Mannerheim, Carl Gustaf

Mannerheim, Carl Gustaf (Emil)

(born June 4, 1867, Villnäs, Fin.—died Jan. 27, 1951, Lausanne, Switz.) Finnish soldier and president of Finland (1944–46). A career officer in the Russian imperial army (1889–1917), he commanded the anti-Bolshevik forces (1918) in the Finnish Civil War and expelled the Soviet forces. He served as regent of Finland (1918–19) until the new republic was declared. As chairman of the national defense council (1931–39) he oversaw construction of the Mannerheim line of fortifications across the Karelian Isthmus. As commander in chief of Finnish forces (1939–40, 1941–44), he won initial successes against greatly superior Soviet forces in the Russo-Finnish War (1939–40). Named president of the Finnish republic in 1944, he negotiated a peace agreement with the Soviets.