Page:Lars Henning Söderhjelm - The Red Insurrection in Finland in 1918 - tr. Annie Ingebord Fausbøll (1920).djvu/12

 of their army had been captured by the victors. The most ignominious and bloodiest episode in the history of Finland was hereby closed.

What was the meaning of this revolution and this insurrection? What were its wishes, what its aims, and what caused it These questions will be quite briefly answered in the present little volume. Any complete statement cannot, of course, as yet be given, and least of all can there be any attempt at an historical account of the war. But it has seemed necessary already now to give interested people abroad a description of the psychology of the movement based upon reliable documents—and exclusively on such. This is attained partly by examining the causes of the revolution and the preparations for it, and partly by acquainting oneself with the conception of the "Red" themselves as it is revealed in the accounts and evidence in their papers, of which a great deal have fortunately been found which are of invaluable benefit for the history of the insurrection.

This account was written at the suggestion of persons who have been in close touch with the events. While I was doing service in one of the offices established for winding up the affairs of the insurrection, I was enabled to carry out this task, and obtain an insight into all the documents hitherto brought to light, through the friendly assistance of Senator A. Frey and the courtesy of the chiefs and the staff. For this I desire to express my grateful acknowledgments.