page_title: Risto Ryti
section_title: From prime minister to president
hierarchical_section_title: Risto Ryti / Prime minister and president / From prime minister to president
caption_attribution_description: English: Having given the solemn oath, Ryti leaves the parliament building. Svenska: Efter att ha avgett den högtidliga försäkran avlägsnade sig Ryti från riksdagshuset. Suomi: Juhlallisen vakuutuksen annettuaan Ryti poistui eduskunnasta.
context_page_description: Risto Heikki Ryti was the fifth 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. Later he served as president during the Continuation War. After the war, Ryti was the main defendant in the Finnish War-responsibility trials.
context_section_description: Ryti had proved to be a strong prime minister, in contrast to his predecessor Aimo Cajander. President Kallio suffered a stroke in August, and also he had no great experience in foreign policy, so the heavy responsibilities of state leadership were shared by Ryti, Field Marshal C.G.E. Mannerheim, industrialist and general Rudolf Walden, and Tanner. Considering this and the fact Ryti had signed the peace treaty, Ryti became an acceptable figure for the post of president in December 1940 when Kallio resigned.
  The exceptional circumstances, such as the lack of a permanent place of residence for many Karelian refugees (see Turtola, "Risto Ryti:  A Life for the Fatherland" and Virkkunen, "The Finnish Presidents II"), prevented the election of presidential electors, so a constitutional amendment was enacted by the parliament to enable the electors of 1937 to elect a successor to Kallio. Ryti was chosen with 288 votes out of 300.
  On the day of his retirement, 19 December 1940, Kallio suffered a fatal heart attack during a farewell gathering.
caption: Having given the solemn oath on 19 December 1940, Ryti leaves the parliament alone. His predecessor, Kallio, suffered a heart attack and died the same day.
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