Huntsmen of Finland

In the early 1900s, the policy of Russification began in Finland generated a response from society. The country's autonomous status was in jeopardy, the laws of autonomy were unilaterally repealed. The abolition of the brand , the dissolution of its own Finnish army and the threat to the Finns to serve in the Russian army in different parts of the Russian Empire greatly affected the mood in society ^[6] . According to activists, the illegal situation gave the right and duty to respond to violence with violence. The activists program was introduced in 1903 . The following year, 1904 , the Finnish resistance party was founded. At an early stage, the activities of activists and future huntsmen include activities such as clandestine purchases of weapons, for example, the steamboat John Grafton’s flight with weapons and the creation of self-defense detachments in 1906 under the guise of the Union of Power sports society ( Finnish. Voima-liitto ).

The second period of Russification began at the end of 1908 and lasted until March 1917 . Thoughts of independence were maintained in the press until 1910, when the Framtid Vastaysuus newspaper was closed. The educational organizations of the university went a different way. In solemn speeches on the occasion of graduating from the university in May 1914, the idea of ​​independence was widely represented, although in a cautious form. On this day many future activists of the ranger movement spoke out: Kai Donner , Väinö Kokko , Pehr Norrmen and Yuryo Ruutu ^[7] .

Not surprisingly, with the outbreak of World War I in 1914, many in Finland were increasingly inclined to separate the country from the Russian Empire.

At the end of 1914, martial law was imposed in Finland in connection with fears of a German landing and invasion through Finland. Key objects in different parts of the country are beginning to be strengthened by Finns hired by temporary work, but under Russian leadership. These jobs lead to labor shortages, for example in agriculture. November 17, 1914 published a program of wide Russification. This finally pushed the movement of huntsmen to active activity ^{[8] [9]} . The announcement of the Russification program broke the dam. Already on the same day, numerous independent meetings were held, in which even the front lines were outlined. For example, when Väinö Kokko, Yuryo Ruutu and Väinö Tiiri came to the Gardini restaurant, they were recognized by students and demanded active action ^{[10] [11]} .

Ostrobothnia Assembly

On November 20, 1914, a meeting was held in the Student House in Helsinki on Töölönkatu Street 3, ( Fin. Töölönkatu ). For security reasons, the protocol was not kept. About 20 representatives from various student associations attended, including from the oldest university organization Finnish Club ( Fin. Suomalainen Nuija ). The meeting stated that passive resistance had lost its meaning and that it was necessary to go along the illegal path, since the opposing side (Russia) had rejected the law. Finland must break ties with Russia. When the conversation turned to foreign aid, Väinö Kokko, curator of students from North Pohyanmaa , considered Germany to be the most important, even the only opportunity. The participants created an interim central committee of the organization. It was necessary to contact teachers, old politicians and representatives of the Social Democrats ^[12] .

The Central Committee of the Independence Movement considered the formation of its own army a prerequisite for gaining and maintaining the independence of the country. In this regard, individual students began to voluntarily join the Russian army to receive military training and experience. Then, such volunteers fled the army, often across the front line and entered the rangers. Later there was an opportunity to get a military education abroad. In January 1915, Germany announced its readiness to train 200 people. In groups, secretly, nearly 200 young people first moved to Sweden and then to Germany to Pfadfinder School. The Finns were trained at the Lokstedt camp in Schleswig-Holstein from February 25, 1915. In September 1915, Germany decided to increase the number of students to the size of a battalion of 1900 people. In Finland, secret recruitment begins throughout the country. The busiest activity was in Uusimaa , Pohyanmaa , and in Karelia . In the spring of 1916, the Prussian Royal Battalion of rangers No. 27 was formed from the group under the leadership of Major Maximilian Bayer.

Russia received information about the jaeger movement in September 1915. Of the 19 detainees, 13 were taken to St. Petersburg to the Pre-trial Detention Center . There were already 60 other activists of the Finnish independence movement, such as: Vihtori Kosola , Arthuri Leynonen, Aarne Sihvo and Kyuesti Vilkuna. The Enemy Chasseurs were released after the February Revolution of 1917 .

The Prussian Royal Battalion Ranger No. 27 took part in the hostilities against Russia on the side of Germany in the Baltic states . In May 1916, to gain combat experience, the battalion was transferred to the Riga Front, where he participated in some battles against Russian troops on the coast of present-day Latvia in the area between the Misa River and the Gulf of Riga . In 1997, in cooperation with the Embassy of Finland in Latvia, a memorial sign was established for the struggle of Finnish rangers in the place where battles took place during World War I. This memorial sign is located on a dune, on the very shore of the Gulf of Riga, next to the Sloka - Talsi highway (a road sign for Latvian sights), not far from the turn to Tukums , between Ragaciems and Klapkanciems. In the Engure parish, five Finnish soldiers who fell in battle were buried. In 2004, the monument was inaugurated again (originally erected in 1929), which was demolished after Latvia was included in the USSR ^[13] . However, not all huntsmen were eager to fight with regular troops . It came to partial riots against the German military authorities. 87 huntsmen were interned in Germany and exiled to work in Essen.

After the Finnish Senate declared independence on December 4, 1917, the huntsmen swore allegiance to the Finnish legal government in the church of the Latvian city of Liepaja .

Return to Finland

The first 60 rangers arrived in Finland in the fall of 1917 with the desire to fight against Russia. But at the beginning of 1918 the situation in Finland changed significantly. The growth of tension between the Finnish Senate and the Finnish People’s Council led to the beginning of a revolutionary uprising in Helsingfors on January 27, 1918, as a result of which a civil war began in Finland, in which, on the one hand, the Red Guard units organized from the workers fought (“Reds”), and on the other hand, forces loyal to the Finnish government (senate), called “whites”.

For this reason, part of the rangers does not return to the country.

However, a month later, on February 25, 1918, the bulk of the Finnish rangers who fought there on the German side returned, from the Baltic , 950 people who arrived in northern Finland in Vaasa and, basically, joined the ranks of government troops. The “white” Finnish army, which, in essence, was just a militia and its military use was problematic, finally received professional commanders and teachers of military affairs.

At the same time, the Finnish “whites” (including huntsmen who returned to Finland) saw the situation in Finland as a war of liberation , only in which it was possible to decide whether the country would be freed from Russian rule.

Disagreements with Mannerheim

But not all huntsmen were as loyal to the government as is usually believed. During the training, the team of rangers rallied into a single group and it was important for them to act together in Finland. Wilhelm Theslef expressed the idea of ​​forming a strong strike group based on the 27th battalion. The huntsmen would be the backbone of the brigade, the number would be supplemented by security groups . The brigade was to be strengthened by two infantry regiments, a cavalry, a battery of field artillery and a reconnaissance company. The commander-in-chief of the Finnish army, which is just being created, Mannerheim opposed this initiative. He feared that fighting with one unit, the rangers were at risk of complete defeat. “... I am strongly convinced that this will lead to the destruction of the white army,” he said, reporting on the situation to Senator Renvall ^[14] .

Political disagreements arose. The main goal of the senate in Vaasa was to restore legal authority in the south of the country. After the victory, they intended to ensure state power and independence from Russia with the help of a strong own or German army, as well as a possible return to a monarchical form of government. The moderate and socialists , of course, were against the monarchy and German intervention , especially at the beginning of the war. The military command had similar disputes between General Mannerheim and the commanders of Finnish rangers. Well aware of the poor condition of the Red Army and the Finnish Red Guards, Mannerheim critically assessed the need for German support. The Finnish huntsmen, for their part, adhered to a pro-German orientation.

Mannerheim also did not approve of the idea of ​​a German landing, at least before the capture of the Tampere government forces. It was important to show the country that freedom is not given from the wrong hands, and that its own army is able to restore order in the country itself. At the invitation of Mannerheim in Seinajoki , negotiations were held with representatives of the rangers. The organizational issues of the future army were resolved. The huntsmen were against the appointment at the level of the regiment of officers trained in Russia. Mannerheim said that he simply does not have a real alternative for the future army other than the rangers. Mannerheim also supported the appointment of the former commander of the 27th battalion Eduard Ausfeld as colonel in the Finnish army.

Researcher Lars Westerlund suggested that the attempt to blow up Mannerheim headquarters at Seinäjoki Station is related to the disagreement. Westerlund believes that “extreme activists” are hiding behind the incident and gives specific names: Wilhelm Theslef and Paul von Gerich. Of the foreign stakeholders, there could be a German fleet ^[15] . Mannerheim accidentally did not appear on the spot at the time of the explosion and the attempt failed. As a result, a fence net was installed around the train, which can be seen in some photographs.

According to the assumption of Lars Westerlund, the mass shooting of the Russian-speaking population of Vyborg in the spring of 1918 was organized by Finnish rangers as a provocation in order to provoke a reaction of Soviet Russia against Mannerheim ^[16] .

After the civil war, the bulk of the rangers returned to civilian life. Most of them were workers, small farmers, and entrepreneurs; one in five received higher education. Some huntsmen reached the heights in economic and cultural life. Part remained in the service. Some moved to Soviet Russia. Most of the rangers participated in the Winter War (1939–1940) and the Continuation War (1941–1944) .

A total of 49 rangers received the rank of general, including Eric Heinriks , Kaarlo Heiskanen , Taavetti Laatikainen , Armas Eino Martola , Aarne Sihvo , Alonzo Sundman , Paavo Talvela , Einar Vihma and Väinö Valve . The influence of huntsmen on the development of the Finnish armed forces was very strong until the 1950s . The last huntsman, General Väinö Valve, died in 1995 .

In total, from 1815 to 1918, 1895 volunteers underwent military training in the German army. Of these, 1261 people (67%) participated in the Civil War . 128 huntsmen (10%) were killed in it and 238 (19%) were wounded. 774 huntsmen participated in the Winter War both at the front and in the rear, of which 24 (3%) fell and 19 (2%) were injured. The Mannerheim Cross was awarded to 20 rangers.

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