Pork mutiny
Encyclopedia
The Pork mutiny was an incident in Northern Finland
in 1922. On February 2 a group of armed Red Guard
members crossed the Finnish-Soviet
border near Kuolajärvi
and Savukoski
. They advanced to a logging yard owned by Kemijoki Oy. They arrested the heads of the yard and confiscated the cashbox.
The incident derives its name from the fact that the leader of the Red Guardists, Frans Myyryläinen
, stood on a crate that had formerly contained pork when he delivered his speech called the 'Declaration of Battle of the Red Guerrilla
Battalion of the North'. After the speech, some 300 workers joined the battalion and were armed and given money. The Battalion then made its way back to the border. On its way, it robbed a group of border guards and other workplaces. On February 7, the battalion, by that time about 240 men, crossed the border back to the Soviet Union. Information of the incident was only received at Rovaniemi
on February 5 and the battalion managed to slip away before a group of the White Guard
arrived.
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...
in 1922. On February 2 a group of armed Red Guard
Red Guards (Finland)
The Red Guards formed the army of Red Finland during the Finnish Civil War in 1918. The combined strength of the Red Guard was about 30,000 at the beginning of the Civil War, and peaked at 90,000-120,000 during the course of the conflict....
members crossed the Finnish-Soviet
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....
border near Kuolajärvi
Salla
Salla 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 Savukoski
Savukoski
Savukoski is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Lapland, Finland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The municipality is unilingually Finnish....
. They advanced to a logging yard owned by Kemijoki Oy. They arrested the heads of the yard and confiscated the cashbox.
The incident derives its name from the fact that the leader of the Red Guardists, Frans Myyryläinen
Frans Myyryläinen
Frans Johan ”Janne” Myyryläinen was a Finnish Red Guard during the civil war. He was also a Red Guardian in Kainuu and an officer Guardian in Soviet Russia....
, stood on a crate that had formerly contained pork when he delivered his speech called the 'Declaration of Battle of the Red Guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
Battalion of the North'. After the speech, some 300 workers joined the battalion and were armed and given money. The Battalion then made its way back to the border. On its way, it robbed a group of border guards and other workplaces. On February 7, the battalion, by that time about 240 men, crossed the border back to the Soviet Union. Information of the incident was only received at Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi
Rovaniemi is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland. It is situated close to the Arctic Circle and is between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara, at the confluence of the Kemijoki River and its...
on February 5 and the battalion managed to slip away before a group of the White Guard
White Guard (Finland)
The White Guard was a voluntary militia that emerged victorious over the socialist Red Guard as part of the Whites in the Finnish Civil War of 1918...
arrived.