Mangrove
01-25-2008, 02:01 PM
http://www.brandoaland.fi/imgs/karta.jpg
... took place in 1918 in middle of Finnish Civil War. Åland islands are situated near the Finnish mainland and the Åland is today "autonomous, demilitarized, monolingually Swedish-speaking administrative province and region of Finland" (Wikipedia).
The islands had been a peaceful place over 60 years after the destruction of Bomarsund fortress in 1854 during the Crimean War. However on 25th July 1916 German Zeppelin SL 9 bombed the city of Mariehamn at the Ålands. The ship had start the mission from the city of Liepāja in Latvia and arrived over Mariehamn on 11.30 PM at altitude of 4000 meters. Eight 700 kilogram bombs claimed seven Russian sailors dead and another thirteen were wounded. [1]
Rich Ålander Gösta Lindeman arranged a meeting on 20th August 1917. The meeting made a decission to form a proclamation where the meeting demanded Åland to be reunited with Sweden. Also an embassy was formed to be send to Stockholm. The proclamation was handed over to the Swedish High Command on 22nd October 1917.
On 29th December 1917 7146 Ålanders signed a petition in which "the people of Åland, in front of the King and people of Sweden, hope that their island will be annexed to the Kingdom of Sweden". [2]
On 27th January 1918 Finnish Red Guard started the Finnish Civil War by taking over the city of Helsinki and other major cities at the southern Finland. [3]
The petition was introduced to the King of Sweden, Gustav V of Sweden, on 3rd February 1918. White Guards were formed on the Åland in February and an new embassy asked up to 500-600 Swedish soldiers to be send to Åland to help fighting the Russian troops stationed on the islands.
Stockholms Dagbladet, 13rd February 1918: "Tyranny on Åland". Steamer "Hero", 200 rifles and few machine guns were send to the islands, the Russian customs stop the shipment. The first Swedish volunteer group left to Eckerö, Åland on 14th February 1918. Group was consisted from Pansarskepp "Thor" and steamers "Runeberg" and "Isbrytare I". The group landed on Eckerö to help "refugees", but arrived without permission from the Finnish government (Swedish had recognized Finland as an independent country on 4th January 1918). [2]
The first battle was fought between White Guard and Red Guard (which arrived from Turku on 17th February 1918) at Godby on 17th and 19th February. White Guard won and captured long needed guns and ammunitions.
Now the Swedes demanded that a group of White Guards from Uusikaupunki and all Russian troops must leave the islands. Of course the Swedish troops would remain in Åland to "ensure peace and neutrality". Finns rejected this option, but the Swedes had cut off all communication between Finnish High Command and Finnish White Guards on Åland. [2]
In the same time more reinforcement arrived to the Swedes between 21st and 24th February: Machine Gun Company from Stockholm, battalion from Göta and Pansarskepps Sverige and Oscar II.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/HMS_Sverige.jpg
HMS Sverige
Germany interferes
On 21st February 1918 "Sonderverband Ostsee" was formed. The original plan consisted of shipping 12 000 men to Åland, this plan was never carried out. However SMS Rheinland and Westphalen arrived to Eckerö with 200 German soldiers aboard on 5th March. This was very embarrassing to the Swedes who thought all of Åland was in their hands now.
All of remaining Russian soldiers surrended to Germans (about 3000 - 6000 men) and were shipped to Libau. On the last day of the Finnish Civil War, on 16th May 1918, the last Swedish soldiers left Åland. [2]
[1] Westerlund, L. (toim.). 2004. Venäläissurmat Suomessa 1914-1922. Osa 1. Valtioneuvoston kanslia, Helsinki.
[2] Komulainen, A. 2005. Taistelu Ahvenanmaasta - Oolannin iäisyyskysymys. Ajatus Kirjat, Jyväskylä.
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Civil_War (25.1.2008)
Map from http://www.brandoaland.fi/docs/kartor.html
... took place in 1918 in middle of Finnish Civil War. Åland islands are situated near the Finnish mainland and the Åland is today "autonomous, demilitarized, monolingually Swedish-speaking administrative province and region of Finland" (Wikipedia).
The islands had been a peaceful place over 60 years after the destruction of Bomarsund fortress in 1854 during the Crimean War. However on 25th July 1916 German Zeppelin SL 9 bombed the city of Mariehamn at the Ålands. The ship had start the mission from the city of Liepāja in Latvia and arrived over Mariehamn on 11.30 PM at altitude of 4000 meters. Eight 700 kilogram bombs claimed seven Russian sailors dead and another thirteen were wounded. [1]
Rich Ålander Gösta Lindeman arranged a meeting on 20th August 1917. The meeting made a decission to form a proclamation where the meeting demanded Åland to be reunited with Sweden. Also an embassy was formed to be send to Stockholm. The proclamation was handed over to the Swedish High Command on 22nd October 1917.
On 29th December 1917 7146 Ålanders signed a petition in which "the people of Åland, in front of the King and people of Sweden, hope that their island will be annexed to the Kingdom of Sweden". [2]
On 27th January 1918 Finnish Red Guard started the Finnish Civil War by taking over the city of Helsinki and other major cities at the southern Finland. [3]
The petition was introduced to the King of Sweden, Gustav V of Sweden, on 3rd February 1918. White Guards were formed on the Åland in February and an new embassy asked up to 500-600 Swedish soldiers to be send to Åland to help fighting the Russian troops stationed on the islands.
Stockholms Dagbladet, 13rd February 1918: "Tyranny on Åland". Steamer "Hero", 200 rifles and few machine guns were send to the islands, the Russian customs stop the shipment. The first Swedish volunteer group left to Eckerö, Åland on 14th February 1918. Group was consisted from Pansarskepp "Thor" and steamers "Runeberg" and "Isbrytare I". The group landed on Eckerö to help "refugees", but arrived without permission from the Finnish government (Swedish had recognized Finland as an independent country on 4th January 1918). [2]
The first battle was fought between White Guard and Red Guard (which arrived from Turku on 17th February 1918) at Godby on 17th and 19th February. White Guard won and captured long needed guns and ammunitions.
Now the Swedes demanded that a group of White Guards from Uusikaupunki and all Russian troops must leave the islands. Of course the Swedish troops would remain in Åland to "ensure peace and neutrality". Finns rejected this option, but the Swedes had cut off all communication between Finnish High Command and Finnish White Guards on Åland. [2]
In the same time more reinforcement arrived to the Swedes between 21st and 24th February: Machine Gun Company from Stockholm, battalion from Göta and Pansarskepps Sverige and Oscar II.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/HMS_Sverige.jpg
HMS Sverige
Germany interferes
On 21st February 1918 "Sonderverband Ostsee" was formed. The original plan consisted of shipping 12 000 men to Åland, this plan was never carried out. However SMS Rheinland and Westphalen arrived to Eckerö with 200 German soldiers aboard on 5th March. This was very embarrassing to the Swedes who thought all of Åland was in their hands now.
All of remaining Russian soldiers surrended to Germans (about 3000 - 6000 men) and were shipped to Libau. On the last day of the Finnish Civil War, on 16th May 1918, the last Swedish soldiers left Åland. [2]
[1] Westerlund, L. (toim.). 2004. Venäläissurmat Suomessa 1914-1922. Osa 1. Valtioneuvoston kanslia, Helsinki.
[2] Komulainen, A. 2005. Taistelu Ahvenanmaasta - Oolannin iäisyyskysymys. Ajatus Kirjat, Jyväskylä.
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Civil_War (25.1.2008)
Map from http://www.brandoaland.fi/docs/kartor.html