The history of the Russian Revolution and the subsequent civil war has been well documented in a number of books and documentaries. What has received far less coverage is an almost uncannily similar situation in Finland during the same time period. Starting in 1917, Finland was convulsed by a series of events that provided a direct parallel to those in Russia. After the country became divided into Red and White factions, the Reds took control of the southern part of the country, including the capital city, Helsinki, in January of 1918. The Whites took the north, and soon, these opposing groups were engaged in a bloody civil war that would last until May 15, 1918.

The revolution, the civil war that followed, and the impact of the end of World War I all helped to define the modern state of Finland. Still, this conflict and its origins are largely forgotten now, perhaps because this conflict was fought while the attention of the world was still focused on events in Russia and on the latter stages of the world war. This is the story of a forgotten conflict, its roots, and its impact on modern Scandinavia and beyond. This is the story of the Finnish Civil War.