▁stood ▁fifteen ▁years ▁ago ". ▁M anner heim ▁supported ▁Finland ' s ▁military ▁industry ▁and ▁sought ▁in ▁vain ▁to ▁obtain ▁a ▁military ▁defence ▁union ▁with ▁Sweden . ▁However , ▁re arm ing ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁army ▁did ▁not ▁occur ▁as ▁swift ly ▁or ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁he ▁hoped , ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁enthus i astic ▁about ▁a ▁war . ▁He ▁had ▁many ▁disag re ements ▁with ▁various ▁Cab in ets , ▁and ▁signed ▁many ▁letters ▁of ▁res ignation . ▁ ▁Commander - in - Ch ief ▁ ▁When ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁failed ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁M anner heim ▁with d rew ▁his ▁res ignation ▁on ▁ 1 7 ▁October . ▁At ▁age ▁ 7 2 , ▁he ▁became ▁commander - in - ch ief ▁of ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁armed ▁forces ▁after ▁the ▁Soviet ▁attack ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁November . ▁In ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁his ▁daughter ▁Soph ie , ▁he ▁stated , ▁" I ▁had ▁not ▁wanted ▁to ▁undert ake ▁the ▁responsibility ▁of ▁commander - in - ch ief , ▁as ▁my ▁age ▁and ▁my ▁health ▁entitled ▁me , ▁but ▁I ▁had ▁to ▁yield ▁to ▁appe als ▁from ▁the ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ▁and ▁the ▁government , ▁and ▁now ▁for ▁the ▁fourth ▁time ▁I ▁am ▁at ▁war ." ▁ ▁He ▁addressed ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁his ▁often ▁controvers ial ▁orders ▁of ▁the ▁day ▁to ▁the ▁Def ence ▁Forces ▁on ▁the ▁day ▁the ▁war ▁began : ▁▁ ▁The ▁def ensive ▁field ▁fort ifications ▁they ▁man ned ▁became