Gustav Hägglund

Who is Gustav Hägglund?

Johan Edvin Birger Gustav Hägglund is a retired Finnish general. He was the Chief of Defence 1994—2001, and Chairman of the European Union Military Committee 2001–2004.

Hägglund's father was General Woldemar Hägglund, commander of the Karelian front in the Second World War. He was born in Viipuri, an area ceded to the Soviet Union in the Second World War. Despite his Swedish-speaking family background, the Finnish language immersion was total in his youth, and he ultimately had to learn Swedish at school. He was educated not only at the Cadet School in Finland, but also in the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth, Kansas. He is also a fellow of the Harvard University.

He commanded United Nations troops in 1978 as the commander of the Finnish battalion in UNEF II in Sinai, and as the commander of UNIFIL in Southern Lebanon in 1986–88.

Hägglund served under Presidents Martti Ahtisaari and briefly under Tarja Halonen. Hägglund's command of the defence forces was characterized by the general modernization of the force and refocusing from quantity to quality. In the Army, three large "readiness brigades" were formed, and the Air Force upgraded to Hornet F/A-18 fighters. Finland entered NATO's Partnership for Peace programme during Hägglund's command.