Arndt Juho Pekurinen (born August 29, 1905 in Juva, Finland; died November 5, 1941 in Suomussalmi, Finland) was a Finnish pacifist and conscientious objector. Image File history File links Arndt_Pekurinen_(1905-1941),_Finnish_pacifist_and_conscientious_objector_(small). ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Juva is a municipality of Finland. ... November 5 is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 56 days remaining. ... This article is about the year. ... Suomussalmi is a municipality of Finland. ... Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence as a means of settling disputes. ... A conscientious objector (CO) is an individual following the religious, moral or ethical dictates of his or her conscience that are incompatible with being a combatant in military service, or being part of the armed forces as a combatant organization. ...

In 1926, Pekurinen refused repeatedly the mandatory conscription, leading to his imprisonment between 1929 and 1931. He refused to either wear uniform or take arms. While Pekurinen was deeply religious, his motives were not based on his faith. While his contempraries suggested he was Communist, he was not interested in politics. Because of his Pacifist conviction, in the atmosphere of the Militaristic thirties he was deemed as guilty of high treason, and the Lapua movement harassed him relentlessly.In 1930, an international petition on his behalf was sent to the Finnish defense minister Juho Niukkanen, which included the signatures of sixty British MPs and notables such as Albert Einstein, Henri Barbusse and H. G. Wells. On April 14, 1931, the Lex Pekurinen, Finland's first alternative to military service, was passed. However, its provisions extended only as far as peacetime. This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... Militarism or militarist ideology is the doctrinal view of a society as being best served (or more efficient) when it is governed or guided by concepts embodied in the culture, doctrine, system, or people of the military. ... Under English, and later British law, high treason is the crime of disloyalty to the Sovereign. ... Lapua Movement (Lapuan liike) was a political movement in Finland, started in 1929, initially dominated by ardent anti-communist nationalists, emphasizing the legacy of the nationalist activism, the White Guards and the Civil War in Finland, however soon turning into more of a Fascist movement. ... Look up Petition in Wiktionary, the free dictionary A petition is a request to an authority, most commonly a government official or public entity. ... A Finnish politician prior to and during Winter War. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Einstein redirects here. ... Henri Barbusse (May 17, 1873 - August 30, 1935) was a French novelist and journalist. ... Herbert George Wells (September 21, 1866 – August 13, 1946) was an English writer best known for such science fiction novels as The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, and The Island of Doctor Moreau. ... Military service is service in an army or other military organisation, whether as a chosen job or as the result of an involuntary draft (in that case usually termed conscription). ...

When the Winter War broke out in 1939, therefore, Pekurinen once again found himself imprisoned. At the onset of the Continuation War in autumn 1941, he was sent to the front, with orders to make sure he will wear uniform, take weapon and use it. At front he still refused to wear a uniform or carry arms. Following an order issued by Captain Pentti Valkonen, he was executed without trial. The first two soldiers (Sergeant Kivelä and Private Kinnunen) ordered to execute him refused; only the third, Corporal Asiainen, obeyed the order as Capt. Valkonen now directly ordered him to execute Pekurinen. Combatants Finland Soviet Union Commanders Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Kliment Voroshilov, later Semyon Timoshenko Strength 250,000 men 30 tanks 130 aircraft[1][2] 1,000,000 men 3,000 tanks 3,800 aircraft[3][4] Casualties 26,662 dead 39,886 wounded 1,000 captured[5] 126,875 dead... Combatants  Finland Germany  Soviet Union Commanders Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Strength 250,000 (total 530,000) Finns[1] + 100,000 (total 220,000) Germans 650,000 (total ???) [2] Casualties 58,715 dead or missing 158,000 wounded 1,500 civilian casualties[3] 200,000 dead or missing 385,000 wounded... A court-martial (plural courts-martial) is a military court that determines punishments for members of the military subject to military law. ...

After the war, an investigation of Pekurinen's death was begun but never completed. He remained effectively forgotten for over fifty years, until the publication in 1998 of the book Courage: The life and execution of Arndt Pekurinen by Erno Paasilinna. The city of Helsinki has named a park, Arndt Pekurisen puisto, in his memory. Erno Paasilinna (born 14 March 1935, Petsamo - died 30 September 2000, Tampere) was a Finnish writer and journalist. ... Founded 1550 Country Finland Province Southern Finland Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki Area[1] - Of which land - Rank 185. ...

According to the book by Erno Paasilinna, Pekurinen's motto was inspired by Jonathan Swift: "As people are not eaten, butchering them is of no use." ("Kun ihmisiä ei syödä, on niitä turha teurastaa.") Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (November 30, 1667 – October 19, 1745) was an Irish priest, satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer, and poet, famous for works like Gullivers Travels, A Modest Proposal, A Journal to Stella, The Drapiers Letters, The Battle of the Books, and A Tale of a Tub. ...

See also

• List of pacifists