The Finnish Civil War was a civil war in Finland in 1918 fought for the leadership and control of the country between White Finland and the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic during the country's transition from a grand duchy ruled by the Russian Empire to a fully independent state. The clashes took place in the context of the national, political, and social turmoil caused by World War I in Europe. The war was fought between the Red Guards, led by a section of the Social Democratic Party, and the White Guards, conducted by the senate and those who opposed socialism with assistance late in the war by the German Imperial Army at the request of the Finnish civil government. The paramilitary Red Guards, which were composed of industrial and agrarian workers, controlled the cities and industrial centres of southern Finland. The paramilitary White Guards, which consisted of land owners and those in the middle and upper classes, controlled rural central and northern Finland, and were led by General C. G. E. Mannerheim.
The White Guard, officially known as the Civil Guard, was a voluntary militia, part of the Finnish Whites movement, that emerged victorious over the socialist Red Guards in the Finnish Civil War of 1918. They were generally known as the "White Guard" in the West due to their opposition to the "communist" Red Guards. In the White Army of Finland many participants were recruits, draftees and German-trained Jägers – rather than part of the paramilitary. The central organization was named the White Guard Organization, and the organization consisted of local chapters in municipalities.
The Red Guards were the paramilitary units of the labour movement in Finland during the early 1900s. The Red Guards formed the army of Red Finland and were one of the main belligerents of the Finnish Civil War in 1918.
The Battle of Tampere was a 1918 Finnish Civil War battle, fought in Tampere, Finland from 15 March to 6 April between the Whites and the Reds. It is the most famous and the heaviest of all the Finnish Civil War battles. Today it is particularly remembered for its bloody aftermath as the Whites executed hundreds of capitulated Reds and took 11,000 prisoners who ended up in the Kalevankangas camp.
The Whites, or White Finland, is the nickname used to refer to the refugee and provisional government following the October Revolution and those forces who fought for and under Pehr Evind Svinhufvud's first senate, who were opposed to the "Reds", or the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic, during the Finnish Civil War or the 'Finnish War of Independence', as it is often called by the Whites, in 1918.
The Battle of Barnaul was a series of engagements from 13 June to 15 June 1918, during the Russian Civil War. The battle involved several; different factions in the Siberian region. The Red Guards and White movement were the main combatants.
The Battle of Helsinki was a 1918 Finnish Civil War battle, fought on 12–13 April by the German troops and Finnish Whites against the Finnish Reds in Helsinki, Finland. Together with the battles of Tampere and Vyborg, it was one of the three major urban battles of the Finnish Civil War. The Germans invaded Helsinki despite the opposition of Finnish White Army leader Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim who wanted to attack the capital city with his own troops after Tampere had fallen on 6 April. However, the Germans had their own interest in taking Helsinki as quickly as possible and then moving further east towards the Russian border. The city had been under Red control for 11 weeks since the beginning of the war.
The Battle of Viipuri was a 1918 Finnish Civil War battle, fought 24–29 April between the Finnish Whites and the Finnish Reds in Viipuri. Together with the Battle of Tampere and Battle of Helsinki, it was one of the three major urban battles of the Finnish Civil War. The battle is also remembered because of its bloody aftermath, as the Whites executed up to 400 non-aligned military personnel and civilians of Russian and associated ethnicities.
Battle of Varkaus was a battle of the 1918 Finnish Civil War, fought 19–21 February between the Finnish Whites and the Finnish Reds in Varkaus, Leppävirta. The victory was important for the Whites, giving them control of all of Northern Finland. The battle is best known for the bloody Lottery of Huruslahti held afterwards, where the Whites executed up to 180 Reds who had surrendered.
Battle of Rautu was a 1918 Finnish Civil War battle, fought in Rautu, Finland from 21 February to 5 April 1918 between the Finnish Whites and the Finnish Reds supported by the Russian Bolsheviks.
Battle of Antrea was a Finnish Civil War battle, fought in Antrea and Jääski, Finland from 11 February to 25 April 1918 between the Finnish Whites and the Finnish Reds.
Battle of Lahti was a 1918 Finnish Civil War battle, fought from 19 April to 1 May by the German troops and Finnish Whites against the Finnish Reds in Lahti, Finland. Together with the Battle of Viipuri, from 24 to 29 April, it was the last major battle of the war.
The Invasion of Åland was a 1918 military campaign of World War I in Åland, Finland. The islands, still hosting Soviet Russian troops, were first invaded by Sweden in late February and then by the German Empire in early March. The conflict was also related to the Finnish Civil War including minor fighting between the Finnish Whites and the Finnish Reds.
All-female units of the paramilitary Red Guards served in the 1918 Finnish Civil War. The first Women's Guards units formed in early February in the main Finnish cities. More than 15 female Guards units were established by the end of March 1918, with a total of about 2,000 women serving. The female Guards units consisted of young industrial workers, maids, and servants. Their average age was about 20, but some were as young as 14. The women served in auxiliary units in combat.
The Battle of Kämärä was a 1918 Finnish Civil War battle fought at the Kämärä railway station on 27 January 1918 between the Whites and the Reds. The battle began as a White Guard battalion from Vyborg attacked Kämärä on its march to the White-controlled side of the Karelian Isthmus. After taking the village, the Whites ambushed a Red train carrying a large cargo of weapons from Saint Petersburg, but were finally forced to leave the scene as they ran out of ammunition. The Battle of Kämärä is considered to be the first battle of the Civil War, although some minor incidents had occurred throughout January.
The Battle of Länkipohja was a Finnish Civil War battle fought in the village of Länkipohja on 16 March 1918 between the Finnish Whites and the Finnish Reds. Together with the battles fought in Kuru, Ruovesi and Vilppula between 15 and 18 March, the Battle of Länkipohja was one of the first military operations related to the Battle of Tampere, which was the decisive battle of the Finnish Civil War. The battle is known for its bloody aftermath as the Whites executed 70–100 capitulated Reds. One of the executions was photographed and the images have become one of the best known pictures of the Finnish Civil War.
Battle of Vilppula was a Finnish Civil War battle fought in Vilppula and Ruovesi, Finland from 31 January to 18 March 1918 between the Whites and the Reds. Due to its location by the Tampere–Haapamäki railway, Vilppula was a gateway to the White-controlled Central Finland. The Reds were aiming to reach Haapamäki, 25 kilometres north of Vilppula, which was a vital junction of the east–west railways connecting the regions of Ostrobothnia, Häme and Karelia. From Haapamäki, the Reds would be able to reach the White stronghold in Southern Ostrobothnia, including their capital Vaasa. However, the attack along the railway was stopped in the beginning of February. The Reds now turned their attention to the village of Väärinmaja in order to reach Vilppula from southwest by the road connecting Ruovesi and Vilppula. This offensive also failed, and finally on 15 March, the Whites launched their own offensive and the Reds retreated south to defend the city of Tampere.
The Battle of Ruovesi was a major battle during the Finnish Civil War and on the Eastern Front of World War I fought in Ruovesi, Finland from 5 February to 19 March 1918 between the Whites and the Reds with support for the latter from Russian volunteers.
The Battle of Ahvenkoski was fought during the Finnish Civil War between 10 April and 5 May 1918 at Ahvenkoski, Finland between the German Empire and the Red Guards of the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic, more commonly known as Red Finland. For most of the battle both sides occupied trenches along the Kymi river. Ahvenkoski and the surrounding Kymi valley region were the last strongholds of the Reds. The battle ended with the surrender of the last of the Red Guards on 5 May, which ended the war with White Finland and Germany defeating Red Finland.
The Battle of Oulu refers to a battle between the Whites and the Reds in the port city of Oulu during the Finnish Civil War. The battle took place on 3 February 1918.
Finnish Whites 
Swedish Brigade 
Finnish Reds 
Russian Garrison