The Whites is the name used to the refugee government and forces under Pehr Evind Svinhufvud's first senate

Pehr Evind Svinhufvud's first senate

Pehr Evind Svinhufvud's first senate was the first government of the independent Kingdom of Finland.The Senate's term spanned from November 27, 1917 – May 27, 1918. The Senate sat in Vaasa during the Finnish Civil War from January 29 to May 3, 1918 and was named as Vaasa Senate....

 during 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 forces were initially formed by the paramilitary 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...

 and other recruitees and draftees. Separatist-minded from Russia, the Jägers had left to Germany between 1914 and 1917 for military training and returned at eve of the civil war, many already as First World War veterans.