Battle of Ruovesi

The first confrontation in Ruovesi occurred on 5 February, as the Reds crossed the frozen lake Palovesi and reached the road connecting Kuru and Ruovesi. 200 Whites of the Vöyri Military Academy managed to push the Reds back and secure the road.^[2] Minor clashes occurred on 12 February. A day later, the Reds launched a major offensive against the Ruovesi village from three directions. They were joined by a group of 500–600 Russian volunteers, commanded by the second lieutenant G. A. Stolbov. The Soviet unit included 250–350 anarchist sailors from the Baltic Fleet battleships Poltava and Respublika, and the destroyer Orfei, that were docked in Turku. The sailors were heading back home by train via Tampere, but had decided to participate in the war on the Tavastia Front on their way to Soviet Russia.^[5][6][7]

The Soviets assaulted the White positions by the Pekkala Manor, with waving black flags and Jolly Rogers. After several hours of fighting, some of the Whites escaped to the ice of lake Palovesi, and the commander Martin Wetzer gave an order to retreat. However, a unit of White Guard fighters from Lapua, commanded by the prominent warlord Matti Laurila, managed to take the anarchists by surprise as they were crossing an open field. The sailors were not trained in ground warfare, which caused heavy losses in the machine gun fire, and the anarchists were forced to retreat as the darkness fell. At least 11 Soviets were killed and 30 wounded. This was the only battle the anarchists fought in the Finnish Civil War, the sailors returned Russia in two days. The rest of the Soviet volunteers were transferred to the Battle of Kuru, taking place 20 kilometres southwest of Ruovesi.^[5][6][7] According to some sources, two anarchists stayed at the front for a while trying to raise a guerilla warfare.^[1]

The Reds launched three more offensives on 21 February, 2 March and 10 March, but these attacks failed as well.^[2]

On 15 March, the Whites launched their major attack on the Tavastia Front. Most of the Ruovesi Reds retreated to the Murole Canal. A day later, they were joined by the Russian volunteers from Kuru, who were pushed back by the 1,650-men squad of the Swedish colonel lieutenant Harald Hjalmarson. On 18 March, the Red positions were pounded by heavy artillery fire, and they decided to leave Ruovesi. The Reds retreated south, where they soon joined the Battle of Tampere. The Reds were joined by their fleeing family members and other civilians who supported them.^[2]

On 19 March, the whole Ruovesi was under White control. A week later, the White Army started a general draft among the men who had stayed in Ruovesi. However, most of them were Red supporters who did not take part on the conscription.^[2]

Most of the Ruovesi Reds who participated the Battle of Tampere were captured as the town fell in 4–6 April. They were taken to the Kalevankangas camp where the commander Emil Koski was executed on 5 May.^[2] Herman Järvinen, was killed in action on 3 April.^[8]

During the Battle of Ruovesi, the Reds killed 14 civilians who were suspected as White collaborators or spies. The Whites, in turn, killed at least four civilians.^[2]

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61°53′49″N 24°06′23″E / 61.896865°N 24.106484°E / 61.896865; 24.106484