Heimosodat

• Viena expedition (1918)
  • Murmansk Legion
• Petsamo expeditions (1918 and 1920)
• Estonian War of Independence (1918–1920)
  • Pohjan Pojat (lit. 'Sons of the North') and 1st Finnish Volunteer Corps (I Suomalainen Vapaajoukko) [fi] helped Estonian troops.
• Revolt of the Ingrian Finns (1918–1920)
• Aunus expedition (1919)
• Advance on Petrograd (1919)
• East Karelian Uprising
  (1921–1922)

The phenomenon is closely linked to nationalism and irredentism, as Finland had just formally gained its national independence in 1917, and a part of the population felt that they had obligations to help other Finnic peoples to attain the same. Estonia, the closest and numerically largest "kindred nation", had gained its independence at the same time, but had fewer resources, fewer institutions ready to support its attained position, and more Bolshevik Russian troops within its borders. Other Finnic peoples were at a less organized level of cultural, economic and political capability. The Finnish Civil War had awakened strong nationalistic feelings in Finnish citizens and other Finnic peoples, and they sought tangible ways to put these feelings into action. For the two next decades, Finns participated at a relatively high rate in nationalistic activities (e.g. Karelianism and Finnicization of the country and its institutions). This development was related to the trauma and divisiveness of the Finnish Civil War. Many White sympathizers in the Civil War became radically nationalistic as a result of the war. The strenuous five-year period 1939–45 of total war — which also mostly unified the nation — reduced this enthusiasm.

Viena expedition

The Viena expedition was a military campaign conducted by Finnish forces against the local Bolsheviks and British troops in North Russia, who were there as part of the Allied intervention against Soviet power. The campaign took place in White Karelia and was part of Finland's efforts to establish a Greater Finland following their victory in the Finnish Civil War. The expedition involved two Finnish armed groups, the Northern and Southern groups.

Northern Group

The Northern Group was led by Kurt Martti Wallenius. Initially, it achieved some successes but faced strong resistance from the Finnish Red Guards. These challenges, coupled with military stalemates and internal mutinies within the Finnish forces, eventually forced the Northern Group to withdraw from White Karelia and retreat back into Finland.

Southern Group

Petsamo expeditons

Finnish Involvment in the Estonian-Soviet War

Revolt of the Ingrian Finns

Aunus expediton

Advance on Petrograd

East Karelian Uprising

Glossary

Sota

"War", in this context, a

low-intensity one

, consisting of actions such as border skirmishes, expeditions by volunteer corps, expulsion of remnant occupational forces or attempts to foment rebellion in the local populace.

Heimo

"Tribe" or "clan", but in this context, also the ethnic and language kinship between Baltic Finns; "kindred peoples". Somewhat comparable to the

Völkisch

.

Sukukansa

People who are linguistically and/or ethnically akin to one another; "suku" means "family" and "kansa" means "people" (singular).

See also

• Finnish Civil War
• List of Finnish wars
• Treaty of Tartu
• Winter War
• Continuation War
• War Victims of Finland 1914–1922
• Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War

Notes

References