Military records concerning Finland can be divided into three periods based on time and content. The oldest records date back to the Swedish rule from the 16th century until 1809. A particularly significant event was the establishment of the allotment system in 1680. The next period covers the army of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland until 1905. During the final years of autonomy, 1904–1917, Finland did not have its own army. The third era encompasses the records of the Finnish Defence Forces since independence, with the documents from the Winter War, Continuation War, and Lapland War between 1939 and 1945 being particularly important.
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Swedish rule until 1809
The National Archives' Militaria collection is a significant source for researching Finnish military history during the Swedish rule. The collection mainly covers the 18th and early 19th centuries and includes a variety of personnel lists, administrative documents, and information about conscription, inspections, and promotions. For genealogists, the watchlist in the collection offer valuable information about ancestors. In addition to the Militaria collection, the National Archives holds other military-related collections that complement the picture of Finland's military establishment. Microfilms from Swedish archives are available for researching earlier centuries and war events. The research possibilities are extensive: the Militaria collection can be used to examine the lives of individual soldiers as well as broader social-historical phenomena. The collection also allows for a deeper understanding of the development of the military establishment in the Finnish region during the Swedish rule. The Militaria collection at the National Archives contains military records from before 1809. The collection consists of three parts. Militaria I is a small collection that mainly contains documents related to Finnish regiments from the 17th century. Militaria II and III contain documents from military units in the Finnish region from the early 18th century until 1809. Documents from the allotment infantry and dragoon regiments are included in the Militaria II collection, and documents from the enlisted troops in the Militaria III collection. The Militaria collection includes general watchlist, watchlist, recruitment rolls, official letters, and documents related to regimental administration. However, the National Archives has not yet digitized these documents, but they are available through the Swedish National Archives (Riksarkivet). Similarly, most of them can be found on the member pages of the Finnish Genealogical Society. From the late 17th century onwards, the content of the general watchlist became standardized. In addition to the soldiers' first and last names, place of residence, and allotment or cavalry farm information, the rolls also included salary information for officers and non-commissioned officers from 1685 onwards. Soldiers were given Swedish military names, which replaced traditional patronymic names. Birthplace entries varied from county-level accuracy to parish-level accuracy and could differ from church records. The 1767 watch roll regulations brought clarifications to the preparation of the rolls.
The rolls of the allotment regiments had separate columns for each soldier, which included information such as:
- number in the regiment
- number in the company
- name of the allotment or cavalry farm
- soldier's name, status, and birthplace, as well as changes since the last watch
- man's age
- years of service
- marital status
- in cavalry and dragoon regiments, the horse's age, color, and markings
- remarks from the previous watch
- remarks from the current watch. From 1775 onwards, the men's height was also recorded in the general watch roll.
The following information was recorded for soldiers in enlisted regiments:
- number in the company
- man's name, birthplace, and religion
- recruiter: crown or company commander
- enlistment and its duration
- years served from the enlistment period
- age
- years of service
- marital status
- craft skills
- remarks from the previous watch
- remarks from the current watch. Note - the dragoon rode on horseback but fought on foot.
Autonomy Period, 1812–1905
During the period of autonomy, two types of military units were active in Finland: Russian units of the Russian army (so-called Finnish units) and military forces of the autonomous Finnish army, mainly consisting of Finns. In the early years of autonomy, the estates were exempt from military service at their own request. Instead, they paid so-called vacancy fees, which remained in effect until 1889.
Military records from the autonomy period form a diverse collection, including various documents related to military units, such as watchlist, resumes, diaries, various document books, conscription records, and other administrative documents. The language of the documents varies between Russian and Swedish, and from the late 19th century onwards, Finnish also begins to appear. However, the lists of military units are mainly written in Swedish. The documents of the Russian troops operating in Finland have been compiled into a separate collection. Although Finnish troops rarely participated in active warfare during the autonomy period, the preserved military records still provide valuable information about the history of Finland's military establishment. The archives of troops and headquarters can reveal information about, for example, skirmishes during the Crimean War and the participation of the Finnish Guard in the Turkish War in 1878.
However, the significance of military records is particularly emphasized in genealogy, where they serve as an important source for uncovering the past. On a broader scale, military records can also be utilized in researching the society of the autonomy period, as they shed light on the social structures of the era and offer perspectives on people's lives during that time. Military records from the autonomy period have been digitized very little so far, so those who need them must visit the National Archives, mainly the Helsinki office. Structurally, the documents are clear, so even beginners can utilize them. The materials of the military units have been cataloged in the Astia archive register by transfer with the series code M (numbers 1-295). The table of contents for the M series can be found here.
The chart of military units during the period of autonomy can be found here.
Conscription and military service in Autonomous Finland (1859-1905)
Conscription
All Finnish men were subject to mandatory military service upon reaching the age of 22. This policy applied to individuals born between 1859 and 1883, as the conscript army was dissolved in the early 20th century.
Determining service type
The type of military service each conscript would perform was decided through a lottery system during a conscription event held in their home municipality. This lottery determined whether a conscript would serve in the regular troops or the reserves.
Regular service vs. reserve training
Those with a low lottery number were assigned to regular service, which entailed three years of continuous active duty. Those with a higher lottery number were designated for reserve training. Reservists participated in three training sessions during the summer following their conscription, with the duration decreasing from 45 days in the first summer to 30 days in the second and 15 days in the third, totaling 90 days.
Factors affecting lottery outcome
The odds of being selected for regular service or reserve training varied depending on several factors, including the population of the municipality. The number of conscripts assigned to regular service from each municipality was predetermined.
Volunteers and applicants
In addition to conscripts selected through the lottery, the army also accepted volunteers (frivillig) and applicants (volontär). Volunteers, often educated individuals, were granted reduced service time, while applicants were obligated to serve the maximum three years regardless of their lottery number.
Exemptions
Certain individuals could be exempted from military service permanently based on their profession, family situation, or health conditions.
Finnish Defence Forces since Independence
During the First World War, a group of Finnish volunteers sought military training in Germany, which was then at war with Russia. Extensive source material has been preserved from these Jäger troops, most of which is located in the National Archives. The 1930 publication "Suomen jääkärien elämäkerrasto"[1] (Biographies of Finnish Jäger Troops) offers a comprehensive information package about the Jäger troops, and its background material with photographs is also in the possession of the National Archives. In addition, index cards have been created for most of the Jäger troops who made a career in Finland, and copies of these can be ordered from the archives through the Astia service. Information about Jäger troops who were part of the Finnish Defence Forces' regular personnel can often also be found in the register of the Defence Forces' regular personnel, which is in remote storage at the National Archives. After Finland's independence in 1919, the first, interim conscription law was enacted, which set the service time at one and a half years. Conscripts entered service in April and were discharged in October of the following year. In 1922, the service time was generally shortened to one year, but reserve officer and non-commissioned officer trainees, as well as those belonging to certain technical branches, served for 15 months. The start and end dates of service were determined annually by decree. The conscription law enacted in 1932 shortened the service time to 350 days, with reserve officers and non-commissioned officers serving 440 days. The first nationwide conscriptions were held in 1919. Those born in 1897, who turned 22 in the year of conscription, were eligible. This age group is the first for which comprehensive service history index cards have been created. The index cards of the fallen soldiers who died in the last wars, namely the Winter, Continuation, and Lapland Wars, have been digitized and can be viewed here.
In addition to the index cards, important sources are the conscription lists, which contain information about all those who participated in the conscriptions, including those who did not complete military service. Furthermore, daily orders provide valuable information about the service history of individuals and the general activities of military units. Daily orders were issued in most military units almost daily during the interwar period.
See also
Explore more about Finnish military records
- Finland - Military collection catalog at MyHeritage
- Research Finns – Finnish not required; Internet is! webinar at Legacy Family Tree webinars
- Arkistojen Portti (in Finnish)
- Puolustusvoimien historiaa - Turvaa ja vapautta vailla. Finnish Defence Foreces (in Finnish)
- Väenotoista yleiseen asevelvollisuuteen. Historiatietoa/Reino Kallio (in Finnish)