over the form of the new state in 1918, Kallio resigned from the Senate because he supported a republic instead of constitutional monarchy. Eventually, the monarchist stand lost and he returned to the Cabinet to become Prime Minister. He was a reformist who emphasized education, settlement, and land reform.
During the Winter War Kallio resisted the idea of giving up any territory to the Soviet Union, but was forced to agree to sign the Moscow Peace Treaty in 1940. His health begun to fail – his right arm was paralyzed – and he was not active in the dealings with Germany leading to the Continuation War.
Religion
Although Kallio was often too busy to go to church, he prayed often when encountering difficulties in making political decisions, and some of these prayers he recorded in his diary. He also read Christian books with his wife and often discussed them by exchanging letters. He often referred to God in his speeches, and during the Winter War he asked the Finns who were serving their country to read the Bible. When he was forced to sign the harsh Moscow Peace Treaty in March 1940, Kallio quoted freely from the Book of Zechariah, saying: "May my hand, which is forced to sign such a paper, wither." His right arm was paralysed the following summer, and he was forced to switch his writing hand. In the Presidential Palace, shortly before leaving for Helsinki Central Railway Station for the last time, Kallio sang a hymn with his family
Politics
Anti-communist
He supported Prohibition in Finland, and was dismayed when it was repealed in 1932.