4

Although in principle Finns could not be enlisted in the Russian Army, the Grand Duchy quickly suffered the effects of the counter-blows of the First World War. It was in particular the Russian revolution of March 1917 that plunged Finland into chaos before it won its independence in December. While the economy was idling and famine was threatening, socio-political tensions led to a civil war that broke out at the beginning of 1918 and ended in a bloody repression. This state of affairs had a direct influence on how Finns remember the time. Diverse and highly politicized recollections were formed that pervaded the whole field of memory and complicated the task of historians for a long time. Nevertheless, beyond the biased testimonies, other sources are available that can provide subtler revelations.