TheGreatWar.pl
Timeline
Battles
People
Guide
Topics
The key questions about the war
Countries
The warring and neutral states
Places
Cities, fortresses, rivers, islands
Armed forces
Armies, fleets and air services
Series
Selected threads, article by article
Glossary
Terms, abbreviations and names
Key dates
The war in numbers
Voices from the front
Contact
pl
Timeline
Battles
People
Guide
Topics
Countries
Places
Armed forces
Series
Glossary
Key dates
The war in numbers
Voices from the front
Contact
← Timeline
Finland
Tag
(23)
1917
December
06
Finland declares independence
On 6 December 1917 the Eduskunta voted 100 to 88 to adopt the declaration of independence presented by Svinhufvud's senate. Finland broke away from Russia.
1918
January
04
Recognition of Finnish independence
On 4 January 1918 VTsIK approved the Lenin government's recognition of Finland's independence. France, Sweden and Germany followed that day, then others.
27
The Finnish Civil War begins
On the night of 27/28 January 1918 the Red Guard seized Helsinki, while Mannerheim's Whites disarmed Russian garrisons in Ostrobothnia. A civil war began.
March
01
Treaty between Red Finland and Soviet Russia
On 1 March 1918 in Petrograd Lenin's government and the Finnish Reds signed a treaty of friendship. Russia ceded its property in Finland and promised Petsamo.
05
Germans land on the Åland Islands
On 5 March 1918 a German squadron carrying a Jäger battalion reached Eckerö in the Åland Islands, held by the Swedes since February. Sweden gave way.
07
German–Finnish peace
On 7 March 1918 in Berlin Hertling and envoys of Finland's White government signed a peace treaty and a trade agreement. Finland entered Germany's orbit.
April
03
Germans land at Hanko
On 3 April 1918 von der Goltz's German Baltic Division, about 9,500 men from Danzig, landed at Hanko. Red Finland began to crumble.
04
Scuttling of British submarines at Helsinki
In early April 1918 the British scuttled seven of their Baltic submarines off Helsinki to keep them from the Germans landing in Finland.
06
Whites take Tampere
On 6 April 1918, after three weeks of fighting, the last defenders of Tampere surrendered. Mannerheim's Whites took some 11,000 prisoners and broke Red Finland.
13
Germans take Helsinki
On 12–13 April 1918 the Baltic Division took Red Helsinki after street fighting. The White government declared the Germans had come to Finland at its request.
29
Whites take Vyborg
On 29 April 1918 the Whites took Vyborg, the last capital of Red Finland. After taking the city they shot hundreds of prisoners and several hundred Russians.
May
03
Landing at Pechenga
On 3 May 1918 the British cruiser Cochrane landed sailors and marines at Pechenga on the Arctic Ocean to defend it against the Finnish Whites.
07
End of the Finnish Civil War
In early May 1918 the Whites took Kotka and Hamina, and the last Reds laid down their arms on the Kymijoki. The Finnish Civil War was over.
11
Finno-Turkish peace
On 11 May 1918 in Berlin representatives of Finland and Turkey signed a peace treaty. It stated that there was no state of war between the two countries.
24
Poole in Murmansk
On 24 May 1918 the British General Frederick Poole went ashore at Murmansk to take command of Allied forces in northern Russia. He found few troops there.
29
Austro-Finnish peace
On 29 May 1918 in Vienna Finland made peace with Austria-Hungary. It was the last of its four peace treaties with the Central Powers.
June
07
British occupy Kem
On 7 June 1918, on news of a Finnish White march on Kem on the White Sea, General Poole sent marines and Serbs there. They took the town without a fight.
23
British reinforcements at Murmansk
On 23 June 1918 General Charles Maynard's "Syren" force and the "Elope" mission, bound for Archangel, arrived at Murmansk. Together a few hundred men.
August
08
British assurance to Finland
In August 1918 London assured the Finns that it had no hostile intentions towards them, but that Karelia and the Murman coast were not for Britain to decide.
September
11
Battle of Ukhta
On 11 September 1918 Colonel Woods's Karelians routed Finnish volunteers at Ukhta in Karelia. General Maynard wrote of the complete defeat of their main base.
October
03
Clash at Lake Pyaozero
In early October 1918 Red Finns of the Murmansk Legion routed the last White Finnish detachment at Lake Pyaozero in Karelia.
December
11
Mannerheim becomes regent of Finland
In December 1918 the pro-German regent Svinhufvud stepped down and parliament elected General Mannerheim in his place. Finland turned towards the Entente.
16
Germans leave Finland
On 16 December 1918 the last units of von der Goltz's Baltic Division sailed from Helsinki for Stettin. Thousands of the capital's inhabitants saw them off.