Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim

[wox24]

Dear Wox24,

You are welcome!
I'm happy that you've found this topic about Mannerheim interesting for you.
And this is good, that you've also found a lot of new information about him.

If you will have any questions about this interesting man in the future, you are always welcome.

I think I will be. You know, when Czechoslovakia was socialitistic we had pro-sovietic history (I visit a school in this time), after 1989 children have pro-West history. And any of them does not show true about Mannerheim. I will offer these materials and maybe I translated them.

[Nicola De Valeron]

Field Marshal of Finland, Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim. Coloured by Dear AP forum member, Proud Olga.

Although colorized photo has a minor mistakes, but you can easily find the Order of St. George on Marshal's chest. (second from the left on the order's bracket). You can also find a big amount of other Russian medals with the images of Nicholas II, Alexander III and Peter the Great, 200th anniversary medal of Poltava battle (it was the battle with Sweden!!) and 200th anniversary medal of 1812 war.

Photo was taken on the 70th anniversary of Gustaf Karlovich Mannerheim in 1937.

[Nicola De Valeron]

List of almost all military decorations of Mannerheim during First and Second World Wars from all over the world and terse information about them.

Although I've been studying Mannerheim for a rather long time, but I've never paid my attention to some interesting and even funny facts with the decorations and medals of this famous commander. And I'm talking not only about the fact, that Mannerheim was the only person, who received (though not all for the current battle achievements and in different times) orders and medals from both sides in both World Wars. I've also found another interesting, funny and even seemingly impossible for a normal intellect facts about Mannerheim's military decorations. I just wanted to say at first, that as I understand Mannerheim, he was never attached much importance to his awards, I mean to their "ethnicity". Mannerheim was a man of the Honor, national leader, military commander and a man who was evaluated people not by their nationality and political views, but for other qualities, like bravery and honesty. So, I made a total and detailed list of Mannerheim's military decorations. People can made their own opinion about Mannerheim after they have read and watched all this list.

During the First World War in a different times and for different achievements Mannerheim received Orders from the both sides of War and from Sweden as a neutral country:

(Finnish White Guard headed by Mannerheim and dislocated in Nothern Finland during the Finish Civil War de facto was receiving a strong help from Germany and was de facto ally of this country, but of course never participated in the First World War. But anyway it was the time of First World War;). So, with a "big reservations" we can consider the first Mannerheim's Finnish Orders as the Orders from the new country which been receiving a big help from the Central powers. I must repeat - with a very "big reservations", because Finland, which gained independence from Bolsheviks only in December of 1917 was never participated directly in the First World War.)

- From the Allies (Entente) powers:
Russia.
Order of St. George of 4th degree. December of 1914, officially awarded in 1915.
St. George Gold Sabre. Awarded on August of 1914.
Order of St. Vladimir of 2nd degree with swords. Awarded in January of 1916.
Order of St. Stanislaus of 1st degree with swords. Awarded on August of 1914.


- From the Central Powers:
Germany.
Iron Cross, Second and First class. Mannerheim (the only Entente General) was awarded by recent enemy in the war!, German Emperor Wilhelm II in 1918 for his outstanding bravery and overwhelming victory in the Finnish Civil War.


- From his own country Finland (de facto ally of Germany against Red Guard during the Finnish Civil War):
Order of the Cross of Liberty, Big cross with swords. Awarded in April of 1918 for the conquest of Vyborg.
Order of the Cross of Liberty of 1st degree with swords. Awarded for the conquest of Tampere in April of 1918.
Order of the White Rose of Finland, Grand cross. Awarded on May 1919, also for his victory in the Finnish Civil war.


- From the neutral country Sweden. (From all non-Russian and non-Finnish Orders Mannerheim always respected and often wore Great and most impartial Swedish Orders):
Order of the Sword, Commander of Grand Cross. Awarded in 1918.
Royal Order of the Seraphim, Knight and Commander. Awarded in 1919.


No comments...


During and slightly before the Second World War Mannerheim was awarded with different decorations  for a different achievements from the both sides and from Sweden as a neutral country.

- From Allies powers during the War and slightly early:
National Order of the Legion of Honour, Grand Cross. (France). Awarded in 1940.
Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (only seven men in British History). Awarded in 1938, just one year before the War.


- From the Axis powers during the War:
Germany.
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Awarded in 1942.
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Awarded in 1944.


Italy. Military Order of Italy (Military Order of Savoy), Grand officer. Awarded in May of 1942.
Romania. Order of Michael the Brave 3rd, 2nd and 1st classes (full chevalier). Awarded in November of 1941.
Hungary. Hungarian Order of Merit of St. Stephen with swords and wartime tape. 1942.
Croatia. Order of the Crown of King Zvonimir, Grand Cross with swords. 1942.


- From his own country Finland before September of 1944 (fought against USSR in 1939-1940 and 1941-1944):
Only the main military decorations.
Order of the Cross of Liberty, Big cross with swords. Awarded in March of 1940 for the military achievements during the Winter War.
Mannerheim Cross to Order of Liberty, 2nd degree. October of 1941.
Mannerheim Cross to Order of Liberty, 1st degree. October of 1941.


- From the neutral Sweden:
Order of Sword, Knight's Grand Cross (Highest possible military award in Sweden).


No comments...


And something more interesting for a more complete view:

- Mannerheim was a German-Swede by nationality, but during all his life he was wearing on his chest 200th anniversary Russian medal (1909) of Poltava Battle with Sweden. You can see a very beautiful image of Peter the Great on this medal.
- Mannerheim received French Order of the Legion, but at the same time he was also wearing 200th anniversary Russian medal (1912) of the Battle with Napoleon in 1812.
- Mannerheim received highest Japanese Order - Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Flowers, Grand Cordon, 1st class, but he was fighting against Japan in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). After the war he was awarded with Russian Orders with different degrees and with Russo-Japanese War medal in 1905.

From left to right: Russo-Japanese War medal, 200th anniversary medal of Poltava Battle and  200th anniversary medal of the 1812 war with France.


No comments...



*All photos are slightly modified and taken from http://www.mannerheim.fi/.
All of them are property of their owners.

[Nicola De Valeron]

Another two beautifully and almost accurately colorized photos of Mannerheim. Colorized by GD Lynn.

- On the first photo we can see young Gustaf Karlovich, Rittmeister (Captain) of the HIH Marie Feodorovna's Chevalier Guard Regiment, shortly before an appointment to Nezhinskii Dragoon Regiment and sending to the Russian-Japanese War. 1904.
- On the second we can see the Leader of newborn country Finland, General of Cavalry, Baron C.G.E. Mannerheim. 1918.

[Mike]

Mannerheim's ... lived in a 10-room apartment on Aptekarsky lane, 4

Interesting, I lived next door - 3, Aptekarsky Pereulok - at the age of 0 to 14. Just on the opposite side of this narrow street.

[Nicola De Valeron]

Interesting and rather rare photo of Mannerheim with GD Olga Alexandrovna which was taken during the War in lazaret. Mannerheim at that time was enlisted in HIM Suite with the rank of Major General and commanded 12th Cavalry division. 1915.



* Photo is posted with the kind permission of an author from the archives of Vitaly Zhumenko, from the album "White Army. Photoportraits of Russian Officers 1917 - 1922", YMCA-PRESS, 2007, PARIS.
   (Фото размещено с любезного согласия автора из архива Виталия Жуменко, из альбома "Белая армия. Фотопортреты русских офицеров 1917 - 1922", YMCA-PRESS, 2007, PARIS.)

[RomanovsFan4Ever]

Nicola, you are infinitely more expert than me about uniforms, if you can share informations about these I will be very grateful.

[Nicola De Valeron]

On the left: Mannerheim is a Cornet in ceremonial uniform (but without copper attributes like cuirass, sword and so on) of the Chevalier Guard of HIH Marie Feodorovna Regiment. (between 1889 and 1893).

On the right: Mannerheim is a Colonel of the 52th Nezhinskii Dragoon Regiment (~1906). You might be surprised that this uniform looks surprisingly like Hussar's uniform. But this is understandable, because 52th Nezhinskii Dragoon Regiment was newly created in 1896 and consisted of different Dragoon squads from Cavalry Regiments, which were de facto Hussar's formations during their History. In 1907 52th Nezhinskii Dragoon Regiment was finally renamed into more appropriate 18th Nezhinskii Hussar's Regiment.

[RomanovsFan4Ever]

Thank you very much for the informations.

On the right: Mannerheim is a Colonel of the 52th Nezhinskii Dragoon Regiment (~1906).

So he wore this uniform in Manchuria during the Russo-Japanese war...

[Nicola De Valeron]

So he wore this uniform in Manchuria during the Russo-Japanese war...

You are welcome.

Well, no. On the photo you've posted he is wearing Hussar's uniform (it was taken during ceremonial photoshoot), but during the Russo-Japanese War he was wearing in it's own appropriate Regiment's Dragoon uniform (regulated by military statutes). The 18th Nizhinskii Hussar's Regiment became "actually" Hussar's in 1907 after the Russo-Japanese War.

[Nicola De Valeron]

Another colorized photo of Mannerheim. Photo itself is taken during the Second Soviet-Finnish War, most likely between 1942 and 1944.

Mannerheim here in it's simplified everyday military uniform. Only the main distinguishing features included: unique Marshal (only the honory title) epaulets with collar tabs and also special sign on the left arm with letter "S" (means Suomi).

From the decorations: on the neck - Mannerheim's Cross of the Order of Liberty Cross 1st degree, near the neck on the left side of chest - small ribbon of Orders from different countries and Finland, slightly below Mannerheim's Cross - Third Reich ribbon to the WWI Iron Cross of 2nd degree and on the bottom left - big star for the rather rare Hungarian Order of Merit, Grand Cross with Swords.

[Nicola De Valeron]

Colorized photo of Mannerheim from it's most prosperous part of the Russian period (1909-1917). Photo is colorized according to the Imperial Russian military laws with some little but inevitable mistakes.

Baron Gustaf Karlovich Mannerheim as a Colonel and Commander of the 13th Ulhan's Vladimir Regiment. 1909 (Dislocation - Poland, near Warsaw).

From the main military decorations, from left to right: Order of St. Stanislaus of the 2nd degree with swords, Order of St. Anna of the 2nd degree with swords, Order of St. Vladimir of the 4th degree with swords and Order of the 3rd degree (on the neck).

[Kalafrana]

Since Mannerheim is in full dress I assume that this is a pre-war picture.

Ann

[Nicola De Valeron]

Ann, of course pre-war;).

Btw, if you look carefully, you'll find in the previous post exact date and place: 1909, Poland (or more correctly Polish Principality of the Russian Empire). If more deeply to the theme: I'm sure that this photo was taken just or slightly after Mannerheim's appointment (N-II promised him personally after Mannerheim's traveling to China) as a Commander in the 13th Vladimir Ulhan's Regiment in the first half of 1909 (~Jan-Jul).

[Kalafrana]

That makes sense.

Ann