Finnish Independence
The Russian imperial rule collapsed in the revolution of spring 1917, after which the idea of independence began to gain strength in Finland. After the fall of the Russian Provisional Government, which had taken a negative stance towards discussions on Finnish independence, the Finnish Parliament approved the declaration of independence issued by the Senate on 6.12.1917.
At the end of 1917, there were approximately 40,000 Russian soldiers in Finland. Recognition of independence by Soviet Russia was important, and Finland received it on 4.1.1918. On the same day, Finland and France recognised Finland’s independence, while Germany, which was negotiating peace with Russia, did so a few days later.
The bourgeois parties had gained a majority in Parliament in the autumn 1917 elections after the Russian Provisional Government had dissolved Parliament in the summer. The dissolution had been caused by the Power Act, through which the Finns declared Parliament to be the highest authority in Finland. The declaration of independence was presented to Parliament by the bourgeois Senate led by P. E. Svinhufvud, which also served as the first government of independent Finland until 27.5.1918. During the Civil War, the government operated from Vaasa.
Background and Events of the Civil War
At the end of 1917, Finland was strongly divided into the bourgeois and socialist camps. Finland had gained independence from revolutionary Russia under the leadership of a bourgeois-majority Parliament and Senate. However, there were still 40,000 Russian soldiers in Finland, with whom the revolutionary Finnish groups were also in contact. The workers’ revolution also had domestic causes. Social tensions combined with improved political opportunities enabled radicalisation, which eventually led to armed conflict.
The roots of both the Civil Guards and the Red Guards went back to the General Strike of 1905. During 1917, they were established at an accelerating pace. Jaegers who had arrived from Germany before the main force also participated in organising the Civil Guards. At the end of January 1918, there were approximately 40,000 members of the Civil Guards, but rifles were available for only 9,000 men. The Red Guards numbered approximately 30,000, armed with 15,000 rifles. Rifles for the Civil Guards were supplied from Germany, while the Red Guards received theirs from Russia. There were still approximately 20,000 Russian soldiers in Finland, but their number continued to decrease during the winter.
In Helsinki, a red lantern was raised to the tower of the Workers’ Hall on 26.1 as a sign of the beginning of the revolution. Southern Finland quickly came largely under Red control, while White forces concentrated in Ostrobothnia. During the early hours of 28.1, the Whites began disarming Russian garrisons in Southern Ostrobothnia. On the same day, the Senate announced in newspapers that the Civil Guards were government forces commanded by General Mannerheim. The weapons obtained from the garrisons were of great importance to the Whites. In addition to rifles and machine guns, 37 artillery pieces were acquired. The Civil Guards could be transformed into a White army.
Until the middle of February, military operations consisted of scattered and local clashes. On 18.2, general conscription was introduced on the White side, and the Jaegers arrived in Vaasa on 25.2. They provided the conscription army with skilled instructors and leaders.
War of Liberation, Revolution, Civil War...
The war that lasted from January to May 1918 has been given many different names depending on the perspective. The war began in Ostrobothnia as the disarmament of Russian garrisons, as the Whites’ War of Liberation and, on the Red side, as a revolution and rebellion. The war developed into a civil war: in a socially divided Finland, Finns fought against each other. The active involvement of Russian soldiers ultimately remained relatively limited. Another common name is the Civil War. The term Class War emphasises the differing social perspectives of the opposing sides. However, the division was not clear-cut: the White Army also included people with working-class backgrounds. The war is also referred to as the War of 1918 and the Brothers’ War.