Jaakko Valtanen

{{Short description|Finnish general (1925–2024)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}

{{Infobox military person

| name = Jaakko Valtanen

| image = Valtanen_ja_Simelius_(cropped).jpg

| caption = Valtanen in 1960

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1925|2|9|df=y}}

| birth_place = Hämeenlinnan maalaiskunta, Finland

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|1|17|1925|2|9|df=y}}

| death_place = Kauniainen, Finland

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| allegiance = {{FIN}}

| branch = {{Finnish Army Seal}}

| serviceyears = 1939–1990

| rank = General

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{{tree list}}

• World War II
• Continuation War

{{tree list/end}}

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}}

Jaakko Valtanen (9 February 1925 – 17 January 2024) was a Finnish general. He was the Chief of Defence of the Finnish Defence Forces from 1983 to 1990. He was the last Finnish Chief of Defence to have served in the Continuation War. He was the first guest to greet the President of Finland in the annual Independence Day Receptions from 2016 until his death. {{cite web|author=YLE|title=Itsenäisyyspäivän juhlavastaanotto osa 1/2|publisher=YLE|date=6 December 2017|url=https://areena.yle.fi/1-4256820}} Valtanen died in Kauniainen on 17 January 2024, at the age of 98.[https://www.is.fi/kotimaa/art-2000010127384.html Puolustusvoimain entinen komentaja, kenraali Jaakko Valtanen on kuollut] {{in lang|fi}}