Whites (Finland)

The decision of the Soviet of the People's Comissars' to recognise Finnish independence, signed by Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Grigory Petrovsky, Joseph Stalin, Isaac Steinberg, Vladimir Karelin and Alexander Schlichter.

White Finland was established as a provisional government following the collapse of the Monarchy in Russia and the formation of the Soviet-Russia, with the recognition of Vladimir Lenin and other prominent Bolshevik officials in Russia.

The Whites had no clear political aims in common, other than stopping the communist revolutionary Reds from taking power and returning to constitutional rule by the Senate (the government of the Grand Duchy of Finland) which was formed by the non-socialist parties of the Eduskunta (parliament) and returning to the Rule of Law. The provisional head of state of White Finland was Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, chairman of the senate at the time, and it's military was commanded by Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim.

The Conservative Senate government was supported by the remnants of the Finnish Legion stationed along the eastern front.[1] This emerged as the paramilitary White Guard, Jäger troops, and were expanded with the addition of volunteers and drafted peasants, as well as the political right, separatist-minded from Russia. The Jägers were recruited by Imperial Germany between 1914 and 1917 for military training, even participating alongside their German benefactors, in combat against the Russian forces on the Eastern Front, before returning to Finland for the upcoming civil war.[2] Because Russia did not draft Finns for combat duties, their experience as First World War veterans had significant impact during the war. They received arms and equipment matching those of regular German troops, and sporadic further military support from the German Empire.

The Whites' campaign was initially challenged by the goal of capturing the Varkaus industrial center.[3] The 1,200 Red guardsmen defending the city finally surrendered after the invading troops secured the surrounding areas.[3] This battle was one of the turning points of the civil war since it gave the Whites control of the northern part of Finland. The success of the campaign is attributed to the White's better equipment, organization, and unity.[4]

By February 1917, Finland was already divided with the Whites controlling the area north of Pori, Tampere, Lahti, Lappeenranta, and Viipuri while the urban areas to the south were under the Red zone.[4] With the assistance of the Germans under General Rüdiger von der Goltz, the Whites were able to capture Helsinki and Tampere until the Reds finally fled to Soviet Russia in April[4] and the victors inherited the borders of the former Grand Duchy. The initial frontlines were established rather quickly, and over the course of the war, Whites reclaimed all Finnish territory. The Finnish constitution of 1919 established the modern Republic of Finland, and the Treaty of Tartu between Finland and Russia (1920) confirmed the outcome. Thus, the Republic of Finland is the sole successor of White Finland.

• Finnish Civil War
• White Guards (Finland)