Mannerheim

Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867–1951) was a Finnish military leader and statesman who became a defining figure in 20th‑century Finland. Born in Askainen in the Grand Duchy of Finland, then part of the Russian Empire, he trained as an officer in the Imperial Russian Army and served in various theaters before returning to Finland after its 1917 independence.

Mannerheim rose to prominence during the Finnish Civil War of 1918, where he led the White Army as Commander-in-Chief and helped secure victory for the anti‑Red side. After the war he briefly served as Regent of Finland from 1918 to 1919, acting as head of state during the transition to a republican system.

In the interwar years he held a range of military and ceremonial positions and influenced Finland’s defense policy. With the outbreak of the Winter War against the Soviet Union in 1939, he returned to supreme command and directed Finland’s defense during a demanding conflict. In the Continuation War (1941–1944), Finnish forces fought alongside Germany against the USSR, with Mannerheim remaining a central military and political figure.

In 1944 he was elected President of Finland, serving until 1946. His presidency coincided with Finland’s transition from war to peace and the negotiations that led to the Moscow Armistice, which imposed territorial concessions and wartime conditions on the country. He resigned from the presidency on health grounds.

Mannerheim left a lasting legacy in Finnish military and political history. The Mannerheim Line fortifications on the Karelian Isthmus, along with streets, a museum, and other commemorations, bear his name. His final resting place is at Hietaniemi Cemetery in Helsinki.