Forest Guerrillas

Forest Guerrillas
Metsäsissit
War flag of East Karelia, used by the Forest Guerrillas.
Active1920–1922
DisbandedFebruary 1922
Allegiance Karelian United Government
TypeParamilitary
Size3,000+
EngagementsEast Karelian uprising
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Ossippa Borissainen
Ukki Väinämöinen
Paavo Talvela
Jalmari Takkinen

Forest Guerrillas (Finnish: Metsäsissit) were an East Karelian resistance movement that was created officially on 14 October 1921.[1] There were around 3,000 Forest Guerillas in total during the East Karelian Uprising as a Karelian and Finnish resistance movement against Bolshevik Russia, aiming for an East Karelian state with independence from Russia, and in some occasions unification or cooperation with Finland. Most of the soldiers of the Forest Guerillas were from White Karelia, Repola & Porajärvi and Olonets Karelia.[1] The heraldry of the East Karelian Forest Guerillas was created by Akseli Gallen-Kallela.[2]

  1. ^ a b Niinistö, Jussi (1998). Suomalaisia soturikohtaloita (in Finnish). Suomalaisuuden liitto. ISBN 978-951-96348-5-2.
  2. ^ "Karjalan vaakunat". heninen.net. Retrieved 2024-01-17.