Finnish Defence Forces

The Finnish Defence Forces (Finnish: Puolustusvoimat) consist of 34,700 people in uniform (27,300 army, 3,000 navy, and 4,400 air force). Finland's defence budget equals about 2% of the GDP. A universal male conscription is in place, under which all men above 18 years of age serve from 6 to 12 months, although service for Jehovah's Witnesses is not mandatory and inhabitants of Åland have a different system in place. Also a 13-month-long non-military service is possible. As of 1995, women were permitted to serve on a voluntary basis. The defence is based on a large trained reserve. Finland can mobilize 490,000 trained military personnel in a crisis situation.

History

The autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland had its of standing army and its own system of conscription. The Guard of Finland fought alongside the imperial army in several of Russias wars. Russification efforts after 1899 resulted in dodging of the draft and later in the abolishment of conscription.

Related Topics:
Grand Duchy of Finland - Standing army - Conscription - Guard of Finland - Imperial - Russification - 1899 - Draft

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During World War I Finnish volunteers secretly joined the Imperial German army to receive military traning. These Finnish Jäger troops arrived in February 1918 in the white capital city of Vaasa and formed the core of the White Army in the Finnish Civil War.

Related Topics:
World War I - Imperial German - Finnish Jäger troops - 1918 - Vaasa - Finnish Civil War

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Russian revolutions had caused the creation of Red and White Guards in Finland. On January 25, 1918 the White Guard were declared to be the official troops of the white government. This marks the formation of the armed forces of the independent Finland.

Related Topics:
Russian revolutions - Red - White Guard - January 25 - 1918

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the Finnish Civil War the armed forces were organised according to the German system. In February 1919 the White Guard separated from the armed forces and became an independent organisation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Restrictions on armaments

The Paris Peace Treaty after the Continuation War limited the strength of the Finnish Army to 34,400 men, the Navy to 4,500 men and the maximum displacement of ships in the navy to 10,000 tonnes. The Air Force was limited to 3,000 men and 60 planes. Also certain weapons such as guided missiles, submarines, proximity mines, torpedo boats, bombers with internal bomb racks and any weapons of German origin were forbidden. Later "defensive" missiles were allowed. All of the restrictions, except for the ban on nuclear weapons, were unilaterally lifted by president Mauno Koivisto after the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Related Topics:
Paris Peace Treaty - Continuation War - Guided missile - Submarine - Mine - Torpedo boat - Bomber - German - Nuclear weapons - Mauno Koivisto - Breakup of the Soviet Union

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~