1917 re-establishment Red Guards (Finland)

1 1917 re-establishment

1.1 february revolution
1.2 workers order guards
1.3 drift toward war

1917 re-establishment
february revolution

worker s militia in turku suburb of maaria during general strike of may 1917.

the red guards re-established during 1917 russian revolution result of dispute on law enforcement , general turmoil in grand duchy of finland. after february revolution, russian controlled police force lost status in finland. law enforcement first moved russian military turned on local labour organizations. established unarmed units temporary , had no further revolutionary goals. finally, new people s militia organized in late march in 17 largest finnish towns. political right did not accept new arrangement , senate formed committee solve dispute. on 18 july, so-called ″power law″ passed in social democratic majority parliament. power enact laws transferred saint petersburg helsinki , senate parliament. law have enabled purely social democratic government formed in consequence of position party gained in 1916 election. russian provisional government refused approve law , co-operation of finnish bourgeois parties dissolved parliament. in october 1917 election, social democratic party lost majority, although remained largest party 92 seats. senate disbanded people s militia , established police force left-wing , labour activists not allowed join.

workers order guards

the food shortage launched large number of agricultural strikes during summer of 1917. on 13 july, violent clash between striking farm workers , employers occurred in western finnish municipality of huittinen. incident seen beginning of events led civil war in january 1918. after huittinen riot, right-wing farmers in satakunta province started forming protection guards , followed in other parts of country. labour movement responded establishing workers order guards. october, guards formed in 17 towns , 20 rural municipalities, in industrialized areas of turku , pori, uusimaa , viipuri provinces. these units had 7,000–8,000 men. on 20 october, finnish trade union federation urged party , trade union locals establishing workers order guards every corner of country. in next 3 weeks, number of guards increase 237 more 30,000 members. rules of guards published in party newspapers. formation similar common military organization, though commander replaced five-men committee. finland split in 2 sides; middle , upper-classes including wealthy farmers against working-class, poor peasants , landless people. first violent incidents between protective guards , workers order guards occurred during general strike in november 1917. more workers still joining order guards, strike ended on 20 november, number of members 40,000–50,000. newspaperman ali aaltonen, had served lieutenant in imperial russian army, named first commander-in-chief of workers order guards.

a demonstration in turku in march 1917.

the general strike first time workers order guards used nationwide organization. in many places, leading strike, instead of strike committees. guards acting on own, searching food supplies , weapons wealthy houses. right-wing protection corps rather weak, order guards work without resistance. although, in places protection corps took arms resulted in violent clashes, prefiguring oncoming civil war. workers order guards powerful in helsinki armed russian troops. helsinki guard captured couple of hundred people , invaded house of estates, prevented senate working. leaders of social democratic party strictly condemned kind of action, insisting militant guards must taken under party control. after general strike, first congress of worker s order guards held in tampere workers hall in 16–18 december 1917. new rules adopted in meeting, guards under unconditional authority of social democratic party , trade union federation.

drift toward war

after finland gained independence soviet russia on 6 december 1917, disagreement , discontent still growing. incidents occurred across country striking workers , order guards clashed protection corps , right-wing bourgeoisie. unemployed demonstrators surrounded town hall 2 days in vyborg , in tampere, city council captured local workers order guard. in turku, order guard occupied town officies , captured chief of police. protection corps attacked labour activists in places too. on 6 january, helsinki workers order guard declared independent social democratic party. unit renamed helsinki red guard. 3 days later, guard occupied residence of governor-general of finland. called smolna, bolshevik headquarters in saint petersburg. on same day, helsinki guard sent 200 men sipoo searching guns hidden local protection corps. operation escalated gunfight 2 reds killed.

helsinki worker s order guard in fall of 1917.

at beginning of 1918, workers order guards still had few guns. example, largest guard in helsinki armed 20–30 military rifles. in january, commander-in-chief ali aaltonen went saint petersburg acquire weaponry bolsheviks. on 13 january, aaltonen informed general staff of cargo of 10,000 rifles , 10 artillery pieces brought finland within couple of weeks. @ same time, protection corps preparing trade of 60,000 rifles germany. point, many of largest workers order guards occupied radicals pushing finnish labour movement towards armed conflict. no longer under authority of social democratic party or trade union federation. in order keep labour movement united, party leadership forced negotiate revolutionary guards. many of leading social democrats, väinö tanner, taavi tainio , evert huttunen, moderate, opposed armed revolution , acts of order guards.

in 19–23 january, violent clashes between workers guards , protection corps occurred in eastern finland in vyborg , luumäki , in western part of country in kiikka. in vyborg, second largest town in finland, protection corps trying obtain control evicted town. serious incident in luumäki, protection corps grabbed 200 rifles @ taavetti railway station. 2 days later, workers guards attacked protection corps in order take guns back. finally, on 25 january, senate declared protection corps government troops. social democrats , labour movement interpreted declaration of war against working-class. result, workers order guards , helsinki red guard merged paramilitary red guard of finland (suomen punainen kaarti) , revolution proclaimed in late evening of 26 january lighting red lantern sign tower of helsinki workers hall. order mobilization came on next morning executive committee of trade union federation, coincided spontaneous clashing of red guards , protection corps.