Military history of Finland 3118424 216480728 2008-06-01T21:12:32Z RussBot 279219 Robot-assisted [[WP:D|disambiguation]]: Swede ==Prehistory== Finland was first settled around 8300 BC, and the prehistoric era lasted there until around AD 1200. Archaeological evidence of prehistoric warfare is very sketchy, largely because prehistoric skeletons, which might bear traces of violent traumas, rarely survive in the Finnish soil. However, during the [[Bronze Age]] (1500 - 500 BC) specialized weapons, such as battle-axes and swords, are included in the archaeological material, and there are indications of hill-forts. From the Roman Iron Age onwards, weapons are common finds. [[Viking]] attacks on Finland are indicated only by a couple of runic inscriptions in Sweden, as well as some uncertain saga sources. According to one saga, Olaf the Holy, later a King of [[Norway]], made an attack on a country that has often been interpreted as South-western Finland; he was defeated. ==Early Middle Ages == {{main|Early Finnish wars}} Before the 14th century Finnish history is very poorly documented. However, archaeological evidence, for example hill-forts, suggests that the 12th and 13th centuries were relatively restless, as [[Sweden]] and the Russian state of [[Novgorod]] were slowly spreading their dominance in North-eastern Europe. The Swedish kingdom championed Roman Catholic Christianity, whereas Novgorod was an Orthodox state. Several raids and attacks against the Finns are mentioned in Russian chronicles during the 12th and 13th centuries. Both Swedes and Danes made offensives against the Finns, sometimes referring to these operations as "Crusades". According to the Icelandic ''Egil's Saga'', the [[Norsemen|Norse]] and the (Northern) [[Finland|Finnish]] [[Kvens]] united their forces, apparently during the [[12th century]], against attacks by the Finnish [[Karelians]] who - with the assistance of [[Novgorod]] (part of today's Russia) - made advances towards Northern Finland and Norway. According to some sources, the [[Karelians]] destroyed the Swedish town of [[Sigtuna]] in 1187. In [[1251]] the Finnish ''Karelians'' again fought against the ''Norwegians'', and in [[1271]] the two Finnish peoples, the ''Kvens'' and the ''Karelians'', cooperated in wars and battles against the Norwegians in [[Hålogaland]] (Haalogaland). ==Finland as a part of Sweden== During the several following centuries, a gradual and slow process of Swedish expansion in today's [[Finland]] and the formation of [[Sweden]] took place, not through wars fought between the [[Finns]] and the [[Swedish people|Swedes]], but rather by various levels of wars and skirmishes between the [[Finns]] themselves, others - in the west, such as the people of [[Häme]] - sympathising with the [[Catholic]] Swedes, and others - in the eastern parts, particularly the [[Karelians]] - cooperating with the [[Orthodox]] [[Russians]]. Furthermore, during the first several centuries of the Swedish expansion to the traditional lands of the Finns - up to the 16th century and beyond - only the south-western parts of the area known today as Finland (then the lands of the Finns reached also beyond today's borders of the Republic of Finland) had been reached by the Swedish expansion and thus had become part of the Swedish realm. From [[1352]] until [[1808]] [[Finland]] was officially an integral part of the [[Swedish Realm]], including first only the south-western lands inhabited by the Finns but expanding east as time went by. [[Finland|Finnish]] soldiers fought in at least 38 known wars of Sweden, all of them having something to do with either power struggles within the [[Swedish royal family]] or struggles between Sweden and other nations. {{seealso|Swedish allotment system}} ==Autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland== As a result of the so called [[Finnish War]] of [[1808]]-[[1809]] Finland became an autonomous [[Grand Duchy of Finland]] in the [[Russian Empire]] until [[Finland's declaration of independence]] on [[December 6]], [[1917]]. During that period the [[Finnish army]] participated in the wars of Russia, such as the [[Crimean War]] - during which, in [[1855]], the [[France|French]] and the [[England|English]] navies attacked Finland - and the [[First World War]]. {{seealso|Military of the Grand Duchy of Finland}} ==Independent Republic of Finland== From [[1917]] on Finland has been an independent [[republic]]. This period started with the [[Finnish Civil War]] in [[1918]], between the reds ([[communists]]) and the whites ([[bourgeoisie]]), soon after Finland's declaration of independence. === World War II === {{POV|date=December 2007}} {{main|Military history of Finland during World War II}} In [[1939]] Finland became a target of a massive [[Soviet]] attack. This brutal war became to be known as the [[Winter War]]. The war lasted 105 days. In [[1941]] the [[Soviet Union]] attacked Finland again. This war was started by a 500 plane Soviet air attack against Finnish cities and other Finnish targets, within the Finnish boundaries. This war became to be called the [[Continuation War]]. It lasted from the summer of [[1941]] until the Fall of [[1944]]. Next - in [[1945]] - Finland was in war against Germany. That war is called the [[Lapland War]]. Since the birth of the [[United Nations]] in [[1945]] the Finnish military troops - including various types of military personnel and advicers - have participated in numerous peace keeping operations of [[UN]]. {{seealso|Finnish Defence Forces}} ==See also== * [[List of Finnish wars]] {{Military history of Europe}} [[Category:Military history of Finland| ]] [[fi:Suomen sodat]] [[fr:Histoire militaire de la Finlande]]