Part I - Civil War
"Fortifications, artillery, foreign aid - will be of no value,
unless the ordinary soldier understands that it is HE guarding his country"
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim - Marshal-President of Finland - 1867-1943
C.G.E Mannerheim in the 1940s - - - - -
The tension that had been brewing for years and years had finally boiled over in January 1918, when the Finnish Civil War began. The Reds who had been inspired by the Russian Revolution in 1917 had gained the support of the Bolsheviks in the east, and were ready to begin their revolution on the night of the 27th of January.
Meanwhile C.G.E Mannerheim and his corp who were on stanby arriving to a port. He was scheduled to arrive in Finland shortly before the civil war would start but due to supply line problems he arrived in february instead, during the beginnings of the war.
Due to Mannerheim arriving late, and a large portion of the Finnish army being unprepared or somewhere else, the Reds were able to quickly capture land up to Oulu. The Reds also attempted an invasion of Åland, but Mannerheim and his troops had arrived in Åland shortly before the invasion was scheduled to begin. On the eve of the 15th of February Mannerheim and his comrades organized an counterattack against the Reds, launching a naval invasion of Helsinki and a mostly land based invasion was launched through Åland. The land invasion was painfully slow and deadly to both sides. In Turku alone around a thousand men died on both sides.
The naval invasion of Helsinki had different results, being a resounding success. During the initial invasion which was launched from the narby fortress of Suomenlinna the Whites faced some resistance from the reds, but as the initial battles ended and the Whites started advancing through the city.
The Reds decided to abandon Helsinki and to retreat.
The streets of Helsinki were awfully quiet.
"We could never have seen it coming, they took us by suprise and slaughtered us like pigs!"
- Unknown Soldier during the Battle of Helsinki
The Battle of Helsinki was the deciding factor in how the post war government would function. Mannerheim lost many men, but the Reds who set up the ambush would later be either killed in combat or captured and executed. The number of men to have died on the side of the Reds is estimated to be between 500-1500 men.
In the north at around the same time the Finnish counteroffensive was launched pushing the reds back to Tampere, Pori and Viipuri. This was a sign to the end of the war. Many soldiers on the Red side began excecuting White soldiers, anti-communist civilians, and most business owners. Mannerheim was appalled and angered by this zealous warmongering.
with the northern front in stalemate and Kouvola burned to ash by the Whites to never be rebuilt. on the 19th of march the war finally began to develop. A breakthrough was made in Pori and it was captured by Whites, who upon entering the city executed 100 men. The next offensive began on the 21st of march, with Viipuri falling to the whites. The war went on like this with the Whites gradually capturing all of the red cities. On the 15th of May Mannerheim and his generals had finally besieged Tampere, and with that the Reds surrendered.
The following treaty had the leaders executed and all leftist ideology outlawed.
"The leaders and high ranking members of the Reds are to be executed and lower ranking members are to be sent to trial. Far-Left ideology shall be outlawed and meeting with Socialists shall be considered a crime of treason"
Excerpt from the Decree of Helsinki, simplified-
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Please point out all discrepencies and such. First TL, no critique is too much. Thanks to March King Dipsodesfor pointing out it should be Decree and not treaty
unless the ordinary soldier understands that it is HE guarding his country"
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim - Marshal-President of Finland - 1867-1943
C.G.E Mannerheim in the 1940s - - - - -
The tension that had been brewing for years and years had finally boiled over in January 1918, when the Finnish Civil War began. The Reds who had been inspired by the Russian Revolution in 1917 had gained the support of the Bolsheviks in the east, and were ready to begin their revolution on the night of the 27th of January.
Meanwhile C.G.E Mannerheim and his corp who were on stanby arriving to a port. He was scheduled to arrive in Finland shortly before the civil war would start but due to supply line problems he arrived in february instead, during the beginnings of the war.
Due to Mannerheim arriving late, and a large portion of the Finnish army being unprepared or somewhere else, the Reds were able to quickly capture land up to Oulu. The Reds also attempted an invasion of Åland, but Mannerheim and his troops had arrived in Åland shortly before the invasion was scheduled to begin. On the eve of the 15th of February Mannerheim and his comrades organized an counterattack against the Reds, launching a naval invasion of Helsinki and a mostly land based invasion was launched through Åland. The land invasion was painfully slow and deadly to both sides. In Turku alone around a thousand men died on both sides.
The naval invasion of Helsinki had different results, being a resounding success. During the initial invasion which was launched from the narby fortress of Suomenlinna the Whites faced some resistance from the reds, but as the initial battles ended and the Whites started advancing through the city.
The Reds decided to abandon Helsinki and to retreat.
The streets of Helsinki were awfully quiet.
"We could never have seen it coming, they took us by suprise and slaughtered us like pigs!"
- Unknown Soldier during the Battle of Helsinki
The Battle of Helsinki was the deciding factor in how the post war government would function. Mannerheim lost many men, but the Reds who set up the ambush would later be either killed in combat or captured and executed. The number of men to have died on the side of the Reds is estimated to be between 500-1500 men.
In the north at around the same time the Finnish counteroffensive was launched pushing the reds back to Tampere, Pori and Viipuri. This was a sign to the end of the war. Many soldiers on the Red side began excecuting White soldiers, anti-communist civilians, and most business owners. Mannerheim was appalled and angered by this zealous warmongering.
with the northern front in stalemate and Kouvola burned to ash by the Whites to never be rebuilt. on the 19th of march the war finally began to develop. A breakthrough was made in Pori and it was captured by Whites, who upon entering the city executed 100 men. The next offensive began on the 21st of march, with Viipuri falling to the whites. The war went on like this with the Whites gradually capturing all of the red cities. On the 15th of May Mannerheim and his generals had finally besieged Tampere, and with that the Reds surrendered.
The following treaty had the leaders executed and all leftist ideology outlawed.
"The leaders and high ranking members of the Reds are to be executed and lower ranking members are to be sent to trial. Far-Left ideology shall be outlawed and meeting with Socialists shall be considered a crime of treason"
Excerpt from the Decree of Helsinki, simplified-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please point out all discrepencies and such. First TL, no critique is too much. Thanks to March King Dipsodesfor pointing out it should be Decree and not treaty
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... as a tsarist high ranking officer he was already at the outbreak of war ... withdrawing from 'active service' after the revolution of OTL as the bourgeois then goverment weas too german-friendly for his taste ...
