Page "Finnish Civil War" Paragraph 69

In foreign policy Red Finland leaned on Bolshevist Russia, which declared its support for the Finnish revolution.

A treaty and peace agreement-the world's first between two socialist governments-was signed on 1 March 1918.

The negotiations for the treaty revealed, however, that, as in World War I in general, nationalism was more important for both sides than the principles of international socialism.

The Red Finns did not accept total alliance with the Bolsheviks ; major disputes continued over demarcation of the border between Red Finland and Soviet Russia, and over the civil rights of Russian citizens in Finland.

The bargaining sides agreed to an exchange of land areas ; an artillery base, Ino, located in the Karelian Isthmus, was transferred to Russia, while Finland received Petsamo in north-eastern Lapland.

The significance of the Finnish-Russian Red treaty evaporated almost immediately, due to the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk between the Bolsheviks and the German Empire on 3 March 1918.