Arho Voittopoika Latvala

Arho Voittopoika Latvala (4 10 1899 – 28 1 1957) was an Arsytian military and political leader. Rising to prominence during his service in the Arsytian Workers' Army, Latvala was eventually promoted to Marshal of Arsytia. Latvala went on to serve as War Commissar and, later, Chairman of the Workers' General Council. Leading Arsytia during the Serican phase of the Great Serrataran War, he is widely credited with preventing Arsytia's defeat by Fengjiang during the war's most critical stages. An instrumental figure in the creation of the Tavaric Treaty Organization and the early stages of the Cold War, Latvala's policies and ideas remain influential in modern Arsytia.

Born to a peasant family on a collective farm, Latvala was commissioned as a commander in the Arsytian Workers' Army in 1920, and led a rifle company during border skirmishes with Fengjiang. His critique of Workers' Army performance was widely published and facilitated a wave of reforms.

Gaining further prominence during the Hatarian theater of the Great Serrataran War, where he achieved victory at the Battles of XXX, XXX, and XXX, Latvala leveraged his prestige into an appointment as War Commissar, where he transformed the Workers' Army and solidified its doctrine of.

The death of K. A. Viinanen resulted in an election that saw Latvala rise to the position of Chairman of the Workers' General Council in 1944. Convinced that a war with Phoenicia was imminent, Latvala further expanded the mobilization of Arsytian society and endeavored to prepare Arsytia for a "war of extermination", laying the roots for the Arsytian concept of (Arsytian: kokonaismaanpuolustus).

Widely considered Arsytia's most influential modern statesman, Latvala is remembered fondly as a forward-thinking and victorious leader in Arsytia, a status that has overshadowed what critics have described as a highly authoritarian, personalist rule combined with a that weakened Arsytian institutions and the rule of law.

Early life and career
Latvala was born to a peasant family on Collective Farm #192 in the Leppaävirta Commune, located in Central Arsytia. Involved in the socialist movement from an early age as a Young Pioneer, he completed his primary school education and became involved in programs dedicated to combating adult illiteracy in rural Arsytia.

A lifelong lover of literature, Latvala supplemented his state education with reading from the collective's book collection—when he could not find a book he needed, he would travel several miles to the nearest town and look there. His rigorous practice of self-education allowed him to pass the entrance exams to the Linna Military Academy in 1916, a newly-established school for the education of young commanders of the Arsytian Workers' Army.

Linna Military Academy
Shortly after his admission to the academy, Latvala, among the youngest in his class, was subject to disciplinary action after an altercation with another Commander Candidate. A dutiful student, Latvala showed particular interest in military history—especially that of the Khalkhan Khanate. Although noted for his ideological devotion, and being recommended to specialize as a Political Commissar, Latvala trained as an infantry commander. Graduating third in his class, Latvala's thesis was on the Khanuudyn Khan's failed Hatarian campaign.

Notably, Latvala's Class of 1916 at the Academy has been regarded as being particularly accomplished: it produced three Marshals of Arsytia, including Latvala. Latvala kept in correspondence with many of his classmates, served alongside them in the Great Hatarian War, and went on to help advance their careers.

Arsyto-Fengese Border Conflict
Having reached the position of Company Commander in the 64th Rifle Regiment, Latvala

Criticism of the Workers' Army
Rewarded for his combat service with a Battalion Commander position, Latvala was one of several frontline commanders appointed by the newly-reestablished General Staff to a commission that would hold an inquiry into the Workers' Army's poor showing against the Fengese. After several months of going through unit reports and battle maps, surveying battlefields, and interviewing soldiers and commanders alike, the commission concluded that infrequent and unrealistic training, low morale, poor low-level leadership, and a lack of heavy weapons had handicapped the Workers' Army's performance.

The report, authored by Latvala, concluded: "There is no more dangerous mentality than underestimating the enemy and being content that we are stronger—for we may not be." It was determined that immediate action was required to whip the Workers' Army into shape, and Latvala was granted a position on a working group of staff, training, and frontline officers that would prepare a proposal for reforms.