Jaakko Paavolainen

Jaakko Paavolainen (23 July 1926, Kanneljärvi – 30 October 2007, Helsinki), was a Finnish historian, PhD 1966. He became professor in history at the University of Turku 1986–1989.

Jaakko Paavolainen published his much noticed results about the red terror and white terror during the Finnish civil war in three volumes and has also published a biography of Väinö Tanner (4 parts, 1977–89). His boyhood memories från Carelia he pictures in Lapsuus Kanneljärvellä (1982) and the life of his cousin Olavi Paavolainen in a 1992 published volume.

Jaakko Paavolainen is the son of Erkki Paavolainen and the father of Pentti Paavolainen (b. 1953), professor in arts research at Helsinki Theatre Academy.