Paavo Susitaival - Early Life

Early Life

Paavo Sivén adopted the name Susitaival (Wolfspath in English) during the First World War to throw off the Czar's secret service. Later, during the Finnish Civil War he attempted to enlist in the Finnish Army, only to realize that he - or rather, one of his pseudonyms - had already been appointed Captain in the Army, while he under his real name was listed as a draft-dodger. After the war, continued as a career soldier. He changed his name permanently to Susitaival in protest against the Svecoman sentiment in the Finnish Army, after attending an Army Cadet School church services where the Swedish-speaking cadets would not take communion with Finnish-speaking cadets.

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