Various perspectives on the war of 1918 in Finland can be reasonably presented, and many different names have been used for the conflict, depending on the perspective of each side. The different explanations and names for the events of 1918 are partially due to the complexity and diversity of those events.
The war involved two Finnish sides as well as foreign powers, resulting in divided memories and interpretations. In the 1990s, the term civil war became commonly used, as a neutral term that describes a conflict where citizens of the same country fight each other with the involvement of foreign powers.
During the war, terms like kansalaissota often translated as civil war but literally meaning the citizen’s war and vapaussota, translated as the war of independence or the war of liberation, were used, reflecting the perspectives and motives of those involved. The literal term citizen’s war appeared in the White press and is also used in other languages. The White side also referred to the war at the time as the struggle for liberation.
The term war of liberation only became widely used at the very end of the war, and especially in the so-called White’s liberation literature of the 1920s and 1930s. This term was used to emphasize the securing of independence. For the White side, the war was particularly about removing Russian troops from Finland, as a Red victory might have put Finland’s recent independence on shaky ground. On the other hand, agreements made by the White side also tied Finland to Germany politically, economically, and militarily. Finland’s good fortune was that Germany, too, collapsed in the world war.
Rebellion, Red rebellion, and Tenant farmers’ rebellion were terms used especially to describe the actions of the Reds during the war. Both sides used these terms. When a rebellion succeeds, it is called a revolution, but if it is suppressed, it remains a rebellion. Revolution was the contemporary term used by the Reds to describe the war. This term can also be seen as a neutral name related to power politics.
The term Class war can be understood in at least three senses: as a contemporary experience, as a later political interpretation, and as a scientific generalization. As a general term, Class war has its limitations, but Finland in the early 20th century was a class-based society marked by social divisions and political inequality. According to contemporary sources, the war of 1918 was experienced as a class war on both sides. The working class fought against the bourgeoisie, and the upper class fought against the lower class.
When citizens of the same country fight each other, the term Brother war can also be used. Sometimes, even members of the same family found themselves on opposite sides of the war. However, Brother war does not account for foreign powers, such as the German and Russian troops involved in Finland’s case. Brother war also highlights the role of gender in the conflict. The war of 1918 was notable for the involvement of women on the battlefield.
Other terms used include the War of 1918 in Finland and The Finnish War of 1918.