Mannerheim supported the aims of the anti-communist Lapua movement,
but declined a post in its leadership. After being elected president, P.E. Svinhufvud
asked Mannerheim to take the post of the chairman of the Defence Council (1931-1939).
Under Mannerheims’ chairmanship, the Defence Council developed the Finnish military industry. Mannerheim organized campaigns to strengthen the positive attitudes of the general public towards matters of defence, supported the Scandinavian trend in foreign policy and sought cooperation with Sweden, e.g., in matters concerning the defence of Åland and the development of arms production. The strengthening of the defence of Finland did not, however, entirely proceed in the direction Mannerheim had hoped for.
Before the Winter War, Mannerheim would have been prepared to make concessions to the Soviet Union, to gain time for Finland to make preparations for the war. At his suggestion, the quiet mobilization was carried out in October 1939 in the form of supplementary training. In this connection, he became Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces by a secret act on 17 October. Mannerheim criticized the government’s optimism and threatened them with resignation, but after the attack of the Red Army into the country on November 30, 1939, he consented to take over the command of the army.
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