War Red Guards (Finland)

red guard fighters in ruovesi.

as war started on 27 january, red guards occupied capital helsinki , largest towns of industrialized southern finland. front line established, stretching gulf of bothnia karelian isthmus, 30–50 kilometres north of pori, tampere, lahti, lappeenranta , vyborg. whites occupied rural northern finland, few red strongholds fell in less 2 weeks without strong resistance. last red occupied town in north varkaus, whites seized on 21 february. in ostrobothnia, central finland, savonia , north karelia regions surrendered reds captured, in lapland, many able flee sweden, norway of soviet russia.

the red military operations divided 3 major theaters; western front (satakunta , häme provinces), middle front (savo province) , eastern front (the vyborg province). northernmost area of western front, located north of tampere, called northern front. red guard general staff worked in helsinki, major subordinate staffs in tampere , vyborg. major railway junction, lahti important town red warfare. large number of units organized , trained there before sent eastern fronts in savo , karelia.

the reds launched 3 major offensives; in beginning of february, 21 february , 10 march. goal achieve east–west railways connecting ostrobothnia, savonia , karelia. access strongest white strongholds white capital of vaasa. however, offensives failed , front line remained in same position february mid-march. on 15 march, whites launched major offensive against reds in northern häme red front collapsed in couple of days. whites able siege tampere, important town in point of red warfare. battle of tampere fought 23 march 6 april. fierce battle of finnish civil war, , @ time, largest urban battle in world. battle of tampere ended mass executions of capitulated reds, 10,000–11,000 captured , thousands fled surrounding areas.

a refugee family captured in lahti.

at same time, german troops landed south coast of finland , launched campaign support whites. on 6 april, red government , red guard general staff left helsinki vyborg. red units in western provinces of satakunta , finland proper given order retreat eastern finland. intention re-organize troops behind river kymijoki, plan never realized. instead, order caused mass exodus of refugees tens of thousands of red guard fighters, family members , other red supporters fled towards east.

as germans seized helsinki on 13 april, 8,000 local reds surrendered. thousands of others uusimaa province joined refugee column coming west. in 2 weeks, more 100,000 red refugees headed east, in order flee soviet russia. 12,000 managed cross border, while of remaining captured. in late april, 30,000 civilians , red fighters fell hands of german , white troops in lahti. captured first placed @ fellman camp, , transferred various prison camps across southern finland. of women , children released, however, 200–600 red women executed , hundreds of others moved other prison camps. last major battle took place in vyborg, whites occupied on 29 april. last remaining red stronghold in kymenlaakso province reds surrendered germans on 6 may.

between 23 march , 18 april, clashes occurred in remote eastern lapland. karelian nationalist iivo ahava fighting against whites launched viena expedition in order annex russian white karelia newly independent finland. ahava formed red guard unit in russian town of kandalaksha of reds had fled lapland. 2 other finnish red guards formed in knyazhaya guba , kem. in mid-march, these units had 2,500 men. ahava managed stop whites , eager attack rear in northern finland. however, red leaders not interested in supporting him considered war determined in populated areas of south.