Sweden had come close to coming into the First World War on the side of the Central Powers but it had been stopped only due to the Intervention of the Russian High Command preventing one of its Admirals from carrying out an attack on Sweden's Navy.
However, relations between the two nations had never been warm since Imperial Russia seized the Duchy of Finland. In the middle of the 19th Century Sweden had come very close to joining the British and the French in the Crimean War. It had allowed the "allies " to mount an attack on Finland.
Now things were looking bad in Imperial Russia. The Czar had been overthrown and the Provisional Government also was in desperate straits. When it was overthrown by the Reds the Swedish Monarch and Military pressed to government to intervene in Finland. The Red Menace must not be allowed to spread. At this point the British and French were more concern that the Reds might make a separate peace and were willing to turn a blind eye.
The result was that the Swedish Army was mobilized and was transported into Finland. There was in effect no Russian force to face them as most had deserted and the Finnish forces welcomed the Swedes as liberators. It would appear that Sweden's Monarch had dreams of restoring Swedish control. But he knew that he would have to assure
the Finnish People that they would be full citizens and not second class citizens.
However, relations between the two nations had never been warm since Imperial Russia seized the Duchy of Finland. In the middle of the 19th Century Sweden had come very close to joining the British and the French in the Crimean War. It had allowed the "allies " to mount an attack on Finland.
Now things were looking bad in Imperial Russia. The Czar had been overthrown and the Provisional Government also was in desperate straits. When it was overthrown by the Reds the Swedish Monarch and Military pressed to government to intervene in Finland. The Red Menace must not be allowed to spread. At this point the British and French were more concern that the Reds might make a separate peace and were willing to turn a blind eye.
The result was that the Swedish Army was mobilized and was transported into Finland. There was in effect no Russian force to face them as most had deserted and the Finnish forces welcomed the Swedes as liberators. It would appear that Sweden's Monarch had dreams of restoring Swedish control. But he knew that he would have to assure
the Finnish People that they would be full citizens and not second class citizens.