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Mannerheim: The Finnish Years

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As soldier and statesman, Carl Gustaf Mannerheim (1867-1951) occupies a unique place in the history of Finland. He served as Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish Armed Forces in 1918 and again from 1939-1944. He was Regent of Finland in 1919 and President of the Republic from 1944-1946. He was a controversial figure (surprise!) to the Left/Communists following his role in 1918 in suppressing an attempted revolution against the democratically elected Finnish Government which followed the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. As a determined opponent of communism he made efforts to promote Finnish intervention against the Bolsheviks in 1918-1920 but failed, largely due to the White Russian leaders not being willing to recognise Finland's independance.

The passage of time turned him from a hero of the Right into a trusted national figure, while his leadership of Finnish resistance to Soviet aggression in the Winter War of 1939-40 won him international fame. He lead the Finnish Armed Forces during the Continuation War of 1941-44 where Finland fought as a co-belligerant with Germany (note that the USA never declared war on Finland) and took over as President in 1944, after which he ensure Finland negogiated an armistice with the Soviet Union, albeit with harsh terms for Finland. Under Mannerheim's leadership, Helsinki was one of only three wartime European capital cities that was not occupied. And only Mannerheim's authority held the nation together as the painful adjustment to a new relationship with the Soviet Union began.

This book is the second part of the author's study of Mannerheim, and describes his transformation from a Tsarist Russian General into a Finnish statesman and patriot. It sets his Finnish career in it's historical context, examines his complex character and sums up his legacy. 279 Pages.28 B&W photos, 4 Maps.

Contents:
I - The White General (Finland in 1917, the Civil War)
II - Regent
III - Civilian
IV - Chairman of the Defence Council
V - The Winter War
VI - The "Armistice"
VII - The Continuation War
VIII - President
IX - Testament

The author, J E O Screen, was Librarian of the School of Slavonic and East European Studies at the University of London from 1972 to 1998. He has also written several books and articles on Finnish military history.

And a final word - I really enjoyed reading this one. It's concise, well-written, balanced and not overly adulatory. The photos are a good selection and not all of Mannerheim either. Overall, if you're looking for a good biography of Mannerheim to contrast with Stig Jagerskiold's somewhat adulatory "Mannerheim: Marshall of Finland", this and the first book, "Mannerheim - The Years of Preparation" are a good choice. I bought mine from The Book Depository - brand new as advertised, turned up quickly and shipping was free.