Mannerheim can claim, with some truth, to be the founder of modern Finland.
He began his career as an officer in the Russian Tsarist Army but as Revolution hit Russia in 1917 he became the Commander of The Finnish White Army against the Finnish Reds in 1918. He won the war to secure Finland’s independence as a free nation state.
Called to action again in 1939 to combat a Russian Invasion, the so-called ‘Winter War’, he was less fortunate and it ended in defeat and loss of territory. When Hitler went to war with Russia in 1941, Mannerheim led Finland to an alliance of necessity, as he saw it, to restore the Finnish lands seized by Russia in The Winter War.
Join William for a special extended double lecture.
William Tyler MBE is a superb communicator. He is a freelance educator, lecturer, public speaker, writer and consultant with a main focus on History. He was the Principal of The City Lit, Britain’s largest college of adult education. William is a Freeman of the City of London. In 2009 he was awarded his MBE for services to education.