Editing Politics of Finland (section)

=== Independence and civil war ===
The Finnish Senate issued a [[Finnish Declaration of Independence|declaration of independence]] on 6 December 1917, after Russia's second [[October Revolution|revolution in October]] 1917. The [[Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Council of People's Commissars of Soviet Russia]], chaired by [[Vladimir Lenin|Lenin]], recognized Finland's independence on 31 December 1917, and soon after that many other states followed.

On 28 January 1918, a [[Finnish Civil War|civil war]] broke out that ended in the victory of German-backed [[Whites (Finland)|Whites]] against Bolshevik-backed [[Reds (Finland)|Reds]]. In the same year the volunteers made some [[Heimosodat|armed expeditions]] into Soviet Russia, including Karelia, and also Estonia. The Finnish Civil War was part of the [[First World War]]. The war was fought between the [[Senate of Finland|Finnish Senate]], i.e. the forces led by the government, and the [[Finnish People's Delegation]], from 27 January to 16 May 1918. The Senate forces were called Whites and the People's Delegation forces Reds.