Iisakki Vihtori Kosola (10 July 1884 – 14 December 1936) was a Finnish politician, activist and farmer best known as the leader of the fascist and anti-communist Lapua Movement around 1930. After the movement's failed Mäntsälä Rebellion of 1932, Kosola became the nominal leader of its successor party, the Patriotic People's Movement (IKL), although in practice he served more as a figurehead than as the party's actual leader. He was popularly known as "Kosolini" for his rhetorical resemblance to Benito Mussolini.
Early life
Kosola was born in Ylihärmä, Southern Ostrobothnia to a peasant family. He was the eldest of eight children from his father's second marriage. His family's farmhouse burnt down the next year, and the family moved to Lapua, buying a house at Liuhtarinkylä. His formative years were spent in farming and cattle-breeding following his father's death when Kosola was a teenager, and he took on responsibility for the family farm at an early age.
Mäntsälä Rebellion
The Lapua Movement came to an end with the Mäntsälä Rebellion in early 1932. Kosola's role during the various phases of the revolt is unclear: according to some accounts he travelled to Mäntsälä in order to persuade the rebels to surrender, while according to others he went to continue the uprising. After the revolt was called off in response to a radio address by President P. E. Svinhufvud, Kosola was arrested along with several other Lapua leaders and taken to the prison in Turku. On returning to Lapua he was met by a large crowd of supporters. He died of pneumonia in December 1936, only a few months after his demotion within IKL and before the news of his removal had been made public.