Editing Risto Ryti (section)

=== Ryti–Ribbentrop Agreement ===
At the same time, the German foreign minister, [[Joachim von Ribbentrop]] arrived in Finland {{date?}} on an unexpected visit. He called the Finnish government to commit itself to continue to fight against the Soviet Union. In return he promised [[military aid]]. Ryti had wanted parliament to decide on the matter. Mannerheim proposed the sending of a private letter. Finally, Ryti and Mannerheim compromised. The creation of a private letter from Ryti of the kind Mannerheim had envisioned was dealt with at a meeting of the [[Finnish Council of State|Council of State]]. The compromise satisfied the Germans, and they expanded their military and food assistance.{{sfnp|Turtola|2000|page=412}} The military assistance helped the Finns stop the Red Army in the [[battle of Tali-Ihantala]]. Afterwards, the letter was named the [[Ryti–Ribbentrop Agreement]].

By mid-July the front situation was stabilized. Ryti signed a letter of resignation in which, against his will, he referred among other things to health reasons. The letter was presented to the cabinet; and it went into effect 4 August 1944. The Finnish parliament appointed Mannerheim president in early August 1944.{{sfnp|Turtola|2000|page=412}} Peace negotiations could begin again, this time from a stronger position although most territorial gains had been lost by this time. Probably neither Hitler nor any other German authorities had read Ryti's previous letter carefully enough, because Finland's decision at the start of September 1944 to end its informal military alliance or "brotherhood-in-arms" with Germany surprised and angered the Germans. Probably none of them thought that Ryti would resign soon, and thus give his successor a free hand to break ties with Germany and to start peace negotiations with the Soviet Union.{{sfnp|Turtola|1994}}{{sfnp|Virkkunen|1994}}<ref>{{Cite book
  |editor=Seppo Zetterberg |display-editors=etal 
  |trans-title=A Small Giant of the Finnish History
  |title=Suomen historian pikkujättiläinen
  |publisher=Werner Söderström Publishing  |location=Helsinki
  |language=fi
  |year=2003
  }}</ref>