The Mäntsälä rebellion ( fi, Mäntsälän kapina, ) was a failed coup attempt by the Lapua Movement to overthrow the

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

government. On 27 February 1932 some 400 armed members of the ''

Suojeluskunta The White Guard or Civil Guard (, ; ; ) was a voluntary militia, part of the Finnish Whites movement, that emerged victorious over the socialist Red Guards in the Finnish Civil War of 1918. They were generally known as the "White Guard" in ...

'' militia interrupted a meeting of

Social Democrats Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote so ...

in Mäntsälä with small arms fire. This was a local event organized by the local chapter, but the national organization soon joined in.Iltalehti Teema Historia: Lapuan liike, Alma Media, 2015, pp. 4–7. In the next few days, leading members of the Lapua Movement (''Lapuanliike'') and hundreds of armed members of Suojeluskunta arrived at Mäntsälä. The former Chief of General Staff, Major General

Wallenius Wallenius is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Asser Wallenius (1902–1971), Finnish speed skater and racing driver who competed in the 1924 Winter Olympics * Bror-Erik Wallenius (born 1943), Finnish sports commentator who work ...

also joined the leadership of the rebellion. The men refused to disperse and demanded the cabinet's resignation and a change in political course. Two days later, the cabinet ordered the leaders of the Lapua movement arrested using the '' Protection of the Republic Act'' which the movement itself had urged for a year before. Army units prepared as the Chief of Defence, Lieutenant General

Aarne Sihvo Aarne Sihvo (22 November 1889 – 12 June 1963) was a Finnish general and politician. Biography Sihvo was born in Virolahti to a family of school teachers: Antti Adolf Sihvo and Minna Elisabeth o.s. Nyman. He graduated from a high school in 1910 ...

was prepared to use force to end the rebellion. Orders were given to reinforce the defence of

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

with tanks and artillery in case the situation worsened. As the tensions grew, so did the consumption of alcohol among the instigators. On 2 March President

Pehr Evind Svinhufvud Pehr Evind Svinhufvud af Qvalstad (; 15 December 1861 – 29 February 1944) was the third president of Finland from 1931 to 1937. Serving as a lawyer, judge, and politician in the Russian Grand Duchy of Finland, he played a major role in the ...

gave a radio speech in which he urged the militiamen to return home and promised that only the leaders would be punished. The President's speech was as follows: The men dispersed and the leaders were arrested a few days later. In spring, the Lapua Movement was disbanded. Only a small part of the ''Suojeluskunta'' had joined the rebels, while the majority remained loyal to the government. The Mäntsälä rebellion can be considered the last major radical-right-wing incident in Finland after the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. In the coming years, the economic situation in

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

would improve and radical movements would lose support.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mantsala Rebellion Rebellions in Finland Political history of Finland

Rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

1932 in Finland Attempted coups d'état Conflicts in 1932 February 1932 events March 1932 events Political violence Fascist revolts Fascism in Finland