Swedes, he was untouched and rather alienated by Finland's political and cultural development after 1809, which was signified by a high regard for the autocratic Gustavian Constitution of 1772, the fervent anti-Germanic Fennomania and the bloody aftermath of the Civil War. As a foreign minister, Günther favoured policies that were rather in the taste of pro-German Conservatives than of pro-Soviet Radicals. Both during the war and after the Allies' victory, he was the target of criticism, which chiefly argued that the nation's soul would have been better saved by a less indulgent position toward Nazi Germany and a more yielding attitude towards the Allies, even if that had resulted in a German invasion and occupation. Together with his aristocratic appearance and bourgeois upbringing, thatvhas rendered him being sometimes characterized as a conservative. Günther himself would hardly have approved, as he was anardent anti-Nazi; a religious sceptic; and, according to his wife, Ingrid, a cautious supporter of the Social Democratss. Günther, who had distanced himself from the state church by a civil marriage, was buried in a civil funeral. Situation during appointment as Foreign Minister A serious cabinet crisis in Stockholm put an end to his mission in Norway. The failure of Foreign Minister Rickard Sandler's policy, which had been characterized by high-profile diplomatic support for Finland without sufficient agreement from other Social Democratic ministers for concrete military actions outside of Sweden's borders, was starkly illuminated by the run-up to and the outbreak of the Winter War. The cabinet's refusal to authorize even limited military actions for the defence of de-militarized Åland before the war and, even more significantly, the waters between Åland and Stockholm, made Sandler's resignation unavoidable, but it was somewhat postponed because of the tense international situation. The outbreak of the Winter War put Sweden in one of the worst political crises since the secession of Finland in 1809. A strong and vociferous public opinion demanded unlimited solidarity with Finland. However, a broad parliamentary majority opposed not only military support of Finland but also other actions that might put Sweden in danger of an invasion by either Nazi Germany or its ally, the Soviet Union. To overcome the crisis, a National Unity Government was deemed essential, which proved difficult since the Conservative Party, led by Gösta Bagge, supported at least moderately-activist policies for the defence of Finland. To solve the difficulties, it was agreed to appoint a "non-political"