ROMANIA AND FINLAND: ANTI-BOLSHEVIK INTERVENTION IN THE NEIGHBORING STATES IN 1919. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Дмитро БОНДАРЕНКО Институт стратегических исследований и прогнозов трансатлантических процессов (Одесса, Украина)

Abstract

Finland and Romania, two states that managed to resist the Bolshevik aggression in 1918-1919 and to defend their independence. They have become a kind of shield of the flanks of Europe (Scandinavia and the Balkans) from Bolshevism. Continuing the struggle against Bolshevism they intervened in neighboring states in 1919: Finland provided military assistance to Estonia, and Romania liquidated the Hungarian Soviet Republic. These anti-Bolshevik interventions had certain features. For instance, in Estonian case Finnish troops were landed in the capital of the country, Tallinn, and then advanced to Estonian-Russian border, liberating the country from the Bolsheviks. While the Finnish military contingent did not exceed Estonian national army. The actions of Finland had the nature of military assistance to the legal government of Estonia to wage war against external aggression. In the case of Hungary, on the contrary, the Bolsheviks had seized power in the capital and the country as whole then began the aggression against Romania. Romania was forced to resist the Bolshevik aggression from two fronts: Hungarian and Russian soviet republics. Having received the mandate of the Entente, Romania invaded Hungary to defeat soviet power and to assist Admiral M. Horthy to form National White army. Romanian army had advanced from the border of Hungary to its capital and occupied Budapest. The victory over the Hungarian Reds was occurred entirely due to the Romanian troops, because Hungarian White army was too weak in 1919. Keywords: Kingdom of Hungary, Kingdom of Finland, Estonian Republic, Hungarian Soviet Republic, RSFSR, King Ferdinand I, Regent Lieutenant-General Baron Karl Gustav Emil Mannerheim, Regent Vice-Admiral Miklos Horthy, Bolshevik aggression, World Revolution, Counter-revolution, Restoration, Intervention, Romanian-Hungarian war of 1919, Estonian War of Independence of 1919.