▁march ed ▁them ▁to ▁Va asa , ▁which ▁was ▁g arrison ed ▁by ▁ 4 2 , 5 0 0 ▁Rus si ans . ▁He ▁surrounded ▁the ▁Russian ▁g arrison ▁with ▁a ▁mass ▁of ▁men ; ▁the ▁def enders ▁could ▁not ▁see ▁that ▁only ▁the ▁front ▁rank ▁was ▁armed , ▁so ▁they ▁surrender ed , ▁providing ▁badly ▁needed ▁arms . ▁Further ▁weapons ▁were ▁purchased ▁from ▁Germany . ▁E ight y - four ▁Swedish ▁officers ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 ▁Swedish ▁N CO s ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁Civil ▁War ▁( or ▁War ▁of ▁Liber ty , ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁known ▁among ▁the ▁" Wh ites "). ▁Other ▁officers ▁were ▁Fin ns ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁trained ▁by ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁as ▁a ▁J äger ▁Battalion . ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁they ▁were ▁a ided ▁by ▁German ▁troops ▁landing ▁in ▁Finland ▁and ▁occup ying ▁Hels ink i . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Wh ites ' ▁victory ▁in ▁the ▁bitter ly ▁fought ▁civil ▁war , ▁during ▁which ▁both ▁sides ▁employed ▁r uth less ▁terror ▁tact ics , ▁M anner heim ▁res igned ▁as ▁commander - in - ch ief . ▁He ▁left ▁Finland ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁to ▁visit ▁relatives ▁in ▁Sweden . ▁ ▁In ▁Stockholm , ▁M anner heim ▁con ferred ▁with ▁Al lied ▁diplom ats , ▁emphas izing ▁his ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁government ' s ▁policy : ▁they ▁were ▁confident ▁that ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁would ▁win ▁the ▁war , ▁and ▁had ▁declared ▁the ▁Kaiser ' s