THE CIVIL WAR (28.1­16.5.1918)
• The absence of a Finnish army or police force resulted in the establishment of various armed groups ­ white (civil) and red guards. By the end of 1917 the white guards numbered 40 000 and the red 30 000
• The government was 12.1 empowered by the parliament to create a 'strong police authority. The task was handed over to Mannerheim
• 25.1.1918 he declared the civil guards to be government troops
• The war broke out 27­28.1 simultaneously but independently in three different places (Ostrobothnia, Helsinki and Viipuri)
• The Red guards occupied key offices in Helsinki and took control of the urban southern Finland
• The whites declared Vaasa the capital of White Finland and controlled Finland north of Tampere
Mannerheim
Red troops about 100 000. 70 000 engaged in battles. The white forces 70 000.
Red­Paid (Lego)army
White­Conscriptions
Kullervo Manner
Mar 10­20:53
THE RED FINLAND
• Objectives; a parliamentary democracy (not proletarian dictatorship) based on the principle of the sovereignty of the people­not very radical
Red Army
• incompetent leadership
• shortage of arms
• some russian volunters
• no official Russian assistance
• lack of capital
The civil war was short but bloody
• The Red Terror (1600)
• The White Terror (8300)
• The Prisoncamps (12000)
• Casualties of the fighting
Red­3500, White­3200
White Army
• 'russian' officers
• jaegers in late February
• Capital
• Swedish voluntars
• Germany (von der Goltz)
mar 17­12:25
THE FINNISH MONARCHY
After the civil war, a struggle broke out between monarchists and republicans over what was the rightful form of government for Finland, and this badly split the ranks of the bourgeois parties.
THE MONARCHISTS
• Svinhufvud (temporary regent)
• Paasikivi (chairman of the gov.)
• Had lost the confidence of a republican constitution
• Wanted a strong and uninterrupted leadership
• 1772 constitution allowed the parliament to choose a new monarchial family in case the former had vanished
mar 17­08:04
THE REPUBLICANS
• Ståhlberg
• Finland declared a republic
• The 'rump'parliament (111/200)
mar 17­12:47
mar 17­12:37
FINLAND'S KING
• Friedrich Karl of Hessen
• German connections and dependance
• Germany's defeat in the Great War placed Finland in an embarressing situation
• The Entente powers interrupted the diplomatic relations with Finland
• Friedrich luckily abdicated in early december
• Svinhufvud resigned and Mannerheim became temporary regent
mar 17­13:00
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1919 ­ back to normal life
• Parliamentaryelections in march resulting in a representative parliament
• Ståhlberg elected first president by the parliament
mar 22­19:46
• Political kidnappings (kyyditykset)
• The 'Farmers march'
• The 'Mäntsälä rebellion'
• IKL
• Language struggle
• The prohibition law (1919­1932)
mar 22­19:57
The Geneveconvention 1921 (10 states)
• Autonomy (under the League's protection)
• Demilitarized zone (no army nor conscription)
• Own national symbols (e.g flag, stamp)
• native property rights (hembygdsrätt)
• Worsened relations with Sweden
• Orientation towards the Baltic
• Language struggle's
• Trust in the League of Nations
mar 22­20:11
THE DOMESTIC SCENE BETWEEN THE WARS
• Continued political polarisation after the civil war
• Antidemocratic radical rightwingmovements inspired by european fascism
• The Worlddepression 1929
• Exportpeace
• AKS
• The Lapuamovement
mar 22­19:51
FOREIGN POLICY DURING THE INTERWAR PERIOD
THE ÅLANDCONTROVERSY
• background; The 1st WW, The civil war, The languge struggle, Wilson's 14 point programme, Russia
• Åland's motives
• Sweden's motives
• Finland's motives
mar 22­20:06
RELATIONS WITH SU­RUSSIA
• The civilwars in Finland and SU­
Russia
• Finnish expeditions to eastern Carelia (Aunus 1919)
• Finnish volunters in the Estonian civil war
• Mannerheim
THE TARTU PEACE TREATY
• The Baltic states, Poland and Finland negotiated with SU concerning peace and borders
mar 22­20:17
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• 14.10.1920
• The independence recognized
• Petsamo
• 'Peace of Shame' or 'A to generous Peace'
• Relations with SU remained cold
• 1932 a traty of friendship due to detoriarating global political situation. The confidence with the League dropped
• The pro­German attitudes of Finland affected SU relations THE WINTER WAR
• The European development 1933­39
• The fall of 1938, 'The Yartsevnegotiations'
• SU proposed a lease of finnish territories in order to strengthen the security of Leningrad
• The Molotov­ribbentro pact 23.8.39
• 5.10.39 ­ SU proposed changes of the border in the carelian isthmus, Hanko and the Islands of the Gulf of Finland
• The Mainila shooting
• SU breaks off all diplomatic contacts
• 30.11.39 ­ THE WINTER WAR mar 22­20:29
mar 22­20:34
THE WINTER WAR
• SU offensive from land, sea, air
• The League of Nations assmbeled for the last time and expelled SU and recommended collective aid and assistance to Finland
• The Finnish army poorly equipped. Mannerheim commander in chief
• Kallio replaced by Ryti as president
• The Winter War spirit after the first 'defensive victories'
• Finnish strengths versus Su weaknesses
• French and British military aid
• The War children
• 13.3.40 The Moscow peace treaty
• 'Interim peace'
THE CONTINUATION WAR
• Improved militarysituation compared to the Winter War
• 3 phases; 1) Offensive, 2) Positional and 3) Retreat
1) Lost territory of the Winterwar reconquered. Su territory conquered ­ opinions divided in Finland
2) Germany's requests (Murmansk and Leningrad) were not met. Finland in War with Britain but the allied powers did treat Finland as separated from Germany.
After Germany's defeats 1942­43 the idea of a separate peace developed,
mar 22­20:50
mar 22­20:58
• The Peace recoinneterings were difficult as Germnay also was a threat to Finland. Finland dependant of German military aid. When the germans heard of peacetalks they broke off all aid. SU major offensive during the summer of 1944. A ockupation of Finland very close.
• 26.6.44 the Ryti­Ribbentro pact which secured the Finnish military positions. SU turned the focus on Germany. 1.8, Ryti resigned and was replaced with Mannerheim. • 4.9 truce and 19.9 armistice
mar 22­21:16
• The Lapland war, Finland's heavely reduced army (38 000) forced to combat and drive out Germany's troops (200 000). Continued to april ­45.
• The Controlcommission
• The Paris Peace Treaty 1947
• Heavy losses
mar 22­21:23
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