independence and the civil war

• The Second Period of Russification or Oppression took place

  1909-1917
• The Second Period of Russification or Oppression boosted nationalistic tendencies in the Finnish parliament, active from 1907
• The February Revolution


  1917
• The February Revolution 1917 resulted in the Tsar being gone and the Provisional Government coming to power
• The October Revolution


  1917
• The October Revolution 1917 resulted in the Provisional Government being gone and the Bolsheviks coming to power
• The Finnish parliament declared itself as the highest political authority in the country


  November 1917
• Independence declared (the declaration of independence drafted by the government was approved by the parliament on that day)

  6th December 1917
• Finland's independence was recognized by Lenin's Bolshevik government


  31st December 1917
• Border states


  Separated from Russia
• Recognition by foreign governments
• Civil War


  • Fought between the Reds (Red Guards) and the Whites (White Guards/Army)
  • Occurred in the spring of 1918
• The Reds


  Gained some military support from Russia
• The Whites


  Gained some military support from Germany (+ Finnish Jaegers trained in Germany)
• Economic factor


  The whites were mainly well-to-do people, the red were poor 🡪 'class war'
• Share-croppers wanted to own their land


  • New land law to be issued 🡪 'tenant-farmers' rebellion'
• There were 100,000 Russian soldiers in Finland


  'liberation war'
• Finnish government declared as the highest authority in the country

  War of independence
• The industrial workers were fighting for their rights


  'the red rebellion', 'class war', 'revolution'
• Hardships brought by the war: inflation, shortages
• Parliamentary reform in 1906


  Foundation for democracy
• Nationalism


  • Started as a cultural movement
  • Developed into separatism (was a small group)
• Results of long-term development and actions by Finns

  • Parliamentary reform in 1906
  • Autonomy (self-governance)
  • Nationalism
  • Learning for independence
  • 2000 jäegers, military educated from Germany
• Reasons for Russian revolutions of 1917

  • WWI
  • Economic problems
  • Chaotic nature of the central government
  • No more resources to control border areas