Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim

Who is Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim?

Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim was a Finnish military commander and statesman who served as the sixth President of Finland. Born into a Swedish-speaking noble family in Askainen, he began his career as an officer in the Imperial Russian Army, serving for around thirty years and rising to the rank of lieutenant general. After Finland declared independence in 1917, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the White forces during the Finnish Civil War of 1918 and briefly served as regent in 1918–1919. In the interwar period he chaired Finland's defence council and oversaw construction of the fortifications later known as the Mannerheim Line. He led Finnish forces as commander-in-chief during the Winter War (1939–1940) and the Continuation War (1941–1944). In 1944 he was elected President and negotiated Finland's exit from the war, holding office until 1946.

Sources: J. E. O. Screen, 'Mannerheim: The Finnish Years' (Hurst, 2000) · Stig Jägerskiöld, 'Mannerheim: Marshal of Finland' (Hurst, 1986)