▁to ▁come ▁to ▁terms ▁with ▁the ▁severe ▁conditions ▁of ▁the ▁arm ist ice , ▁their ▁implementation ▁by ▁a ▁Soviet - domin ated ▁Al lied ▁Control ▁Commission , ▁and ▁the ▁task ▁of ▁post - war ▁reconst ruction . ▁ ▁Before ▁dec iding ▁to ▁accept ▁the ▁Soviet ▁dem ands , ▁M anner heim ▁wrote ▁a ▁miss ive ▁directly ▁to ▁Hitler : ▁ ▁M anner heim ' s ▁term ▁as ▁president ▁was ▁difficult ▁for ▁him . ▁Although ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁for ▁a ▁full ▁six - year ▁term , ▁he ▁was ▁ 7 7 ▁years ▁old ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁and ▁had ▁accepted ▁the ▁office ▁rel uct antly ▁after ▁being ▁ur ged ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁The ▁situation ▁was ▁ex ac erb ated ▁by ▁frequent ▁periods ▁of ▁ill - he alth , ▁the ▁dem ands ▁of ▁the ▁Al lied ▁Control ▁Commission , ▁and ▁the ▁war ▁responsibility ▁tri als . ▁He ▁was ▁afraid ▁throughout ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁presiden cy ▁that ▁the ▁commission ▁would ▁request ▁that ▁he ▁be ▁pro sec uted ▁for ▁cr imes ▁against ▁peace . ▁This ▁never ▁happened . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁reasons ▁for ▁this ▁was ▁St alin ' s ▁respect ▁for ▁and ▁adm iration ▁of ▁the ▁Marsh al . ▁St alin ▁told ▁a ▁Finn ish ▁deleg ation ▁in ▁Moscow ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁that ▁the ▁Fin ns ▁o we ▁much ▁to ▁their ▁old ▁Marsh al . ▁Due ▁to ▁M anner heim , ▁Finland ▁was ▁not ▁occupied . ▁Despite ▁M anner heim ' s ▁critic isms ▁of ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁dem ands ▁of