▁the ▁first ▁president ial ▁election , ▁with ▁parliament ▁as ▁the ▁elect ors . ▁He ▁was ▁supported ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Co al ition ▁Party ▁and ▁the ▁Swedish ▁People ' s ▁Party . ▁He ▁finished ▁second ▁to ▁K aar lo ▁Ju ho ▁St å hl berg , ▁and ▁with d rew ▁from ▁public ▁life . ▁ ▁Inter war ▁period ▁In ▁the ▁inter war ▁years , ▁M anner heim ▁held ▁no ▁public ▁office . ▁This ▁was ▁largely ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁being ▁seen ▁by ▁many ▁polit icians ▁of ▁the ▁centre ▁and ▁left ▁as ▁a ▁controvers ial ▁figure ▁for ▁his ▁r uth less ▁battle ▁with ▁the ▁B ols he vik s , ▁his ▁supposed ▁desire ▁for ▁Finn ish ▁inter vention ▁on ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁Wh ites ▁during ▁the ▁Russian ▁Civil ▁War , ▁and ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁social ists ' ▁ant ip ath y ▁toward ▁him . ▁They ▁saw ▁him ▁as ▁the ▁b our ge ois ▁" White ▁General ". ▁M anner heim ▁doubt ed ▁that ▁modern ▁party - based ▁politics ▁would ▁produce ▁principle d ▁and ▁high - quality ▁leaders ▁in ▁Finland ▁or ▁elsewhere . ▁In ▁his ▁glo omy ▁opinion , ▁the ▁father land ' s ▁interests ▁were ▁too ▁often ▁sacrific ed ▁by ▁the ▁dem ocr atic ▁polit icians ▁for ▁part isan ▁benefit . ▁ ▁He ▁kept ▁busy ▁heading ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁Red ▁Cross ▁( Ch air man ▁ 1 9 1 9 – 1 9 5 1 ), ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁board ▁of ▁the ▁International ▁Red ▁Cross , ▁and ▁founded ▁the ▁M anner heim ▁League