MANNERHEIM - War of Independence



	(1880-1941), Lieutenant Colonel, 12 June, 1912; Major General, 14 June, 1918. Received his military education in Hamina Cadet School 1894-1901; in the Nicholas Academy for General Staff in St Petersburg 1904-1907; and in the Officers’ Cavalry School in St Petersburg 1910-1911. Served in the Russian army 1914-1917.
	Was taken prisoner by the Germans in Riga in 1917 and transferred at the request of the Military Committee of the Finnish activists to the general staff of the German army as a representative of the Finnish Jäger Battallion. Commander of the 27th Jäger Battallion from 6 November, 1917, till 25 February, 1918. Mannerheim did not get along with Thesleff. One of the main reasons may have been that Thesleff, after being taken prisoner, had entered into cooperation with the enemy. There were rumours in early March that Thesleff was waiting for an opportunity of being appointed Commander-in-Chief instead of Mannerheim. Thesleff’s viewpoint was on the winning side, when the Senate was making decisions on their attitude towards the arrival of the Germans. In the Jäger conflict Thesleff was similarly opposed to Mannerheim. To get rid of Thesleff Mannerheim sent him to the German Baltic Division in March to act as a contact officer. While in this post, Thesleff discontinued the reports for ten days in April. These reports would have been of crucial importance to Mannerheim on account of fundamental decisions to be made concerning the Viipuri operation. Thesleff participated in operational action as the commander of a battallion assembled from the voluntary troops of Pellinki. When the Senate proposed that Thesleff should be elected Minister of War Mannerheim said, "After all that has happened, there can be no cooperation" and "I have never surrendered to the Germans". When Mannerheim resigned from his post as Commander-in-Chief Thesleff became Minister of War (from 27 May till 27 November, 1918), Commander-in-Chief of the army (from 13 August till 27 November, 1918) and Chief Commander of Civil Guards (from 2 August till 27 November, 1918).
	Commander-in-Chief 1918 \| Headquarters 1918 \| Vaasa Senate \| Hannes Ignatius \| Martin Wetzer \| Harald Hjalmarson \| Ernst Linder \| Gösta Theslöf \| Jägers \| St Petersburg Question \| Relations with Germany \| Cross of Liberty \| Eastern Karelia \| Uusimaa Dragoon Regiment \| Fir Twig \| Finnish Flag \| Swedish Brigade \| Civil Guards \| Jäger Conflict \| Heikki Kekoni \| Red Prisoners \| Wilhelm Thesleff \| Aarne Sihvo \| Rudolf Walden \| Air Force - Air Weapon \| Red and White Terrorism \| Great Parade 16 May, 1918 \| Åland Question \| Monarchy \| Mannerheim's Resignation

	COURSE OF LIFE \| FAMILY \| TIME OF GROWTH \| MILITARY CAREER \| WAR OF INDEPENDENCE \| REGENT 1918-1919 \| CIVILIAN \| DEFENCE COUNCIL \| COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 1939-1946 \| PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC 1944-1946 \| RETIREMENT \| SPECIAL TOPICS \| SEARCH