Sword Scabbard Declaration
Encyclopedia
The Order of the Day of the Sword Scabbard, or the Sword Scabbard Declaration, actually refers to two related declarations by the Finnish
Commander-in-Chief
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
during World War I
and World War II
against Soviet
control of East Karelia
.
, wrote his famous Order of the Day, in which he declared that he would not set his sword to the scabbard "until the last Lenin's soldier and hooligan is deported from Finland and Vienna Karelia
" ("... ennen kuin viimeinen Leninin soturi ja huligaani on karkoitettu niin hyvin Suomesta kuin Vienan Karjalastakin.").
The events at the end of World War I
made this goal hard to accomplish, but nevertheless, two attempts were made to this end: the Viena expedition
in 1918 and Aunus expedition
in 1919, during the Russian Civil War
had allowed Finland to occupy and annex two regions of East Karelia - Repola
and Porajärvi respectively.
came to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Tartu
in 1920. In accordance with the treaty, Soviet Russia ceded Petsamo
to Finland and guaranteed special freedoms to the Karelian SSR. In return, Finland had to give up the two previously annexed Karelian counties. This was seen by many Finns as a very bad deal. The peace treaty thus got a nickname, "a Shame Peace" (Häpeärauha in Finnish).
of June 25, 1941, Finland was again at war with its eastern neighbour. On July 10, 1941, Mannerheim referred to his 1918 declaration in his "Order of the Day" speech to his troops: "... in 1918 I stated to the Finnish and Vienna Karelians, that I would not set my sword to the scabbard before Finland and East Karelia would be free." This Order of the Day signified the start of an offensive, which would result in a three-year long occupation of Russian Karelia.
. Later the same night, German bombers flew along the Gulf of Finland to Leningrad
and mined its harbor and the river Neva. On the return trip, these bombers landed on the Utti
airfield for refueling. After three days, early on the morning of June 25 a Soviet preemptive air-attack was unleashed on towns, airfields and industrial centers in Finland. The country was at war with its larger neighbor once again. This war, called the Continuation War
by Finland, began at first as a defensive war, but with the Sword Scabbard Declaration Mannerheim had lost the possibility to brand it as a defensive war, or even as a war of revanchism
to regain the territory lost in the Winter War
, where 1/8 of the Finnish populace lived. Gradually, the Continuation War became a war of conquest
, to capture land that had not historically belonged to Finland.
For large segments of the public, both in Finland and in other democratic countries, there was a huge difference between a defensive war
and a war of aggression
. In the Winter War Finland had the sympathy of virtually the whole world (with the exception of Nazi Germany
and the aggressor, the Soviet Union
). The chief reason was that Finland, in international opinion, was unjustly attacked by a much larger power. In the Continuation War, on the other hand, Finland was partly an aggressor in the eyes of some, attacking the Soviet Union alongside the Axis invasion. This badly damaged Finland's image in the eyes of the Churchill government and eventually caused the formerly sympathetic Britain
to declare war on Finland in December 1941.
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...
Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim was the military leader of the Whites in the Finnish Civil War, Commander-in-Chief of Finland's Defence Forces during World War II, Marshal of Finland, and a Finnish statesman. He was Regent of Finland and the sixth President of Finland...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
against 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....
control of East Karelia
East Karelia
East Karelia , also rendered as Eastern Karelia or Russian Karelia, is a name for the part of Karelia that since the Treaty of Stolbova in 1617 has remained Christian Orthodox under Russian supremacy. It is separated from the western part of Karelia, called Finnish Karelia or historically Swedish...
.
World War I
During the Civil War in Finland, in February 1918, General Mannerheim, the commander of the anti-communist White GuardsWhite 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...
, wrote his famous Order of the Day, in which he declared that he would not set his sword to the scabbard "until the last Lenin's soldier and hooligan is deported from Finland and Vienna Karelia
East Karelia
East Karelia , also rendered as Eastern Karelia or Russian Karelia, is a name for the part of Karelia that since the Treaty of Stolbova in 1617 has remained Christian Orthodox under Russian supremacy. It is separated from the western part of Karelia, called Finnish Karelia or historically Swedish...
" ("... ennen kuin viimeinen Leninin soturi ja huligaani on karkoitettu niin hyvin Suomesta kuin Vienan Karjalastakin.").
The events at the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
made this goal hard to accomplish, but nevertheless, two attempts were made to this end: the Viena expedition
Viena expedition
The Viena expedition was a military expedition in March 1918 by Finnish volunteer forces to annex White Karelia from Bolshevist Russia. It was one of the many "kinship wars" fought near the newly independent Finland during the Russian Civil War...
in 1918 and Aunus expedition
Aunus expedition
The Aunus expedition was an attempt by Finnish volunteers to occupy parts of East Karelia in 1919, during the Russian Civil War. Aunus is the Finnish name for Olonets Karelia...
in 1919, during the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
had allowed Finland to occupy and annex two regions of East Karelia - Repola
Repola
Repola is a parish in the Republic of Karelia of the Russian Federation by the Finnish border. In 1926 the parish had a population of 1465.After Finland's declaration of independence the parish became an issue in Finnish-Russian relations when its population held a vote in August 1918 to join...
and Porajärvi respectively.
Between the wars
Hostilities between Finland and Soviet RussiaRussian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
came to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Tartu
Treaty of Tartu (Russian–Finnish)
The Treaty of Tartu between Finland and Soviet Russia was signed on 14 October 1920 after negotiations that lasted for four months. The treaty confirmed the border between Finland and Soviet Russia after the Finnish civil war and Finnish volunteer expeditions in Russian East Karelia. Ratifications...
in 1920. In accordance with the treaty, Soviet Russia ceded Petsamo
Pechengsky District
Pechengsky 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...
to Finland and guaranteed special freedoms to the Karelian SSR. In return, Finland had to give up the two previously annexed Karelian counties. This was seen by many Finns as a very bad deal. The peace treaty thus got a nickname, "a Shame Peace" (Häpeärauha in Finnish).
World War II
Following the Soviet attackContinuation 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...
of June 25, 1941, Finland was again at war with its eastern neighbour. On July 10, 1941, Mannerheim referred to his 1918 declaration in his "Order of the Day" speech to his troops: "... in 1918 I stated to the Finnish and Vienna Karelians, that I would not set my sword to the scabbard before Finland and East Karelia would be free." This Order of the Day signified the start of an offensive, which would result in a three-year long occupation of Russian Karelia.
Diplomatic disaster
Immediately after the Axis invasion, Finland officially declared itself neutral in relation to the conflict. However, German minelayers, which had been hiding in the Finnish archipelago, laid two large minefields across the Gulf of FinlandGulf 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...
. Later the same night, German bombers flew along the Gulf of Finland to Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
and mined its harbor and the river Neva. On the return trip, these bombers landed on the Utti
Utti
Utti is a village in Kouvola, Finland. In 1789 the Battle of Utti took place there between Swedish and Russian forces. In 1918 General Carl Gustaf Mannerheim set up the first Finnish Air Force base in the village. Today, Utti is best known for the Utti Jaeger Regiment, a helicopter base and a...
airfield for refueling. After three days, early on the morning of June 25 a Soviet preemptive air-attack was unleashed on towns, airfields and industrial centers in Finland. The country was at war with its larger neighbor once again. This war, called the Continuation War
Continuation 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...
by Finland, began at first as a defensive war, but with the Sword Scabbard Declaration Mannerheim had lost the possibility to brand it as a defensive war, or even as a war of revanchism
Revanchism
Revanchism is a term used since the 1870s to describe a political manifestation of the will to reverse territorial losses incurred by a country, often following a war or social movement. Revanchism draws its strength from patriotic and retributionist thought and is often motivated by economic or...
to regain the territory lost in the Winter War
Winter 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...
, where 1/8 of the Finnish populace lived. Gradually, the Continuation War became a war of conquest
War of Conquest
War of Conquest is a massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game created by Rhode Island based IronZog in April 2002. The current version, Beta Version 3, has been online since October 23, 2002. The game is a two-dimensional Java-based landscape in which each user is a member of a nation...
, to capture land that had not historically belonged to Finland.
For large segments of the public, both in Finland and in other democratic countries, there was a huge difference between a defensive war
Defensive war
A defensive war is one of the causes that justify war by the criteria of the Just War tradition. It means a war where at least one nation is mainly trying to defend itself from another, as opposed to a war where both sides are trying to invade and conquer each other.-Examples:* The Darius'...
and a war of aggression
War of aggression
A war of aggression, sometimes also war of conquest, is a military conflict waged without the justification of self-defense usually for territorial gain and subjugation. The phrase is distinctly modern and diametrically opposed to the prior legal international standard of "might makes right", under...
. In the Winter War Finland had the sympathy of virtually the whole world (with the exception of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and the aggressor, 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....
). The chief reason was that Finland, in international opinion, was unjustly attacked by a much larger power. In the Continuation War, on the other hand, Finland was partly an aggressor in the eyes of some, attacking the Soviet Union alongside the Axis invasion. This badly damaged Finland's image in the eyes of the Churchill government and eventually caused the formerly sympathetic Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to declare war on Finland in December 1941.
External links
- Order of the Day of the Sword Scabbard at Mannerheim.fi
- English translation of the Order of the Day at heninen.net