Originally written JUNE 22ND, 2005
BY EDWIN COONEY
It was fascinating to contemplate a couple of weeks ago when Prime Minister Blair of Great Britain visited Washington, as to how close he and President Bush really are. It isn’t easy for many to believe that the erudite Tony Blair and the shy George Bush could really be as tight personally as they seem to be politically. Believing as I do that the human dynamic has a lot to do with how effectively human events are handled, I’m certain that personal relationships among our leaders matter more than is often apparent.
The 1979 Middle East peace agreement might have been impossible had not Mr. Sadat and Mr. Begin trusted Jimmy Carter as an objective broker. Nixon and Brezhnev apparently spent much of their time together taking one another’s measure, thus real friendship between them was quite unlikely. But both being of a rather suspicious nature, realism probably mattered more than friendship during the days of detentes. F.D.R. and Churchill’s friendship was cordial, but more so on Winston’s side. In recent years scholars have uncovered information that it took F.D.R. a bit of time to warm up to Churchill. In 1918, while on a trip to Britain and Europe as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, young Roosevelt had attempted to be friendly with Britain’s Minister of munitions, but Mr. Churchill apparently snubbed him. But, the emergency brought on by war brought out the best in their genial natures and they thus formed an alliance that is surely the cornerstone of Mr. Blair’s and Mr. Bush’s understanding today.
One of Mr. Churchill’s friendships is most fascinating to contemplate on this June 22nd. Sixty-four years ago today, Prime Minister Churchill, in a world broadcast from the B.B.C., announced Germany’s invasion of Russia. In his firm, bulldog baritone growl, after calling Hitler a “bloodthirsty guttersnipe", he told the British Empire and the rest of the world that despite all of the bad things he had said about Communism, and which he would not now “unsay,” Britain would go to the aid of Soviet Russia. Then he said most firmly: “…Any man or state who fights against Nazism will haveour aid. Any man or state who marches with Hitler is our foe…”
Well maybe, but perhaps not really!
What Mr. Churchill didn’t announce to the Empire and to the world was that a friend of his that day had become a foe: the Soviet Union was also invaded that day by Finland. Carl Gustaf Emil von Mannerheim was Finland’s most courageous and skillful Defense Minister and military strategist. He and Churchill had much in common, especially friendship. Both were aristocrats. Both had been rejected by their fellow countrymen when they wanted desperately to serve during a time of national crisis. Largely due to von Mannerheim’s skill and patriotism, Finland had valiantly fought to a stalemate the vastly superior invading Soviet army in the Russo-Finnish war of 1939-40. Churchill had paid a most eloquent tribute to the Finns in a November 1939 broadcast. Asserting that the service Finland was rendering to mankind was “magnificent,” he went on to say that Finland had exposed for all the world to see the military incapacity of the Red Army and the Red Air Force. “…Many illusions about Soviet Russia have been dispelled in these few fierce weeks of fighting in the Arctic circle,” said Churchill. “Everyone can see how Communism rots the soul of a nation. How it makes it abject and hungry in peace and leaves it base and abominable in war.”
Winston Churchill’s admiration for Finland no doubt had much to do with his high regard for Carl von Mannerheim. He had visited Churchill during the 1920s when both were out of power. No doubt they shared many experiences, kindred interests and viewpoints. But now, on this June 22nd 1941, Carl von Mannerheim had, along with Hitler, invaded Russia. So highly did the German government regard Winston Churchill’s friend Carl von Mannerheim, that Adolph Hitler, who seldom left German territory, visited Finland to celebrate the great Finn’s 75th birthday on June 4th, 1942. A few weeks later, although the aristocratic von Mannerheim had little personal regard for the “low born Hitler,” he repaid Hitler’s June visit with one to East Prussia. But that was it. There would be no concentration camps in Finland. Carl von Manerheim was a patriot, not a Nazi, and Churchill, no doubt, understood the difference. After all, von Mannerheim had fought Russia during the time of the Stalin-Hitler non-aggression pact. Surely it pained Winston Churchill, a loyal and sentimental man, that June 22nd when officially his friend became a foe.
Did it matter ultimately that they were friends? Decide for yourself.
Elected president of Finland in 1944, the practical von Mannerheim made peace with Russia and broke with Hitler. No British or Russian troops would cross Finnish borders while von Mannerheim was that nation’s president. Age, ill health, and a desire to live the good life in Switzerland, not allied retribution, were the reasons von Mannerheim left office in 1946. Out of office together once more, no doubt Winston Churchill and Carl von Mannerheim raised their glasses together once again.
Can the well being of a people be affected by its leader’s personal relationship with another leader? I think so! Is there any doubt that President Bush’s animosity toward Saddam Hussein has had an effect on our well being? Come to think of it, what may matter most is not how our national leaders feelabout one another. What may be most significant to our fate is WHY they think as they do.
Respectfully Submitted,
Edwin Cooney