From Baltics to Balkans

In honor of Donald Joffrey Trump's gobsmackable performance in Helsinki this week, I kick off Suomiback Saturday with an update on Finnish history one century ago this summer.

"Anticipation and Realization" by Ted Brown in Chicago Daily News, ca. July, 1918

Prior to Russia's February Revolution, Finland had been an autonomous Grand Duchy under the Romanov emperors, but technically not part of Russia. The overthrow of Nicholas II put Finland's status relative to St. Petersburg in dispute. The Finnish parliament voted to make itself the nation's chief governing body, and after the October Revolution, declared independence on December 6, 1917.

"Orders from the Boss" by Gibbs in Baltimore Sun, ca. July, 1918

Conflict between the government's majority conservatives (Whites) and minority social democrats (Reds) flared into civil war. With military support from Germany, the Whites prevailed, booted the Reds from parliament, and in October of 1918 elected Kaiser Wilhelm's brother-in-law Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse as king. But by then, World War I was finally drawing to a close, and Frederick never actually assumed the Finnish throne.

"The Master's Voice in Finland" by David Wilson in The Passing Show, London, ca. June, 1918

Also officially breaking away from Russia were the Baltic states, occupied by Germany since 1915. Under the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Russia renounced its claims on the Baltic nations and agreed that they would be in Germany's sphere of influence. Latvia and Estonia declared themselves The United Baltic Duchy under a German duke; and in July of 1918, the State Council of Lithuania elected another German duke, Duke Wilhelm of Urach, as their King Mindaugas II. 

"Little Lithuania Will Now Be Led to Slaughter" by Blackman in Birmingham (Alabama) Age-Herald, ca. June, 1918

Germany, however, preferred other candidates with closer ties to the Kaiser. German occupiers censored the Lithuanian press from publishing anything about the new king, and actually shut down the Council's official newspaper for refusing to print an article denouncing King Mindaugas.

"The Liberator" by Eddie Eksergian in St. Louis Globe-Democrat, ca. June, 1918.

Despite taking a crash course in Lithuanian language and history, Duke Wilhelm ended up never setting foot in Lithuania, either.

"Family Troubles" by C.A. Bronstrup in San Francisco Chronicle, ca. June, 1918

Meanwhile, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which had begun World War I in the first place, was beginning to unravel. With its military suffering reverses on the Italian front, the empire was confronted by declarations of independence by its southern Slav and Czech subjects, compounded by labor and pacifist strikes at home.

"Czech the Giant Killer" by W.A. Rogers in New York Herald, ca. July, 1918

Before the Russian revolutions, Czech and Slovak deserters from the Austrian army had fled to Russia rather than fight against their slavic kin. Their numbers boosted by Czech prisoners of war captured by the Russians, the Kerensky government gave them permission to fight against Austria. The Bolsheviks initially promised them passage through Siberia to Vladivostok and thence to France — only to insist that they surrender their weapons, since facilitating the Czechs' fight against the Central Powers would be a clear violation of Brest-Litovsk.

"Das Banner der Tschecho-slowakischen Legion" by M. Richter in Ulk, Berlin, July 19, 1918

But a Cossack government in Siberia headed by M. Horvath was friendly to the Czech-Slovaks. Joining together to fight the Bolsheviks, they secured much of the Trans-Siberian Railway by mid-July, and declared the city of Vladivostok to be an Allied protectorate. They conquered Yekaterinburg as well, but too late to save deposed Tsar Nicholas II and his household.

"The Salvation Army" by John F. Knott in Dallas News, ca. July, 1918

The above cartoonist, John F. Knott, was born in Plzeň, Austria-Hungary (now Czech Republic), emigrating to Iowa with his widowed mother in 1883 when he was 5 years old. His sympathy for his fellow Czechs is therefore quite understandable, and probably shared by many Bohemian-Americans.

"When Thieves Fall Out" by A.G. Racey in Montreal Star, July, 1918

And we conclude our tour in the Balkans. Greek forces with the support of France captured Skra from the Bulgarian army in May of 1918, prompting the resignation of Bulgaria's prime minister. A new government began secret negotiations for a separate peace,. Great Britain rejected any continued control by Bulgaria over Macedonia, promising the territory to Greece and Serbia. Turkey had fought for possession of the same territory in the Balkan Wars of the early half of the decade, but no longer had any serious prospect of extending its European territory past Eastern Thrace.