| Conflict: | Heimosodat (1918–1922) |
| Partof: | the Russian Civil War and Finnish-Soviet wars |
| Date: | 21 March 1918 – 21 March 1922 |
| Result: | Treaty of Tartu |
| Territory: | Finnish victory in Estonia and Annexation of Petsamo Soviet victory in White Karelia, Aunus, Petrograd and East Karelia |
| Combatant1: |  United Kingdom (Estonian War of Independence) |
| Combatant2: | (Viena expedition) |
| Commander2: | |
| Strength1: | Finland: ~10,000 |
| Strength2: | Red Army: 113,000 Red Guard: 1,500 |
The Finnish term Finnish: Heimosodat (singular Finnish: heimosota)[1] refers to a series of armed conflicts and private military expeditions in 1918–1922 into areas of the former Russian Empire that bordered on Finland and were inhabited in large part by other Finnic peoples.
The term has been translated into English as "Kindred Nations Wars", "Wars for kindred peoples", "Kinfolk wars",[2] or "Kinship Wars," specifically referring to Finnic kinship. Finnish volunteers took part in these conflicts, either to assert Finnish control over areas inhabited by related Finnic peoples, or to help them gain independence from Soviet Russia. Many of the volunteers were inspired by the idea of "Greater Finland". Some of the conflicts were incursions from Finland, and some were local uprisings in which volunteers wanted either to help people fight for independence or to annex areas to Finland. According to Aapo Roselius, about 10,000 volunteers from Finland took part in the armed conflicts mentioned below.[3]
The phenomenon is closely linked to nationalism and irredentism, as Finland had just formally gained its national independence in 1917, and a part of the population felt that they had obligations to help other Finnic peoples to attain the same. Estonia, the closest and numerically largest "kindred nation", had gained its independence at the same time, but had fewer resources, fewer institutions ready to support its attained position, and more Bolshevik Russian troops within its borders. Other Finnic peoples were at a less organized level of cultural, economic and political capability. The Finnish Civil War had awakened strong nationalistic feelings in Finnish citizens and other Finnic peoples, and they sought tangible ways to put these feelings into action. For the two next decades, Finns participated at a relatively high rate in nationalistic activities (e.g. Karelianism and Finnicization of the country and its institutions). This development was related to the trauma and divisiveness of the Finnish Civil War. Many White sympathizers in the Civil War became radically nationalistic as a result of the war. The strenuous five-year period 1939–45 of total war — which also mostly unified the nation — reduced this enthusiasm.
See main article: article and Viena expedition.
See main article: article and Petsamo expeditions.
See main article: article and Pohjan Pojat.
See main article: article and Revolt of the Ingrian Finns.
See main article: article and Aunus expedition.
See main article: article and Battle of Petrograd.
See main article: article and East Karelian Uprising.
