Conflict episode
Finnish Civil War, 1918
The Finnish Civil War, fought between the Reds and the German- and Swedish-backed Whites from 27 January to 15 May 1918, caused a disputed total of roughly 36,000-38,000 deaths, including thousands of executions and prison-camp deaths after the fighting ended.
What happened
The Finnish Civil War was fought between the Reds and the Whites, the latter backed by the German Empire and by Swedish volunteers, from 27 January to 15 May 1918. Published estimates of total deaths range from roughly 36,000 to 38,000, including some 9,700-10,000 executions and 12,000-14,000 deaths in prison camps holding roughly 80,000 captured Red Guards and their families after the fighting ended; Red casualties are estimated at roughly six times White casualties. No single consolidated figure is treated as authoritative.[1]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: The Finnish Civil War was fought between the Reds and the German- and Swedish-backed Whites from 27 January to 15 May 1918. Published estimates of total deaths range from roughly 36,000 to 38,000, including some 9,700-10,000 executions and 12,000-14,000 deaths in prison camps holding roughly 80,000 captured Red Guards and their families after the fighting ended, with Red casualties estimated at roughly six times White casualties; no single consolidated figure is treated as authoritative.
- Finnish Civil War (Wikipedia) link, Casualties and Prison camps sections. Source record