▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁Finland ▁declared ▁independence ▁from ▁what ▁had ▁become ▁commun ist ▁Russia , ▁which ▁the ▁Russian ▁government ▁immediately ▁recognized ▁as ▁legit imate , ▁with ▁respect ▁to ▁their ▁recently ▁issued ▁declaration ▁aff irm ing ▁the ▁right ▁of ▁their ▁subjects ' ▁self - det erm ination , ▁including ▁se cess ion ▁( al beit ▁with ▁the ▁assumption ▁that ▁such ▁declarations ▁would ▁be ▁followed ▁by ▁commun ist ▁revolution s ▁anyway ). ▁The ▁Finn ish ▁parliament ▁appointed ▁Pe hr ▁Ev ind ▁S vin h uf v ud ▁to ▁lead ▁the ▁newly - in dependent ▁grand ▁du chy ' s ▁inter reg num ▁government . ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁a ▁Military ▁committee ▁was ▁charged ▁with ▁bol ster ing ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁army , ▁then ▁not ▁much ▁more ▁than ▁some ▁locally ▁organ ised ▁White ▁Gu ards . ▁M anner heim ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁committee , ▁but ▁soon ▁res igned ▁to ▁protest ▁its ▁inde c ision . ▁On ▁ 1 3 ▁January ▁he ▁was ▁given ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁army . ▁He ▁had ▁only ▁ 2 4 , 0 0 0 ▁newly ▁en list ed , ▁mostly ▁un tra ined ▁men . ▁The ▁Finn ish ▁red ▁guard ▁had ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁men ▁and ▁there ▁were ▁ 7 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Russian ▁troops ▁in ▁Finland . ▁His ▁army ▁was ▁fin anced ▁by ▁a ▁fifteen ▁million ▁mark ▁line ▁of ▁credit ▁provided ▁by ▁the ▁bank ers . ▁His ▁raw ▁rec ruits ▁had ▁few ▁arms . ▁Non eth eless ▁he