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Data

Name: Republic of Finland

Type: Polity

Start: 1917 AD

End: 2022 AD

Nation: finland

Statistics

All Statistics: All Statistics

Republic of Finland

This article is about the specific polity Republic of Finland and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.

If you are looking for the page with the statistics about this polity you can find it here:All Statistics

Is a country in Scandinavia. The independent Finnish state emerged in 1917 from the Russian Empire during the Russian Civil War.

Establishment

December 1917: With the fall of Nicholas II, many parts of the Russian Empire took the opportunity to declare their independence, one of which was Finland, which did so in December 1917.

Chronology

Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation

1. World War I

Was a global conflict between two coalitions, the Allies (primarily France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, Japan, and the United States) and the Central Powers (led by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire). It was mainly caused by the competition of the western countries over domain in Europe and in the rest of the world with their colonial empires. The war ended with the defeat of the Central Powers. The war also caused the Russian Revolution and the ensuing Russian Civil War.

1.1.World War I eastern Front

Was the theatre of war in eastern Europe during World War I.

1.2.Aftermath of World War I

Were a series of treaties and military events that can be considered a direct consequence of World War I.

December 1918: With the defeat of Germany in WWI Finland become indipendent. General Rüdiger von der Goltz and his division left Helsinki on 16 December 1918, and Prince Friedrich Karl, who had not yet been crowned, abandoned his role four days later. Finland's status shifted from a monarchist protectorate of the German Empire to an independent republic.

1.2.1.Finnish Civil War

Was a civil war in Finland in 1918 fought for the leadership and control of the country between White Finland and the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic (Red Finland) during the country's transition from a grand duchy of the Russian Empire to an independent state.

January 1918: The Whites captured Haapamäki at the end of January 1918.

January 1918: The Finnish Red Guards seized the early initiative in the war by taking control of Helsinki.

2. Russian Civil War

Was a Civil War in Russia that involved varios factions but mainly the Bolsheviks and the conservative White Army in the core Russian territories, as well as a multitude of local secessionist states. At the end of war the Bolsheviks were victorious and established the Soviet Union.

2.1.Heimosodat

Were a series of expeditions into Russian territories inhabitated by Finnish peoples during the Russian Civil War. The aim of the expeditions was either the independence of these territories or their annexion to Finland.

2.1.1.Aunus expedition

Was an attempt by Finnish volunteers to occupy parts of East Karelia in 1919, during the Russian Civil War.

June 1919: The parish of Porajärvi declared on June 6 that it wished to join Finland, as the parish of Repola had already done in 1918. The regular Finnish Army moved in to occupy the parish.

2.2.Treaty of Tartu (1920)

Was a treaty between the Russian SFSR and Finland that defined the border between the two countries.

December 1920: The Finnish - Russian border was determined by the Treaty of Tartu in 1920: Petsamo became finnish.

December 1920: Treaty of Tartu: Repola and Porajärvi were handed back to Soviet Russia.

3. World War II

Was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945 (it started sooner in certain regions) between the Axis Powers (mainly Germany, Japan and Italy) and the Allies (mainly the Soviet Union, the U.S.A., the U.K., China and France). It was the war with more fatalities in history. The war in Asia began when Japan invaded China on July 7, 1937. The war in Europe began when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. The war ended with the complete defeat of the Axis powers, which were occupied by the Allies.

3.1.World War II (Eastern Theatre)

Was the Eastern European theatre of World War II.

3.1.1.Winter War

The Winter War, also known as the First Soviet-Finnish War, was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. The war began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peace Treaty on 13 March 1940.

November 1939: Finnish forces marched up to Salla.

November 1939: Soviet forces invaded Finland.

November 1939: Start of the Battle of Petsamo.

December 1939: The Soviet 163rd Rifle Division captured Suomussalmi.

December 1939: Soviets reach Mannerheim line of Finnish resistance on the Karelian Isthmus.

December 1939: The Red Army approached Kemijärvi.

December 1939: The northern branch of the Finnish moved toward Pelkosenniemi .

January 1940: Retreat of the Reds after the battle of Suomussalmi.

March 1940: Battle of Petsamo.

March 1940: The Finnish Democratic Republic was dissolved upon signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty ending the Winter War and merged into the government of the Karelo-Finnish SSR.

March 1940: In the battle of Salla, the Soviets proceeded easily to Salla.

March 1940: Moscow peace treaty: It was signed by the Soviet Union and Finland on March 12, 1940 and ratified on March 21, 1940. It established the new border between the USSR and Finland.

3.1.1.1.Battles in Ladoga Karelia

Was the war front on the Ladoga Lake during the Winter War.

December 1939: Soviet advancement in Finland by december, 12th.

December 1939: In Northern Karelia, Soviet forces were outmanoeuvred at Ilomantsi and Lieksa. The Finns used effective guerrilla tactics, taking special advantage of their superior skiing skills and snow-white layered clothing and executing surprise ambushes and raids. By the end of December, the Soviets decided to retreat and transfer resources to more critical fronts.

3.1.1.2.Soviet offensive (Winter War)

Were Soviet offensives against Finland in early 1940 during the Winter War.

February 1940: Soviet offensive in Finland.

March 1940: Soviet offensive in Finland.

3.1.2.Continuation War

The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet-Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944, as part of World War II.

December 1941: The Soviet Union withdrew its troops from the leased area in the Hankko peninsula.

3.1.2.1.Moscow Armistice

Was an armistice signed by Finland on one side and by the Soviet Union and United Kingdom on the other side on September 19, 1944, ending the Continuation War.

September 1944: Armistice signed between Finland on one side, and the Soviet Union and United Kingdom on the other side on September 19, 1944, ending the Continuation War. Karelia, Salla, Petsamo, and Porkkala fell to the Soviets.

4. Allied withdrawals after World War II

Was a series of withdrawals from territories occupied by the Allies during World War II in the aftermath of the war.

January 1956: Although the Soviet lease for Porkkala had been conceded for 50 years, an agreement was reached to return it earlier. The agreement was signed on September 19, 1955, exactly 11 years after the armistice, and control of the area was handed back to Finland on January 26, 1956.