8 9 4 . ▁ ▁His ▁parents ▁were ▁Karl ▁Johan ▁Gabriel ▁Gr ound st ro em ▁and ▁A ina ▁Fred ri ka ▁W id b om . ▁ ▁His ▁brother ▁was ▁j äger ▁Captain ▁Ens io ▁Gr ound st ro em . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁Gr ound st ro em ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁Hels ink i ▁Normal ▁school ▁and ▁joined ▁the ▁H äm äl ä inen ▁student ▁nation . ▁He ▁studied ▁at ▁the ▁The ological ▁Fac ulty ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Hels ink i ▁between ▁ 1 9 1 3 ▁and ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁gain ing ▁a ▁first ▁degree ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 . ▁ ▁Finland ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁emp ire ▁throughout ▁Gr ound st ro em ' s ▁child hood ▁and ▁early ▁man hood . ▁ ▁A ▁degree ▁of ▁civil ▁liberty ▁was ▁obtained ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁with ▁a ▁parliament ▁elected ▁under ▁universal ▁suff rage . ▁However , ▁the ▁parliament ▁was ▁often ▁dissol ved ▁by ▁ts ar ist ▁Govern ors ▁General ▁and ▁many ▁Fin ns ▁des pa ired ▁of ▁gain ing ▁full ▁political ▁rights . ▁Some ▁sympath ized ▁with ▁the ▁Russian ▁extrem ists ▁who ▁were ▁prepar ing ▁to ▁use ▁force ▁to ▁to pp le ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire . ▁ ▁Sold ier ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 ▁August ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁Germany ▁declared ▁war ▁on ▁Russia ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁ ▁Gr ound st ro em ▁left ▁his ▁the ological ▁studies ▁and ▁joined ▁the