Documentary: The Finnish Civil War

[The Ripper]

Surprisingly objective, if you disregard the blabberings of Mirja Turunen right there at the start. The Ostrobothnian old timers are awesome. :D

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[Raikaswinþs]

Thank you. During my time in finland I had the oportunity to read a few texts on the Finnish civil awar, and had a few chats with a highschool history teacher, but had never seen video footage or any documentary. This is just faboulous. Thanks a lot!

[The Ripper]

I might also add that in line with the general political and cultural trends, the civil war has become, or is becoming, a guilt trip for Finnish nationalism, which essentially turns the matter of guilt on its head. Regardless of the harsh and outright criminal treatment of Red prisoners during and after the war, it should not be forgotten that this was indeed a rebellion against a lawful government, machinated and supported in Petrograd by Lenin and his gang.

Its also common for leftists to remind us that we should thank Lenin for our independence, which he "gave" us, conveniently ignoring that he was at the same time urging the Finnish red leadership to seize power.

I can sympathize with the rank and file of the Red Guard, but not with its power hungry, Bolshevist-inspired leadership, which in my opinion carries the heaviest burden of responsibility.

[Motörhead Remember Me]

I can sympathize with the rank and file of the Red Guard, but not with its power hungry, Bolshevist-inspired leadership, which in my opinion carries the heaviest burden of responsibility.

They were hungry, poor, disillusioned and wanted better livingstandards. Communism was a new ideology, which in theory was all what a worker dreamt about but in reality a nightmare.
I agree with you, but one must never forget that the white leadership (bourgoises, land owners e.t.c) was also on the other extreme end and equally greedy and power hungry.

It was a traumatic episode in Finnish history.

[The Ripper]

They were hungry, poor, disillusioned and wanted better livingstandards. Communism was a new ideology, which in theory was all what a worker dreamt about but in reality a nightmare.
I agree with you, but one must never forget that the white leadership (bourgoises, land owners e.t.c) was also on the other extreme end and equally greedy and power hungry.

It was a traumatic episode in Finnish history.

Well I don't contest that the stubborness of the bourgoise, especially the land-owners, contributed to rising tensions, but had the landless rural poor and workers had more patience instead of being swept into the vortex by the promises of their leaders, they would have seen their conditions improve, as they did soon after the war. But the country was in such a confused state in general during 1917-1918, that far-reaching social reforms were very difficult to implement. The tensions mounted very quickly toward the end of 1917. Before that, many local socialist and nationalists co-operated against Russian rule.

The Leninist core of the Red Guard did not want reform, they wanted revolution.