Toivo Karanko

Toivo Tuomas Savolainen, later Karanko (20 September 1891 Nurmes – 15 May 1969 Helsinki) was a Finnish Jäger captain and a journalist.

Studies Savolainen enrolled as a student at Nurmes Co-educational School in 1913 and joined the Karelian Association. He attended the Finnish Artillery School in 1918 and the Field Artillery Shooting School in 1923, as well as the refresher course for officers of the Defense Forces Officers' School in 1924. He continued his studies at the University of Helsinki in 1930.

In Germany Savolainen volunteered to join the 27th Jäger Battalion for training and military experience on 23 November 1915. He took part in the fighting in the First World War on the eastern front of Germany in the battles of Misse River, the Gulf of Riga and the Christmas Battles at river Aa. He also completed a special sabotage course in Polangen in 1917.

Karanko left the army in 1921 and became the chief of the Jyväskylä White Guard 8th district, until he returned to the service in 1922. He moved from Pielisjärvi to Jämsä in 1927, where he worked as a teacher of gymnastics and health education at Jämsä Co-educational School and Real High School until 1928. He later worked in the newspaper industry and was a journalist for the domestic news department at Helsingin Sanomat from 1929 to 1930. He next became a journalist for Ajan Sana ltd and joined the main committee of the Finno-Ugric Cultural Congress the following year. In 1932 he joined Publishing Company Vasara, a publishing company that published Nazi propaganda and antisemitic literature, and in 1934 he became editor-in-chief of Siniristi, a Nazi magazine.

Karanko translated Erich Ludendorff's book Threat of a World War on German Land and Martin Luther's book On the Jews and Their Lies. In the preface to Luther's book, he supported Luther's proposed actions against the Jews and considered the book's message particularly topical. Karanko also made a new translation of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion in 1943 which was published by Blue Cross.

Awards Cross of Freedom 4th class with swords Medal of Freedom 2nd class Commemorative medal of the War of Freedom with clasp Commemorative medal of the Winter War Jäger medal German Honor Cross of the Participants of the Great War