The time has come the walrus said . . .

[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

On Sunday 27th January 1918 the following order was sent out by farmer M.E. Laurila (ex-NCO in the 1901 dissolved Finnish Army) - free translation:

All able-bodied men in Karuhmäki village should report tonight zero hour at Poutu farm. Bring food for two days. Avoid attention. It starts for real. Password: Ilkka.

Orders like that were issued in several places in Northern Western Finland.

During the night to 28th January 1918 those farmers overrun several demoralized Russian garrisons. In Ylistario for instance the Home Guard rounded up 350 Russian soldiers, captured some 600 rifles and 11 MGs.

In the meantime rebellion broke out in the capital Helsinki wich was taken in on 28th January 1918 by 10 Bns Red Guards - armed by the Russians. The Finnish Government was paralyzed.

But not for long. A prepared White Emergency Senate in Vasa directly took over the Government.

On 29th January Mannerheim made a declaration as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Finland.

Aged 50 he had the task to fight two wars at the same time. One to secure the independence from Russia and one as a civil war against Finnish communist Red Guards.


Photo: One of Mannerheim´s units ready to march on the Russians.