The Red Insurrection in Finland in 1918/Part 1
THE PRELUDE.
On the 27th January, 1918, "Finland's Working-men's Executive Committee" announced that Finland's working-men had proceeded to revolution, that the lawful government had been overthrown, and that all power in Finland had now passed over to the organised working-men and their revolutionary organs.
Hereby the civil war was declared which was to ravage Finland's soil and demand such painful sacrifices. The revolutionaries—the "Red"—and their Russian allies succeeded in taking possession of the southern parts of the country and the largest cities here. But in the north the loyal citizens—the "White"—took up arms to free the country from the rebels. They cleared the whole of North Finland and marched towards the south. A long front was formed, beginning at the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, running in a wide sweep round Tammerfors and on to the east, going on the south side of St. Michel to the river Vuoksen, and ending south of the latter's outfall in lake Ladoga by the Finno-Russian frontier. It was not, however, until the middle of March that the "White" army was ready to proceed to a serious offensive, and by the first days of April, with the assistance of volunteers from Sweden, it had broken up the main forces of the "Red" and conquered Tammerfors. At the same time a German relief expedition, called in by the Finnish Government, landed at Hangö, and after a quick advance took the capital, Helsingfors. Now defeat followed upon defeat for the "Red" army, and at the beginning of May the insurrection was definitely subdued. The leaders of the revolutionaries had fled to Russia, and more than 70,000 men of their army had been captured by the victors. The most ignominious and bloodiest episode in the history of Finland was hereby closed.
What was the meaning of this revolution and this insurrection? What were its wishes, what its aims, and what caused it These questions will be quite briefly answered in the present little volume. Any complete statement cannot, of course, as yet be given, and least of all can there be any attempt at an historical account of the war. But it has seemed necessary already now to give interested people abroad a description of the psychology of the movement based upon reliable documents—and exclusively on such. This is attained partly by examining the causes of the revolution and the preparations for it, and partly by acquainting oneself with the conception of the "Red" themselves as it is revealed in the accounts and evidence in their papers, of which a great deal have fortunately been found which are of invaluable benefit for the history of the insurrection.
*****
This account was written at the suggestion of persons who have been in close touch with the events. While I was doing service in one of the offices established for winding up the affairs of the insurrection, I was enabled to carry out this task, and obtain an insight into all the documents hitherto brought to light, through the friendly assistance of Senator A. Frey and the courtesy of the chiefs and the staff. For this I desire to express my grateful acknowledgments.