Battle of Helsinki

Battle of Helsinki
Part of the Finnish Civil War
German troops in the Kamppi district.
Date 12–13 April, 1918 Location Helsinki, Finland Result German and White victory
Belligerents
German Empire Finnish Whites	Finnish Reds
Commanders and leaders
Rüdiger von der Goltz Hugo Meurer Carl Voss-Schrader	F. E. Johansson † Edvard Nyqvist
Units involved
Baltic Sea Division Imperial German Navy Helsinki White Guard	Helsinki Red Guard
Strength
6,000 Germans 2,000 Whites	1,500–2,000 in the combat units
Casualties and losses
54 Germans killed 23 Whites killed	c. 400 killed 4,000–6,000 captured

The Battle of Helsinki was a 1918 Finnish Civil War battle, fought in 12–13 April between the German troops and Finnish Whites against the Finnish Reds in Helsinki, Finland. Together with the battles of Tampere and Vyborg, it was one of the three major urban battles of the Finnish Civil War. The Germans invaded Helsinki despite the opposition of Finnish White Army leader Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim who wanted to attack the capital city with his own troops after Tampere had fallen on 6 April. However, the Germans had their own interests of taking Helsinki as quick as possible and then moving further east towards the Russian border. The city had been under Red control for 11 weeks since the beginning of the war.

The German Baltic Sea Division landed Finland on 3 April and entered the Helsinki area eight days later. In the city centre, the defending Reds did not have defensive lines or barricades but were fighting inside single buildings and blocks, which the Germans then had to take one by one. During the battle, the life in Helsinki went on as usual. The shops and restaurants were open, the public transportation was in function and the factories were running. The curious spectators were wandering so close that the Germans had to told them move back. The White supporters considered Germans as liberators and handed them flowers as well as tea, coffee and snacks to eat.

Nearly 500 people were killed in the battle. The number includes about 400 Red Guard fighters who were killed in action or executed after capitulation, 54 Germans and 23 White Guard members. The number of executed Reds is unclear, but the it is estimated between 20 and 50. After the battle, from 4,000 to 6,000 Red Guard members or supporters was arrested.

The 10,000-men-strong Baltic Sea Division attacked Helsinki with 6,000 men including two infantry regiments, one jäger battallion, an artillery battery and some supportive troops. The Imperial German Navy landed 400 Seebataillon marines to the Katajanokka district, where they entered the downtown and joined the Baltic Division. The Germans were supported by 2,000 Helsinki White Guard members, who had been active underground during the Red control of the city. However, the Whites did not have any important role as they joined the battle in its late stage.

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