General Mannerheim, Commander in Chief of the Finnish White
Guards, resigned on May 23 because of the plan of the Finnish
Conservatives to invade the Russian Province of Karelia.
The Cabinet resigned on May 25 as a result of the appointment of
former Premier Zvinhufvud as temporary dictator. M. Paasikivi, a
member of the old Finnish party and a former Senator, was asked by
the dictator to form a Cabinet.
On June 2 Russia agreed with Germany that she would accept
proposals for the regularization of her relations with Finland.
A Swedish Socialist paper, according to a dispatch printed in The
London Times of June 3, published a statement that a secret treaty
existed between Finland and Germany whereby the Finnish Government
undertook to establish a monarchy under a German dynasty, to place
the Finnish Army under German leadership, to allow Finland to be
used as a passageway to the arctic and the Aland Islands as a
naval base. Later reports announced that Prince Oscar, the fifth
son of the German Emperor, would probably be the ruler.
On June 12, the Government proposal for the establishment of a
monarchy with a hereditary ruler was presented to the Landtag.
Kronstadt was seized by the Germans May 30, and on the same day
announcement was made that General von der Goltz had been placed
in supreme command of the Finnish Army as well as of the German
forces in Finland.
Announcement was made on June 10 that Germany and Russia had
reached an agreement concerning the boundaries of Finland,
providing that Finland cede to Russia the fortresses of Ino and
Raivola under guarantees that they were not to be fortified.
Russia ceded to Finland the western part of the Murman Peninsula
with an outlet to the Arctic Ocean.
In response to communications from the French and British
Legations at Stockholm, the Finnish Government announced that it
had no designs on the Mourmansk railway, but would not undertake
not to reunite Carelia with Finland, and on June 17 it was
announced that Finland would annex Carelia.