Vapaaherrat

Vapaaherrat, also known as Finnish Freefighters, were a Finnish militia that played a key role in the Finnish Civil War of 1918. The group was formed in the spring of 1918 as a response to the threat posed by the Red Guards, a militant socialist organization that supported the socialist government in Helsinki.

The Vapaaherrat were organized primarily in the southern and central regions of Finland, where conservative and nationalist sentiment was strongest. They were largely comprised of middle-class professionals, landowners, and students who were opposed to the socialist revolution that had taken place in Russia in 1917.

The Vapaaherrat were known for their unsanctioned and often brutal methods of dealing with suspected Reds and suspected sympathizers. They carried out a number of summary executions, often in the form of lynching or mob justice. This tactic was not unique to the Vapaaherrat, as similar behaviors were exhibited by both sides in the conflict.

The most active period of the Vapaaherrat was during the spring and summer of 1918, when they participated in the White Guard's (a Finnish nationalist military force that fought against the Red Guards) advance on Helsinki. The Vapaaherrat were further influenced by their close alliance with the Swedish army, which intervened in the conflict on the side of the White Guards.

After the end of the Finnish Civil War in May 1918, the Vapaaherrat's influence gradually diminished, as the White Guard organization became the dominant force in Finnish politics. Despite their racist and partisan ideology, a significant number of Vapaaherrat were able to reintegrate into Finnish society. However, the group's legacy remains highly contested and continues to elicit heated debate among Finnish scholars and the public.