August Carl Gustav Lindholm
The Honorable Marshal of Esthar Baron August Carl Gustav Lindholm | |
|---|---|
 Lindholm in 1935 | |
| Johtaja of the Balamb State | |
| In office 18 July 1932 – 21 November 1975 | |
| Preceded by | Usko Niemi as President of Balamb |
| Succeeded by | Laguna I as King of Esthar and Balamb |
| El Director of Esthar | |
| In office 1 October 1932 – 21 November 1975 | |
| Preceded by | Miguel Piedrabuena as President of the Defence Council of Esthar |
| Succeeded by | Laguna I as King of Esthar and Balamb |
| Commander-in-Chief of the Balambian Defence Forces | |
| In office 15 September 1926 – 21 November 1975 | |
| Preceded by | Maunu Waris (as Commander of the Hosts) |
| Succeeded by | Otto Berchmanns (as Chief of Defence) |
| Commander-in-Chief of the Estharian Armed Forces | |
| In office 10 October 1931 – 15 April 1969 | |
| Preceded by | Enrique Sambuesa |
| Succeeded by | Karl Fredrik Wilkanna |
| State Regent of Balamb | |
| In office 15 September 1927 – 18 July 1932 | |
| Preceded by | Aarno Nevalainen |
| Succeeded by | None Proclaimed as Johtaja of Balamb |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 June 1892 Kärpa, Grand Duchy of Balamb, Kingdom of Esthar and Balamb |
| Died | 21 November 1975 (aged 83) Madrid, Esthar and Balamb |
| Resting place | Kauhakola Memorial Cemetery, Kauhakola, Balamb, Esthar and Balamb |
| Nationality | Balambian |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Korpela (div. 1919) |
| Children |
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| Parents |
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| Relatives | see Lindholm Family |
| Profession | Military officer, statesman |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Esthar and Balamb |
| Branch/service | Balambian Defence Forces White Guard Estharian Armed Forces |
| Years of service | 1909-1975 |
| Rank | Marshal of Esthar |
| Battles/wars | First Europan War Estharian Civil War Second Europan War War of Lorican Aggression |
Field Marshal Baron August Carl Gustav Lindholm VR SR, SVR SR ketj., SL SR (21 June 1892 - 21 November 1975) was a Balambian military officer and statesman who ruled over Esthar and Balamb as El Director from the Nationalist victory following the Estharian Civil War. This period in Estharian history is known as Lindholmist Esthar.
Lindholm was born in Kärpa, Balamb as the son of an upper-class family with strong ties to the Estharian Navy. Following the crippling of the Estharian Navy during the Estharian-Archadian War, Lindholm joined the Balambian Defence Forces as a cadet in the Nilinen Military Academy. With Balamb being a part of the Kingdom of Esthar and Balamb, he would later be deployed during the Marrocan War, where he was recognized for his bravery and leadership. In 1924, he became a general at the age of 32, the youngest general in Europa. By 1926, he became the Commander-in-chief of the Balambian Defence Forces.
As a monarchist, Lindholm took a lot of important meetings with King Alfonso XIV with the latter seeing Lindholm as the future of Balamb. In 1928, when the Second Estharian Republic was established, Lindholm and the rest of the Balambians were ostracized by Estharians. With Balamb being tied as an autonomous government to Esthar, Balamb came under the rule of the Republicans. In 1927 Prime Minister Jose Carlos Valle wanted Balamb to be directly governed by the ruling Estharian Republic, violating Balambian Autonomy which had been in place since the rule of Maria III. He was devastated by the closing of his beloved Academy but despite it, Lindholm and the rest of the Balambian personnel continued to serve alongside Estharians in the Estharian Republican Army. In 1928, Lindholm led a suppression of an uprising in Alturias, sharpening the antagonism between Left and Right in the country.
In 1931, He relieved of his position and relegated to the Canarian Islands. When Jose Antonio Morello, leader of the opposition, was murdered that summer it triggered a military coup which had been plotted since the election in February. Lindholm had initially kept his distance from the plot, but joined at the last minute with complete resolution. The coup failed and precipitated in the Estharian Civil War. Balambians declared their "independence" and Lindholm was proclaimed as "Johtaja" of the Balamb State. Both Balambians and Estharian Nationalists were united under Lindholm. He was later declared as "El Director" following the Siege of Toleda in 1932.
During the civil war, he was contacted by several Imperial states, such as the Autocratic East Europan Imperial Alliance, Archadia-Archedes, and the Empire of Quenmin, who were secretly planning to spark another war. The three countries demanded the use of Estharian and Balambian ports to allow them to put troops into Africanna, which he knew could be dangerous with the growing aggression of the three Imperial powers. He strongly rejected and support for him was lost. The Lucis Commonwealth later supported him after he announced his refusal to abide by Imperial demands. Despite this, his experience, professionalism, and empowering unity between Estharians and Balambians allowed the Nationalists to gain victory, which had already by that time, the Second Europan War had erupted.
After several refusals to join the war, the Incident at the Schwarz Canal prompted Lindholm to declare war and join on the side of the Allies. Lindholm later became active once again, leading the Estharian forces to victory throughout the war from the Middle East Campaign to the Allied Invasion of Quenmin in 1944. Lindholm became one of the most vocal anti-Imperial leaders of the war, condemning Imperial and Quenminese concentration camps and the persecution of Darscens. He became the first Estharian leader to grant full and total rights to Darscens in 1937.
After the war, he focused on building Esthar and Balamb as a leading merchant nation. Being that it was in a vital trading route in the Mediterranean, He encouraged trading with neighboring countries, particularly with the Holy Galbadian Empire. Thereby saving Esthar and Balamb from economic repression. He once again entered to war during the War of Lorican Aggression. Refusing a repeat of the events of 1930, he appointed Laguna, Prince of Esthar as his successor and plans for the restoration of the Estharian Monarchy had been prepared since 1969. He continued to rule Esthar until his death in 1975. He was succeeded by Laguna as King of Esthar and Balamb.
In an Estharian survey 53 years after his death, Lindholm was voted the greatest Balambian of all time. Given the broad recognition in Esthar and Balamb and elsewhere of his unparalleled role in establishing and later preserving Balamb and his efforts in finally uniting Balambians and Estharians, Lindholm has long been referred to as the father of modern Esthar, and with the Lindholm Museum in Madrid memorializing the leader's life and times has been called "the closest thing there is to a national shrine". In addition, he is the only Balambian to have held the rank of field marshal, an honorary rank bestowed upon especially distinguished generals.