Finnish Army
Encyclopedia
The Finnish
Army (Finnish
: Maavoimat, Swedish
: Armén) is the land forces
branch of the Finnish Defence Forces
.
Today's Army is divided into six branches: the infantry
(which includes armoured units), field artillery
, anti-aircraft artillery, engineer
s, signals
, and materiel
troops.
was an autonomous part of the Russian Empire
as the Grand Duchy of Finland
. Between 1881 and 1901 the Grand Duchy had its own army. Before that several other military units had also been formed while Finland belonged to Sweden
.
The Grand Duchy inherited its allotment system
(ruotujakolaitos) from the Swedish
military organization. However, for several decades, Russian rulers did not require military service from Finland - operations and defence were mostly taken care by Russian troops based in the Grand Duchy. As a result, officer benefits of the allotment system became practically pensions, as payment was based on passive availability, not on actual service.
During Napoleonic Wars three 1200 men regiments were formed in Finland and Topographic corps in Hamina
. In 1821 the Topographic corps was transformed into cadet officers school. In 1829 one of the training battalions was transformed into Young Guard Battalion, the Finnish Guard.
During the Crimean War
, 1854, Finland set up nine sharpshooter battalions based on rote system. Conscription was issued in Finland in 1878. The Finnish Guard fought in Poland in 1830 and participated in the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), after which it gained the status of Old Guard of the Russian Emperor.
The Finnish army was gradually broken up during the "oppression years
" just after the turn of the century. As Finnish conscripts refused to serve in Russian Army, conscription ended in Finland and it was replaced with a tax paid from the Finnish Senate to the Imperial treasury.
At the turn of the 20th century, the Russian empire was weakening, and this was reflected in a reduced capacity of the Russian troops to keep public order. Voluntary defence organizations disguised as fire brigades were formed by the Finnish people, especially during the strikes during and after the Russo-Japanese War.
There were socialist Red Guards and conservative, anti-socialist Protection Guards (or White Guards). Also, during the First World War activists secretly travelled to Germany to receive military training and to be trained as Jaeger troops (jääkärit).
After independence and beginning of the Finnish Civil War
the White government declared the White Guards as government troops, and the war was fought between the Reds, assisted by Communist Russians, and White Guards added with the Jaegers and assisted by the German Empire. After the war in 1919, the Protection Guards became a separate organization. Therefore, strictly speaking, there is no continuity between the White Guards, which became a voluntary organization, and the Finnish army, which was a cadre army based on conscription. However, Jaegers gained important positions in the army, and German tactics and military principles were adopted.
in 1939. The Army was organised into three corps. The II and III Corps were organised into the Army of the Isthmus
which was located on the Karelian Isthmus
, the likely location for the main Soviet attack. The IV Corps
defended the area north of Lake Ladoga
. The defence of the rest of the border up to Petsamo by the Arctic Ocean was given to the North Finland Group
which consisted of a handful of independent battalions.
In order to organize replacements for the units a Field Replacement Brigade (Kenttätäydennysprikaati, KT-Pr) of nine battalions was formed. But due to the severity of the Soviet attack the battalions had to be used as combat troops. Also three Replacement Divisions or Home Replacement Divisions (1.Koti.TD - 3.Koti.TD) were formed from the available reservists. As the situation became more alarming the 1st and 3rd Replacement Divisions were reformed into the 21st and 23rd Divisions and sent to the front on December 19. The 2nd Replacement Division was deployed as individual regiments to Northern Finland.
(Kannaksen Armeija, KannA) under Lieutenant General
Hugo Österman
was located on the Karelian Isthmus
.
Immediately by the border on the isthmus were stationed four delaying groups named after their location.
. There were seven Finnish corps in the field during the war, the I, II, III
, IV, V, VI and VII. During the war, the Finnish Army was responsible for the front from Gulf of Finland
to Kainuu
. The front in the Northern Finland was the responsibility of German AOK Norwegen. During summer and autumn 1941, the Finnish Army re-conquered the areas lost to the Soviet Union in the Winter War and pushed deep into Soviet territory in Eastern Karelia. In winter 1942, the Finnish political leadership ended offensive action and the front stagnated for over two years.
The relatively inactive period of stationary war ended abruptly in June 1944, as the Soviet Union
started her Fourth Strategic Offensive
. As a result, the Finnish Army lost large areas of Karelian Isthmus
, most importantly Viipuri
, a major city and was forced to retreat from Eastern Karelia. However, in the decisive Battle of Tali-Ihantala
, the Soviet advance was halted. The Soviet Union concentrated its forces for the battles in Central Europe, and Finland made a separate peace in September 1944.
The Army is organised into four Military Provinces: southern, western, eastern and northern. The military provinces are responsible for defence and planning in their areas.
The four military provinces are further divided into 22 regional offices or regional military provinces which are responsible for conscription, organizing the local defence and aiding the voluntary defence organizations.
The Army is commanded by Lieutenant General Raimo Jyväsjärvi, who succeeded Ilkka Aspara on July 1 2011. Logistics is centrally planned by the Army Materiel Command, which has one Logistics Regiment in each Military Province.
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Major weapon systems used by the army
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Army (Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
: Maavoimat, Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
: Armén) is the land forces
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
branch of the Finnish Defence Forces
Finnish Defence Forces
The Finnish Defence Forces are responsible for the defence of Finland. It is a cadre army of 15,000, of which 8,900 are professional soldiers , extended with conscripts and reservists such that the standard readiness strength is 34,700 people in uniform...
.
Today's Army is divided into six branches: the infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
(which includes armoured units), field artillery
Field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
, anti-aircraft artillery, engineer
Combat engineering
A combat engineer, also called pioneer or sapper in many armies, is a soldier who performs a variety of construction and demolition tasks under combat conditions...
s, signals
Military communications
Historically, the first military communications had the form of sending/receiving simple signals . Respectively, the first distinctive tactics of military communications were called Signals, while units specializing in those tactics received the Signal Corps name...
, and materiel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
troops.
History of the Finnish Army
Between 1809 and 1917 FinlandFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
was an autonomous part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
as the Grand Duchy of Finland
Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland. It existed 1809–1917 as part of the Russian Empire and was ruled by the Russian czar as Grand Prince.- History :...
. Between 1881 and 1901 the Grand Duchy had its own army. Before that several other military units had also been formed while Finland belonged to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
The Grand Duchy inherited its allotment system
Swedish allotment system
The allotment system was a system used in Sweden for keeping a trained army at all times. This system came into use in around 1640, and was replaced in the early 1900s by the Swedish Armed Forces conscription system...
(ruotujakolaitos) from the Swedish
Sweden-Finland
Sweden–Finland is an outdated Finnish historiographical term referring to the Swedish Kingdom from the Kalmar Union to the Napoleonic wars, or the period from the 14th to the 18th century. In 1809 the realm was split and the eastern half came to constitute the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland, in...
military organization. However, for several decades, Russian rulers did not require military service from Finland - operations and defence were mostly taken care by Russian troops based in the Grand Duchy. As a result, officer benefits of the allotment system became practically pensions, as payment was based on passive availability, not on actual service.
During Napoleonic Wars three 1200 men regiments were formed in Finland and Topographic corps in Hamina
Hamina
Hamina is a town and a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Kymenlaakso region. The town has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is...
. In 1821 the Topographic corps was transformed into cadet officers school. In 1829 one of the training battalions was transformed into Young Guard Battalion, the Finnish Guard.
During the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, 1854, Finland set up nine sharpshooter battalions based on rote system. Conscription was issued in Finland in 1878. The Finnish Guard fought in Poland in 1830 and participated in the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), after which it gained the status of Old Guard of the Russian Emperor.
The Finnish army was gradually broken up during the "oppression years
Russification of Finland
The policy of Russification of Finland was a governmental policy of the Russian Empire aimed at limiting the special status of the Grand Duchy of Finland and possibly the termination of its political autonomy and cultural uniqueness...
" just after the turn of the century. As Finnish conscripts refused to serve in Russian Army, conscription ended in Finland and it was replaced with a tax paid from the Finnish Senate to the Imperial treasury.
At the turn of the 20th century, the Russian empire was weakening, and this was reflected in a reduced capacity of the Russian troops to keep public order. Voluntary defence organizations disguised as fire brigades were formed by the Finnish people, especially during the strikes during and after the Russo-Japanese War.
There were socialist Red Guards and conservative, anti-socialist Protection Guards (or White Guards). Also, during the First World War activists secretly travelled to Germany to receive military training and to be trained as Jaeger troops (jääkärit).
After independence and beginning of the Finnish Civil War
Finnish Civil War
The Finnish Civil War was a part of the national, political and social turmoil caused by World War I in Europe. The Civil War concerned control and leadership of The Grand Duchy of Finland as it achieved independence from Russia after the October Revolution in Petrograd...
the White government declared the White Guards as government troops, and the war was fought between the Reds, assisted by Communist Russians, and White Guards added with the Jaegers and assisted by the German Empire. After the war in 1919, the Protection Guards became a separate organization. Therefore, strictly speaking, there is no continuity between the White Guards, which became a voluntary organization, and the Finnish army, which was a cadre army based on conscription. However, Jaegers gained important positions in the army, and German tactics and military principles were adopted.
Winter War
The Finnish Army consisted of 9 field divisions, 4 brigades and a number of small independent battalions and companies at the beginning of the Winter WarWinter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
in 1939. The Army was organised into three corps. The II and III Corps were organised into the Army of the Isthmus
Army of the Isthmus
The Army of the Isthmus was a formation of the Finnish Army during the Winter War. It was stationed on the Karelian Isthmus and was the largest formation of the Finnish Army, as it was charged to defend the important isthmus.- Organisation :...
which was located on the Karelian Isthmus
Karelian Isthmus
The Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110 km wide stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva . Its northwestern boundary is the relatively narrow area between the Bay of Vyborg and Lake Ladoga...
, the likely location for the main Soviet attack. The IV Corps
Finnish IV Corps
There have been two Finnish formations called IV Corps :* IV Corps during the Winter War* IV Corps during the Continuation War...
defended the area north of Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, not far from Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.-Geography:...
. The defence of the rest of the border up to Petsamo by the Arctic Ocean was given to the North Finland Group
North Finland Group
North Finland Group was a formation of the Finnish Army during the Winter War. It was responsible for an almost 800-kilometer-long border from the town of Lieksa to the Arctic Ocean. The group was under Major General Wiljo Tuompo, and the headquarters was located in Kajaani.It was charged to...
which consisted of a handful of independent battalions.
In order to organize replacements for the units a Field Replacement Brigade (Kenttätäydennysprikaati, KT-Pr) of nine battalions was formed. But due to the severity of the Soviet attack the battalions had to be used as combat troops. Also three Replacement Divisions or Home Replacement Divisions (1.Koti.TD - 3.Koti.TD) were formed from the available reservists. As the situation became more alarming the 1st and 3rd Replacement Divisions were reformed into the 21st and 23rd Divisions and sent to the front on December 19. The 2nd Replacement Division was deployed as individual regiments to Northern Finland.
Army of the Isthmus
Army of the IsthmusArmy of the Isthmus
The Army of the Isthmus was a formation of the Finnish Army during the Winter War. It was stationed on the Karelian Isthmus and was the largest formation of the Finnish Army, as it was charged to defend the important isthmus.- Organisation :...
(Kannaksen Armeija, KannA) under Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Hugo Österman
Hugo Viktor Österman
Hugo Viktor Österman was a Finnish Lieutenant-General during World War II. He was commander of the Finnish Army 1933-1939....
was located on the Karelian Isthmus
Karelian Isthmus
The Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110 km wide stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva . Its northwestern boundary is the relatively narrow area between the Bay of Vyborg and Lake Ladoga...
.
- II CorpsFinnish II Corps (Winter War)The II Corps was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Winter War.The II Corps with the III Corps formed the Army of the Isthmus...
(II AK) under Lieutenant General Harald ÖhquistHarald ÖhquistHarald Öhquist was a Finnish Lieutenant General during the World War II.Öhquist joined the Jaeger Movement in 1915 and trained and fought in the Royal Prussian 27th Jäger Battalion. During the Finnish Civil War he was promoted as Major, and Öhquist lead the White Guard battalion in the battle of...
- 4th DivisionFinnish 4th Division (Winter War)The 4th Division was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Winter War. It was part of the II Corps which fought on the Karelian Isthmus. The 4th Division was responsible for the front between the Gulf of Finland and Viipuri. r- Commanders :...
- 5th Division
- 11th Division
- 4th Division
- III CorpsFinnish III Corps (Winter War)The III Corps was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Winter War. The III Corps with the II Corps formed the Army of the Isthmus . For most of the war it defended the Mannerheim Line on the northern side of the River Vuoksi against Soviet attacks.-Order of battle:*8th Division *10th Division...
(III AK) under Major GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Erik Heinrichs.- 8th Division
- 10th Division
- Reserve
- 1st Division
Immediately by the border on the isthmus were stationed four delaying groups named after their location.
Independent formations
- IV CorpsFinnish IV Corps (Winter War)The IV Corps was a formation of the Finnish Army during the Winter War against the Soviet Union. It defended the area north of Lake Ladoga against Soviet attacks. It was commanded by Major General Juho Heiskanen and from 4 December 1939 by Major General Woldemar Hägglund...
(IV AK) (in the Ladoga Karelia) under Major General Juho HeiskanenJuho HeiskanenJuho Henrik Heiskanen was a Finnish Major General during the World War II.Heiskanen joined the Jaeger Movement in 1915 and trained and fought in the Royal Prussian 27th Jäger Battalion. In 1916, he was arrested by Gendarmerie in Jyväskylä and sent to Petrograd...
(from 4 December 1939 on Major General Woldemar Hägglund).- 12th Division
- 13th Division
- North Finland GroupNorth Finland GroupNorth Finland Group was a formation of the Finnish Army during the Winter War. It was responsible for an almost 800-kilometer-long border from the town of Lieksa to the Arctic Ocean. The group was under Major General Wiljo Tuompo, and the headquarters was located in Kajaani.It was charged to...
(Pohjois-Suomen Ryhmä) under Major General Wiljo Tuompo.- Lapland GroupLapland GroupThe Lapland Group was a formation of the Finnish Army during the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union. The Group was formed on 13 December 1939 from troops of the North Finland Group. The Group was placed under the command of Major General Kurt Martti Wallenius and had its headquarters...
(Lapin Ryhmä) in SallaSallaSalla is a municipality of Finland, located in Lapland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is....
and PetsamoPechengsky DistrictPechengsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the five in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is located to the northwest of the Kola Peninsula on the coast of the Barents Sea and borders with Finland in the south and southwest and with Norway in the west, northwest, and north... - North Karelian GroupNorth Karelian GroupThe North Karelian Group was a formation of the Finnish Army during the Winter War. It defended the wide stretch of border between the Finnish IV Corps and the troops around Suomussalmi...
(Pohjois-Karjalan Ryhmä) in North Karelia
- Lapland Group
Reserves of C-in-C
- 6th DivisionFinnish 6th Division (Winter War)The 6th Division was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Winter War; its name was later changed to the 3rd Division .-History:...
(Southern Finland) - 9th Division (Northern Finland)
- Field Replacement Brigade (KT-Pr)
Continuation War
The Army of Karelia was formed on 29 June 1941 soon after the start of the Continuation WarContinuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
. There were seven Finnish corps in the field during the war, the I, II, III
Finnish III Corps (Continuation War)
The III Corps was a unit of the Finnish Army during the Continuation War.The III Corps was responsible for the area stretching from the German XXXVI Corps in Lapland to the 14th Division near Rukajärvi....
, IV, V, VI and VII. During the war, the Finnish Army was responsible for the front from Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
to Kainuu
Kainuu
Kainuu is a region of Finland. It borders the regions of Northern Ostrobothnia, North Karelia and Northern Savonia. In the east it also borders Russia. Kainuu is known in the ancient Norse sagas as Kvenland....
. The front in the Northern Finland was the responsibility of German AOK Norwegen. During summer and autumn 1941, the Finnish Army re-conquered the areas lost to the Soviet Union in the Winter War and pushed deep into Soviet territory in Eastern Karelia. In winter 1942, the Finnish political leadership ended offensive action and the front stagnated for over two years.
The relatively inactive period of stationary war ended abruptly in June 1944, as the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
started her Fourth Strategic Offensive
Fourth strategic offensive
The Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive or Karelian offensive was a strategic operation by the Soviet Leningrad and Karelian Fronts against Finland on the Karelian Isthmus and East Karelia fronts of the Continuation War, on the Eastern Front of World War II. The Soviet forces captured East Karelia and...
. As a result, the Finnish Army lost large areas of Karelian Isthmus
Karelian Isthmus
The Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110 km wide stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva . Its northwestern boundary is the relatively narrow area between the Bay of Vyborg and Lake Ladoga...
, most importantly Viipuri
Vyborg
Vyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
, a major city and was forced to retreat from Eastern Karelia. However, in the decisive Battle of Tali-Ihantala
Battle of Tali-Ihantala
The Battle of Tali-Ihantala was part of the Continuation War , which occurred during World War II. The battle was fought between Finnish forces—using war material provided by Germany—and Soviet forces...
, the Soviet advance was halted. The Soviet Union concentrated its forces for the battles in Central Europe, and Finland made a separate peace in September 1944.
Lapland War
The Lapland War (Finnish: Lapin sota) were the hostilities between Finland and Nazi Germany between September 1944 and April 1945, fought in Finland's northernmost Lapland Province. While the Finns saw this as a separate conflict much like the Continuation War, German forces considered their actions to be part of the Second World War. A peculiarity of the war was that the Finnish army was forced to demobilise their forces while at the same time fighting to force the German army to leave Finland. The German forces retreated to Norway, and Finland managed to uphold its promise to the Soviet Union.Organisation Today
The four military provinces are further divided into 22 regional offices or regional military provinces which are responsible for conscription, organizing the local defence and aiding the voluntary defence organizations.
The Army is commanded by Lieutenant General Raimo Jyväsjärvi, who succeeded Ilkka Aspara on July 1 2011. Logistics is centrally planned by the Army Materiel Command, which has one Logistics Regiment in each Military Province.
Equipment
- 109 MBTs
- 392 IFVs
- 417 APCs (tracked)
- 424 APCs (wheeled)
- 2,058 mortars
- 684 artillery pieces (towed)
- 90 artillery pieces (self-propelled)
- 58 artillery pieces (rocket)
- 28 Helicopters
- 11 UAVs
See also
- Ski warfareSki warfareSki warfare, the use of ski-equipped troops in war, is first recorded by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus in the 13th century. The speed and distance that ski troops are able to cover is comparable to that of light cavalry.-History:...
- List of Finnish corps in the Winter War
- List of Finnish divisions in the Winter War
- M05 military camouflage pattern
- InttiInttiIntti is a slang term referring to the Finnish Army, in particular to the compulsory national service. The origin of the term stems from the fact that when the Finnish Army was founded, all property was marked by stamps reading "SA-INT", which stood for "Suomen Armeijan Intendentuuriosasto", or...
External links
- The Finnish Defence Force website
- Suomi m 1931 Militaria: Weapons