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Risto Ryti

File:Risto_Ryti,_presidentti.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Risto Ryti

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Also known as Risto Heikki Ryti

President of Finland (1889–1956)

AI overview

Risto Ryti was the President of Finland from 1940 to 1944, serving during World War II when the country faced invasion and had to navigate complex political decisions to survive. He is a significant figure in Finnish history because his leadership during this critical period helped shape the nation's path through the war and its aftermath.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Prime minister
Jukka Rangell , Edwin Linkomies
Preceded by
Kyösti Kallio
Succeeded by
Gustaf Mannerheim
President
Kyösti Kallio
Born
Risto Heikki Ryti , ( 1889-02-03 ) 3 February 1889, Huittinen , Grand Duchy of Finland , Russian Empire
Died
25 October 1956 (1956-10-25) (aged 67), Helsinki , Finland
Party
National Progressive
Spouse
Gerda Ryti (née Serlachius)
Children
Henrik Ryti, Niilo Ryti, Eva Saxén (née Ryti)

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Instance of
human
Given name
Henrik
Gender
male
Place of birth
Huittinen
Place of death
Helsinki
Occupation
banker
Languages spoken
English language
Native language
Finnish
Religion
Lutheranism
Image
Risto Ryti.jpg
Work location
Helsinki
Show 8 more facts
place of burial
Hietaniemi cemetery
Commons category
Risto Ryti
date of birth
1889-02-03
date of death
1956-10-25
Commons gallery
Risto Ryti
name in native language
Risto Ryti
birth name
Risto Heikki Ryti
Sources (9)

via Wikidata · CC0

~40 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Risto Heikki Ryti ( Finnish pronunciation: [ˈristo ˈhei̯kːi ˈryti]; 3 February 1889 – 25 October 1956) was a Finnish politician who served as the president of Finland from 1940 to 1944. Ryti started his career as a politician in the field of economics and as a political background figure during the interwar period. He made a wide range of international contacts in the world of banking and within the framework of the League of Nations. Ryti served as prime minister during the Winter War and the Interim Peace, and as president during the Continuation War.

Ryti penned the 1944 Ryti–Ribbentrop Agreement – named after himself and Joachim von Ribbentrop – a personal letter to Nazi German Führer Adolf Hitler whereby Ryti agreed not to reach a separate peace in the Continuation War against the Soviet Union without approval from Nazi Germany, in order to secure German military aid to stop the Soviet Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive against Finland. His resignation soon afterwards allowed his successor, Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, to bypass the agreement and make peace with the Soviet Union once the offensive had been stopped.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Risto Ryti” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (12)