valkoiset
Valkoiset, or the Whites, refers to the conservative, non-socialist faction that fought the Reds in the Finnish Civil War of 1918. The Whites represented a coalition of bourgeois, landowners, civil servants, and many rural and Swedish-speaking Finns, who sought to defeat the Red Guards and to establish a stable, constitutional state in the aftermath of Finland’s independence and the turmoil of the 1917 Russian Revolution.
Ideology and aims: The Whites supported centralized authority, property rights, and a market-oriented economy. They were
Leadership and foreign support: The White Army was led by General C. G. E. Mannerheim, who coordinated
Military course and aftermath: The war lasted over several months in early 1918 and ended with a
Legacy: The valkoiset episode is a central element of Finnish historical memory, illustrating the deep political
See also: Finnish Civil War; White Terror; C. G. E. Mannerheim; Svinhufvud.