Karl Lennart Oesch

✓ Source-basedrising

Finnish general and war criminal (1892-1978)

PoliticiansLived 1892 to 1978 · aged 85

Compare

Fame51.3

Momentum10.1

Languages19

In century#43,305

Also inDeutsch

Photos 4

Lennart Oesch (left) monitors Estonian army military exercises in October 1938.

Oesch in Vyborg in 1941.

Soviet division commander General Vladimir Kirpichnikov, a prisoner of war, lights a cigarette for Oesch in 1941.

Awards 16

1945Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Liberty

1944Mannerheim Cross 2nd Class

1934Knight Grand Officer of the Order of the Polar Star

Order of the Three Stars, 5th Class

Knight Grand Officer of the Order of Saint Olav

Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta

Knight Grand Officer of the Order of the Dannebrog

Commander of the Legion of Honour

Commander First Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland

Iron Cross 1st Class

Iron Cross 2nd Class

Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918

Commander of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland

1st Class of the Order of the Cross of the Eagle

Gold Cross of Merit‎

Order of the Sword - Commander Grand Cross

In their orbit 1

SiblingWerner Christian Oesch

Connected to Karl 6

Eduard DietlAlso won Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Liberty

Gillis BildtAlso won Order of the Sword - Commander Grand Cross

Ivar KreugerAlso won Order of the Three Stars, 5th Class

August ZaleskiAlso won 1st Class of the Order of the Cross of the Eagle

Étienne Davignon, 1st Count DavignonAlso won Knight Grand Officer of the Order of the Dannebrog

Ilmari JuutilainenAlso won Mannerheim Cross 2nd Class

About this person

Karl Lennart Oesch was one of Finland's leading generals during World War II. He served as Chief of the General Staff of the Finnish Defence Forces from 1930 to 1940 and again in 1944, and commanded major operations during both the Winter War and the Continuation War. At the end of the Continuation War he commanded three Finnish army corps on the Karelian Isthmus during the decisive defensive battles of summer 1944, for which he received the Mannerheim Cross. After the war, he was tried and convicted for war crimes relating to the treatment of Soviet prisoners of war.