Page "Risto Ryti" Paragraph 27

By mid-July the front situation was stabilized.

Ryti signed a letter of resignation in which, against his will, he referred among other things to health reasons.

The letter was presented to the cabinet ; and it went into effect 1 August 1944.

The Finnish parliament appointed Mannerheim president in early August 1944.

Peace negotiations could begin again, this time from a stronger position although most territorial gains had been lost by this time.

Probably neither Hitler nor any other German authorities had read Ryti's previous letter carefully enough, because Finland's decision at the start of September 1944 to end its informal military alliance or " brotherhood-in-arms " with Germany surprised and angered the Germans.

None of them probably thought that Ryti would resign any time soon, and thus give his successor a free hand to break ties with Germany and to start peace negotiations with the Soviet Union ( see Martti Turtola, " Risto Ryti: A Life for the Fatherland ", Sakari Virkkunen, " The Finnish Presidents II " and Seppo Zetterberg et al., ed., " A Small Giant of the Finnish History ").