Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim

Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (June 4, 1867 – January 28, 1951) was the reputed Commander-in-Chief of Finland's Defence Forces, Marshal of Finland, an astute politician, a successful military commander and was later President of Finland (1944–1946).

Commander-in-Chief

When negotiations with the Soviet Union failed in 1939, Mannerheim on October 17 again withdrew his resignation, thereby again accepting the position as Commander-in-Chief of Finland's army in case of war. He reorganized his headquarters in Mikkeli. Officially he became the Commander-in-Chief after the Soviet attack on November 30. His strategic aide was Lieutenant General Aksel Airo.

Related Topics:
1939 - October 17 - Commander-in-Chief - Mikkeli - November 30 - Lieutenant General - Aksel Airo

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Mannerheim spent most of the Winter War and Continuation War in his Mikkeli headquarters but made many visits to the front. Between the wars, he held on to the authority as Commander-in-Chief, which according to the letter of law should have gone back to the presidents (Kyösti Kallio and Risto Ryti) after the Moscow Peace, March 12, 1940.

Related Topics:
Winter War - Continuation War - Kyösti Kallio - Risto Ryti - Moscow Peace - March 12 - 1940

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In the Continuation War, Mannerheim kept relations with Nazi Germany's government as formal as possible and successfully opposed their proposals for a treaty of alliance. Mannerheim also firmly refused to let his troops contribute to the siege of Leningrad.

Related Topics:
Nazi Germany - Siege of Leningrad

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Mannerheim's 75th birthday on June 4, 1942, was a major occasion. The government granted him the unique title of Marshal of Finland (Suomen Marsalkka, Marskalken av Finland). He was the first and only person to receive the title. A surprise visit by Adolf Hitler in honour of Mannerheim's birthday was less pleasing to him and caused some embarrassment.

Related Topics:
June 4 - 1942 - Adolf Hitler

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Mannerheim's record as the Finnish Commander-in-Chief is not easy to assess. At the time, and even to this day, Mannerheim's immense prestige made criticism of his conduct of war almost tantamount to treason (especially as the criticism often came from Soviet sources and Finnish communists). It is perhaps easiest to divide Mannerheim's role in two: Mannerheim the military commander and Mannerheim the politician.

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As a military commander Mannerheim was a mixed success. Under his leadership the Finnish Defense Forces fought a generally successful war that in the end saved Finland from Soviet occupation. Mannerheim took great care not to waste the lives of his soldiers, and avoided unnecessary risks. Perhaps his greatest shortcoming was his unwillingness to delegate. While he had a number of very able subordinates, foremost among them Lieutenant General Aksel Airo, Mannerheim insisted that all the department heads in the Finnish General Headquarters report directly to him, leaving Chief of General Staff General of Infantry Erik Heinrichs little to do. Indeed, Mannerheim said that he did not want to be 'one man's prisoner'. Mannerheim overwhelmed himself with work, and as a result coordination between the different departments in the General Headquarters suffered. It has been suggested that one reason why the Soviet offensive in Karelian Isthmus in June 1944 took Finns by surprise, was that Mannerheim was unable to see the forest for the trees. There was no other authority save Mannerheim who could collect all the intelligence and turn it into operational directives.

Related Topics:
Lieutenant General - Aksel Airo - Erik Heinrichs

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On the other hand it can be argued that Mannerheim excelled in politics. Even though a soldier, and as such not supposed to take part in politics, Mannerheim could not help but be a highly political figure. A vital question during the war was when to make peace with Soviet Union. Too early would mean that the Nazi germany would be in a position to retaliate. Too late would risk a Soviet occupation of Finland. As soon as 1942, it became increasingly clear that Germany would not necessarily vanquish the Soviet Union. Mannerheim was kept, as it were, in reserve, in order to potentially take the leadership of the nation and lead it to peace. Mannerheim played this role very skilfully; he had a clear vision how Finland should conduct its war in the sensitive situation when the war's ultimate end was unclear. He knew how to treat the Germans to secure as much military support as possible without involving Finland in any binding treaties. For example, during the build-up for the Continuation War in 1941 Mannerheim was offered the command of all German forces in Finnish soil. While such an arrangement could have made prosecuting the war simpler, Mannerheim recognized that Hitler would not give Finns free hand in directing this part of the German offensive. As Mannerheim wanted at all costs avoid a situation where he would have to take directives or orders from Berlin, he refused the offer.

Related Topics:
Soviet Union - 1942 - 1941

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However, in June 1944 Mannerheim, to ensure German support at a time a major Soviet offensive was threatening Finland, thought it necessary for Finland to agree in the pact German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop demanded. But even then Mannerheim managed to distance himself from the pact and it fell for the Finnish President Risto Ryti to sign it. Mannerheim's policy reached its logical conclusion when he succeeded Risto Ryti as the President of the Republic in August 1944.

Related Topics:
1944 - Joachim von Ribbentrop - Risto Ryti

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