From the kindred wars to the peace treaty of Tartu and the Karelian labor commune

This article focuses on the Treaty of Tartu between the Soviet Russia and Finland, signed on October 14, 1920. The author describes the historical events in the territories of the present Republic of Karelia (Russian Federation) that preceded the Treaty of Tartu and that affected both the process of the treaty negotiations and the content of the treaty. In particular, the author briefly presents the events of the Kindred Wars (Heimosodat), the British intervention in Karelia, the efforts of the Karelians to become independent, and the establishment of the Karelian Labor Commune. The main conclusion is that the Finnish military expeditions to Karelia and the process of negotiations in Tartu significantly expedited both the transition of control over Karelia to the Red Army and the formation of the Karelian Labor Commune within the Soviet Russia.