▁defeat ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁became ▁clear , ▁M anner heim ▁was ▁elected ▁President ▁of ▁Finland ▁and ▁o vers aw ▁peace ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁and ▁the ▁UK . ▁He ▁res igned ▁the ▁presiden cy ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁and ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁Finn ish ▁survey ▁ 5 3 ▁years ▁after ▁his ▁death , ▁M anner heim ▁was ▁voted ▁the ▁greatest ▁Finn ▁of ▁all ▁time . ▁Given ▁the ▁broad ▁recognition ▁in ▁Finland ▁and ▁elsewhere ▁of ▁his ▁un par alle led ▁role ▁in ▁establish ing ▁and ▁later ▁pres erving ▁Finland ' s ▁independence ▁from ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁M anner heim ▁has ▁long ▁been ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁father ▁of ▁modern ▁Finland , ▁and ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁capital ▁Hels ink i ' s ▁M anner heim ▁Museum ▁mem orial izing ▁the ▁leader ' s ▁life ▁and ▁times ▁has ▁been ▁called ▁" the ▁closest ▁thing ▁there ▁is ▁to ▁a ▁[ F inn ish ] ▁national ▁shr ine ". ▁In ▁addition , ▁he ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁Finn ▁to ▁have ▁held ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁field ▁mar shal , ▁an ▁honor ary ▁rank ▁best owed ▁upon ▁especially ▁distinguished ▁gener als . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁military ▁career ▁ ▁An c est ry ▁The ▁M anner heim s , ▁originally ▁from ▁Germany , ▁became ▁Swedish ▁no blem en ▁in ▁ 1 6 9 3 . ▁In ▁the ▁latter ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁they ▁moved ▁to ▁Finland , ▁which ▁was ▁then ▁an ▁integral ▁part