Viipuri massacre: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Finnish Civil War mass killing of Russians}} |
{{Short description|Finnish Civil War mass killing of Russians}} |
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{{Infobox civilian attack |
{{Infobox civilian attack |
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| title = |
| title = Vyborg massacre |
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| partof = the [[Finnish Civil War]] |
| partof = the [[Finnish Civil War]] |
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| image = Vyborg massacre.jpg |
| image = Vyborg massacre.jpg |
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| caption = Executed Russians at the Annenkrone Fortress |
| caption = Executed Russians at the Annenkrone Fortress |
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| location = [[ |
| location = [[Vyborg]], [[Finland]] |
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| coordinates = {{coord|60|43|N|28|46|E|type:event_dim:5km|display=inline,title}} |
| coordinates = {{coord|60|43|N|28|46|E|type:event_dim:5km|display=inline,title}} |
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| target = [[Red Guards (Finland)|Red Guards]], ethnic [[Russians]] |
| target = [[Red Guards (Finland)|Red Guards]], ethnic [[Russians]] |
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The ''' |
The '''Vyborg massacre''' was the killing of approximately 360 to 420 [[Russian people|Russian]]s in the town of [[Vyborg]] during the [[Finnish Civil War]] in April–May 1918. The massacre took place during and after the [[Battle of Vyborg]] as the [[White Guards (Finland)|White Guards]] captured the town from the [[Red Guards (Finland)|Red Guards]]. At least half of the victims were Russian soldiers and military personnel. The slain were mainly men and young boys: nine out of ten were men fit for military service.<ref name="Westerlund_162">[[#Westerlund2004|Westerlund (2004)]], p. 162</ref> The White Guards were "cleansing" the city of Red Guards; however, only a small minority of the killed Russian townsfolk were affiliated with the Finnish labour movement.<ref name="Westerlund_104">[[#Westerlund2004|Westerlund (2004)]], p. 104</ref> |
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== Background == |
== Background == |
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[[File:Viipurin lääninvankila 1918.jpg|thumb|left|Red Terror in April 1918: the |
[[File:Viipurin lääninvankila 1918.jpg|thumb|left|Red Terror in April 1918: the Vyborg county jail massacre, where 30 White prisoners were killed<ref>{{Harvnb|Keskisarja|2013|pp=290–301}}</ref>|alt=Around eight bodies are lying around a hallway after the Vyborg county jail massacre, an example of Red Terror. Thirty White prisoners were killed by the Reds.]] |
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Viipuri was both the second largest |
Vyborg (Viipuri in Finnish) was both the second largest town in Finland with 49,000 inhabitants and one of the most diverse. In 1910, Vyborg had minorities of [[Fenno-swedes|Swedes]] (5,000) and [[Russians]] (3,200–4,000),<ref name="Westerlund_162"/> as well as smaller ethnic groups of [[Germans]], [[Finnish Jews|Jews]] and Islamic [[Finnish Tatars|Tatars]].<ref>[http://vsks.onsight.fi/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Toimite-17.pdf Schweitzer, Robert: ”Saksalainen Viipuri”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050114/http://vsks.onsight.fi/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Toimite-17.pdf |date=2016-03-04 }} p. 22. (in Finnish). Article in the book ”Monikulttuurisuuden aika Viipurissa”, Viipurin Suomalainen Kirjallisuusseura, 2013. {{ISSN|1236-4304}}.</ref> |
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During the [[Finnish Civil War]], the identification of [[Red Finland|Finnish Reds]] as ethnic Russians among the [[Whites (Finland)|Whites]] became widespread, and anti-Russian sentiment may have been the most prevalent in western Finland, especially in the White stronghold of [[Ostrobothnia (region)|Ostrobothnia]], leading to the manifestation of ethnic hatred that escalated into violence.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tepora |first1=Tuomas |last2=Roselius |first2=Aapo |title=The Finnish Civil War 1918: History, Memory, Legacy |date=2014 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-24366-8 |pages=165–166 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Finnish_Civil_War_1918/FmeDoAEACAAJ?hl=en |language=en |quote=Interestingly, the Russophobia may have been greatest in western Finland, especially in the White stronghold Ostrobothnia... Ethnic hatred of Russians was not just rhetorical; it also manifested itself more concretely... also in a Jäger-initiated massacre of 200 Russian civilians in Vyborg.}}</ref> |
During the [[Finnish Civil War]], the identification of [[Red Finland|Finnish Reds]] as ethnic Russians among the [[Whites (Finland)|Whites]] became widespread, and anti-Russian sentiment may have been the most prevalent in western Finland, especially in the White stronghold of [[Ostrobothnia (region)|Ostrobothnia]], leading to the manifestation of ethnic hatred that escalated into violence.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tepora |first1=Tuomas |last2=Roselius |first2=Aapo |title=The Finnish Civil War 1918: History, Memory, Legacy |date=2014 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-24366-8 |pages=165–166 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Finnish_Civil_War_1918/FmeDoAEACAAJ?hl=en |language=en |quote=Interestingly, the Russophobia may have been greatest in western Finland, especially in the White stronghold Ostrobothnia... Ethnic hatred of Russians was not just rhetorical; it also manifested itself more concretely... also in a Jäger-initiated massacre of 200 Russian civilians in Vyborg.}}</ref> |
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Historian Teemu Keskisarja considers a spark that set off the killings was the news that a gang of drunk Red Guards led by Hjalmar Kaipiainen (Kaipiainen was himself captured and executed on 23 May 1918) had entered Viborg County Gaol during the [[Battle of |
Historian Teemu Keskisarja considers a spark that set off the killings was the news that a gang of drunk Red Guards led by Hjalmar Kaipiainen (Kaipiainen was himself captured and executed on 23 May 1918) had entered Viborg County Gaol during the [[Battle of Vyborg]] and murdered 30 White Guard prisoners.<ref name=keskisarja/> Those of other ethnic origins were only killed because they were simply assumed to be Russians.<ref name="Westerlund_162"/> |
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White Guard-associated newspapers spread the myth of [[Judeo-Bolshevism]] and a rumor spread among the White Guard that the Jews of [[Vyborg]] had aided the Red Guard, and a group of Jägers planned to round up and execute all the Jews living in the |
White Guard-associated newspapers spread the myth of [[Judeo-Bolshevism]] and a rumor spread among the White Guard that the Jews of [[Vyborg]] had aided the Red Guard, and a group of Jägers planned to round up and execute all the Jews living in the town. The plan was never executed in its planned extent, though a number of Jews were executed in the massacre.<ref>{{cite web|author=Turo Manninen|publisher=[[University of Jyväskylä]]|editor=Mauno Jokipii|title=Vapaustaistelu, Kansalaissota Ja Kapina|date=18 July 2024|url=https://jyx.jyu.fi/bitstream/handle/123456789/76182/1/Manninen_Turo_screen.pdf|page=161}}</ref> |
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== Killings == |
== Killings == |
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The massacre started on April 28 during the Battle of |
The massacre started on April 28 during the Battle of Vyborg, escalating on the next, final day of the battle. Westerlund notes descriptions by jaegers Nurmio and Grandell of difficulty of identifying the Reds, as they hid amongst the population.<ref name="Westerlund_102">[[#Westerlund2004|Westerlund (2004)]], p. 102</ref> Street combat and sniper skirmishes colored the final day of the battle.<ref name="Westerlund_102"/> The largest mass executions were committed at the [[Annenkrone]] fortification on the western side of the town and in the yard of [[Vyborg Castle]], but mainly the killings took place randomly in the streets and yards. Some managed to survive as the Finnish or Swedish residents were hiding them.<ref name=keskisarja/><ref name=westerlund/> |
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Executions were committed by the Vaasa and Kajaani regiments, which were parts of the Eastern Army of the White Guards, led by the General Major [[Ernst Löfström]]. Vaasa Regiment was led by the Swedish military adventurer [[Martin Ekström]], who later became a leader of the Swedish Nazi organization [[National Socialist Bloc]]. Both regiments were filled with men from other parts of Finland who were not from the |
Executions were committed by the Vaasa and Kajaani regiments, which were parts of the Eastern Army of the White Guards, led by the General Major [[Ernst Löfström]]. Vaasa Regiment was led by the Swedish military adventurer [[Martin Ekström]], who later became a leader of the Swedish Nazi organization [[National Socialist Bloc]]. Both regiments were filled with men from other parts of Finland who were not from the Vyborg area. The local White Guards did not directly take part in the killings. |
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After Mannerheim heard about the massacres on May 2, he ordered an investigation and the punishments of the culprits. The next day on May 3 [[Rudolf Walden]] sent the following telegram from Mikkeli to G. A. Finne, the new |
After Mannerheim heard about the massacres on May 2, he ordered an investigation and the punishments of the culprits. The next day on May 3 [[Rudolf Walden]] sent the following telegram from Mikkeli to G. A. Finne, the new town commandant: "Take the strongest actions to prevent violence towards innocent Polish, Ukrainians and Russians. Investigate each case."<ref name="Westerlund_155">[[#Westerlund2004|Westerlund (2004)]], p. 155</ref> Even after this, a group of Jägers that had arrived from Germany intended to kill the whole Jewish population of Vyborg but the plan was stopped by the local police chief K. N. Rantakari.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sana|first1=Elina|title=Kuoleman laiva s/s Hohenhörn: Juutalaispakolaisten kohtalo Suomessa|date=2012|publisher=Suomen E-painos Oy|isbn=978-9526613123|page=97|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N7AlAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT97|access-date=2 February 2017}}</ref> |
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Orders for conducting the executions were mainly given by the officers of the [[Jäger Movement]]. For example, the Jäger Major [[Harald Öhquist]] admitted that his company had shot some 150 "Red Ruskies", but did not mention who had given the order. After the war, General [[Karl Fredrik Wilkama]] was considered to be responsible for the massacre, but neither he nor anyone else was ever convicted or even charged in a court of law. Wilkama himself described the massacre as a "little accident".<ref name=westerlund/> |
Orders for conducting the executions were mainly given by the officers of the [[Jäger Movement]]. For example, the Jäger Major [[Harald Öhquist]] admitted that his company had shot some 150 "Red Ruskies", but did not mention who had given the order. After the war, General [[Karl Fredrik Wilkama]] was considered to be responsible for the massacre, but neither he nor anyone else was ever convicted or even charged in a court of law. Wilkama himself described the massacre as a "little accident".<ref name=westerlund/> |
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Different estimations of the total number slain have taken place over the years. Soikkanen approximated the number at about 200, Tanskanen at 100, Upton at 50+, Russian newspapers noted by Vihavainen at 500-600, Rustanius and Jouni Eerola at 200, and lastly Jaru and Jouni Eerola at 350-550.<ref name="Westerlund_98-99">[[#Westerlund2004|Westerlund (2004)]], pp. 98-99</ref> Westerlund estimates the number at 360-420. Teemu Keskisarja estimates it at about 400.<ref name="keskisarja">{{cite book|last1=Keskisarja|first1=Teemu|title=Viipuri 1918|date=2013|publisher=Siltala|location=Helsinki|isbn=978-952-23418-7-7}}</ref> |
Different estimations of the total number slain have taken place over the years. Soikkanen approximated the number at about 200, Tanskanen at 100, Upton at 50+, Russian newspapers noted by Vihavainen at 500-600, Rustanius and Jouni Eerola at 200, and lastly Jaru and Jouni Eerola at 350-550.<ref name="Westerlund_98-99">[[#Westerlund2004|Westerlund (2004)]], pp. 98-99</ref> Westerlund estimates the number at 360-420. Teemu Keskisarja estimates it at about 400.<ref name="keskisarja">{{cite book|last1=Keskisarja|first1=Teemu|title=Viipuri 1918|date=2013|publisher=Siltala|location=Helsinki|isbn=978-952-23418-7-7}}</ref> |
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37 of the slain were members of other ethnic groups living in |
37 of the slain were members of other ethnic groups living in Vyborg, including 23 [[Polish people|Polish]] soldiers of the [[Imperial Russian Army]], several [[Ukrainians]], [[Estonians]], Jews and Tatars, two [[Italians]] and one [[Baltic German]]. At least half of the murdered Russians were affiliated with the army.<ref name="Westerlund_163">[[#Westerlund2004|Westerlund (2004)]], p. 163</ref> It is notable that they did not fight with the Reds, but were mostly unarmed. Only few of the victims had any connections with the Red Guards, most of them even supported the Whites and greeted them as liberators.<ref name="westerlund1">Westerlund, s. 97–100.</ref><ref name=westerlund/> The victims were of all social classes. Most of the killed Russian civilians were workers as well as administrators working for the City of Vyborg, merchants, businessmen or handicraftsmen, also several noblemen were executed. The youngest victims were only 12–13-year-old schoolboys. Two of the murdered teenagers were the 13 and 15-year-old sons of Lieutenant Colonel [[Georgi Bulatsel]] who was one of the highest ranked Russian officers fighting for the Reds. He had been executed after the [[Battle of Tampere]] on 28 April.<ref name=westerlund/> There had been at least three women amongst the slain Russians.<ref name="Westerlund_121">[[#Westerlund2004|Westerlund (2004)]], p. 121</ref> Not all caught Russian were slain, as there are numerous mentions of spared Russians in the committee records.<ref name="Westerlund_121_122">[[#Westerlund2004|Westerlund (2004)]], pp. 121-122: "Jokaista Viipurissa tavoitettua venäläistä ei kuitenkaan surmattu, sillätutkimus-toimikunnan pöytäkirjassa on useita mainintoja teloituksesta säästyneistä venäläisistä."</ref> |
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==Citations== |
==Citations== |
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Revision as of 03:33, 11 October 2024
| Vyborg massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Finnish Civil War | |
 Executed Russians at the Annenkrone Fortress | |
| Location | Vyborg, Finland |
| Coordinates | 60°43′N 28°46′E / 60.717°N 28.767°E |
| Date | 28 April 1918 – 3 May 1918 |
| Target | Red Guards, ethnic Russians |
Attack type | Military assault, mass murder |
| Deaths | 360–420 Russians and other non-Finns |
| Perpetrators | White Guards |
The Vyborg massacre was the killing of approximately 360 to 420 Russians in the town of Vyborg during the Finnish Civil War in April–May 1918. The massacre took place during and after the Battle of Vyborg as the White Guards captured the town from the Red Guards. At least half of the victims were Russian soldiers and military personnel. The slain were mainly men and young boys: nine out of ten were men fit for military service.[1] The White Guards were "cleansing" the city of Red Guards; however, only a small minority of the killed Russian townsfolk were affiliated with the Finnish labour movement.[2]
Background
Vyborg (Viipuri in Finnish) was both the second largest town in Finland with 49,000 inhabitants and one of the most diverse. In 1910, Vyborg had minorities of Swedes (5,000) and Russians (3,200–4,000),[1] as well as smaller ethnic groups of Germans, Jews and Islamic Tatars.[4]
During the Finnish Civil War, the identification of Finnish Reds as ethnic Russians among the Whites became widespread, and anti-Russian sentiment may have been the most prevalent in western Finland, especially in the White stronghold of Ostrobothnia, leading to the manifestation of ethnic hatred that escalated into violence.[5]
Historian Teemu Keskisarja considers a spark that set off the killings was the news that a gang of drunk Red Guards led by Hjalmar Kaipiainen (Kaipiainen was himself captured and executed on 23 May 1918) had entered Viborg County Gaol during the Battle of Vyborg and murdered 30 White Guard prisoners.[6] Those of other ethnic origins were only killed because they were simply assumed to be Russians.[1]
White Guard-associated newspapers spread the myth of Judeo-Bolshevism and a rumor spread among the White Guard that the Jews of Vyborg had aided the Red Guard, and a group of Jägers planned to round up and execute all the Jews living in the town. The plan was never executed in its planned extent, though a number of Jews were executed in the massacre.[7]
Killings
The massacre started on April 28 during the Battle of Vyborg, escalating on the next, final day of the battle. Westerlund notes descriptions by jaegers Nurmio and Grandell of difficulty of identifying the Reds, as they hid amongst the population.[8] Street combat and sniper skirmishes colored the final day of the battle.[8] The largest mass executions were committed at the Annenkrone fortification on the western side of the town and in the yard of Vyborg Castle, but mainly the killings took place randomly in the streets and yards. Some managed to survive as the Finnish or Swedish residents were hiding them.[6][9]
Executions were committed by the Vaasa and Kajaani regiments, which were parts of the Eastern Army of the White Guards, led by the General Major Ernst Löfström. Vaasa Regiment was led by the Swedish military adventurer Martin Ekström, who later became a leader of the Swedish Nazi organization National Socialist Bloc. Both regiments were filled with men from other parts of Finland who were not from the Vyborg area. The local White Guards did not directly take part in the killings.
After Mannerheim heard about the massacres on May 2, he ordered an investigation and the punishments of the culprits. The next day on May 3 Rudolf Walden sent the following telegram from Mikkeli to G. A. Finne, the new town commandant: "Take the strongest actions to prevent violence towards innocent Polish, Ukrainians and Russians. Investigate each case."[10] Even after this, a group of Jägers that had arrived from Germany intended to kill the whole Jewish population of Vyborg but the plan was stopped by the local police chief K. N. Rantakari.[11]
Orders for conducting the executions were mainly given by the officers of the Jäger Movement. For example, the Jäger Major Harald Öhquist admitted that his company had shot some 150 "Red Ruskies", but did not mention who had given the order. After the war, General Karl Fredrik Wilkama was considered to be responsible for the massacre, but neither he nor anyone else was ever convicted or even charged in a court of law. Wilkama himself described the massacre as a "little accident".[9]
On May 10 Löfström sent a telegram to headquarters requesting permission to distribute aid, especially monetary, to Russians who had suffered and had been robbed of personal property. Later on, more aid was given. Westerlund says that it is not possible to calculate the full amount from the surviving records, but states that the final sum was considerable.[12]
Victims
Different estimations of the total number slain have taken place over the years. Soikkanen approximated the number at about 200, Tanskanen at 100, Upton at 50+, Russian newspapers noted by Vihavainen at 500-600, Rustanius and Jouni Eerola at 200, and lastly Jaru and Jouni Eerola at 350-550.[13] Westerlund estimates the number at 360-420. Teemu Keskisarja estimates it at about 400.[6]
37 of the slain were members of other ethnic groups living in Vyborg, including 23 Polish soldiers of the Imperial Russian Army, several Ukrainians, Estonians, Jews and Tatars, two Italians and one Baltic German. At least half of the murdered Russians were affiliated with the army.[14] It is notable that they did not fight with the Reds, but were mostly unarmed. Only few of the victims had any connections with the Red Guards, most of them even supported the Whites and greeted them as liberators.[15][9] The victims were of all social classes. Most of the killed Russian civilians were workers as well as administrators working for the City of Vyborg, merchants, businessmen or handicraftsmen, also several noblemen were executed. The youngest victims were only 12–13-year-old schoolboys. Two of the murdered teenagers were the 13 and 15-year-old sons of Lieutenant Colonel Georgi Bulatsel who was one of the highest ranked Russian officers fighting for the Reds. He had been executed after the Battle of Tampere on 28 April.[9] There had been at least three women amongst the slain Russians.[16] Not all caught Russian were slain, as there are numerous mentions of spared Russians in the committee records.[17]
Citations
- References
- ^ a b c Westerlund (2004), p. 162
- ^ Westerlund (2004), p. 104
- ^ Keskisarja 2013, pp. 290–301
- ^ Schweitzer, Robert: ”Saksalainen Viipuri” Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine p. 22. (in Finnish). Article in the book ”Monikulttuurisuuden aika Viipurissa”, Viipurin Suomalainen Kirjallisuusseura, 2013. ISSN 1236-4304.
- ^ Tepora, Tuomas; Roselius, Aapo (2014). The Finnish Civil War 1918: History, Memory, Legacy. Brill. pp. 165–166. ISBN 978-90-04-24366-8.
Interestingly, the Russophobia may have been greatest in western Finland, especially in the White stronghold Ostrobothnia... Ethnic hatred of Russians was not just rhetorical; it also manifested itself more concretely... also in a Jäger-initiated massacre of 200 Russian civilians in Vyborg.
- ^ a b c Keskisarja, Teemu (2013). Viipuri 1918. Helsinki: Siltala. ISBN 978-952-23418-7-7.
- ^ Turo Manninen (18 July 2024). Mauno Jokipii (ed.). "Vapaustaistelu, Kansalaissota Ja Kapina" (PDF). University of Jyväskylä. p. 161.
- ^ a b Westerlund (2004), p. 102
- ^ a b c d Westerlund (2004)
- ^ Westerlund (2004), p. 155
- ^ Sana, Elina (2012). Kuoleman laiva s/s Hohenhörn: Juutalaispakolaisten kohtalo Suomessa. Suomen E-painos Oy. p. 97. ISBN 978-9526613123. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
- ^ Westerlund (2004), pp. 157-159
- ^ Westerlund (2004), pp. 98-99
- ^ Westerlund (2004), p. 163
- ^ Westerlund, s. 97–100.
- ^ Westerlund (2004), p. 121
- ^ Westerlund (2004), pp. 121-122: "Jokaista Viipurissa tavoitettua venäläistä ei kuitenkaan surmattu, sillätutkimus-toimikunnan pöytäkirjassa on useita mainintoja teloituksesta säästyneistä venäläisistä."
- Bibliography
- Westerlund, Lars (2004). "Me odotimme teitä vapauttajina ja te toitte kuolemaa – Viipurin valloituksen yhteydessä teloitetut venäläiset". Venäläissurmat Suomessa 1914–22: Osa 2.2. Sotatapahtumat 1918–22. Prime Minister's Office of Finland. ISBN 952-5354-45-8.