HIS312H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Finnish Civil War, Oskari Tokoi, Winnipeg General Strike
Document Summary
Vibrant socialist movement in finland, early 20th c. Finnish civil war 1918: reds vs whites: whites won, many red fled to north america. Oskari tokoi (socialist prime minister) and his cabinet here working as loggers fled to canada and got jobs in the logging industry and brought their socialism there. Red exiles = key leaders in canada. Many finns were apolitical on arrival on canada: became socialist here, significant group committed to socialist movements, spread socialism among this wider group. Fininish socialist organization of canada (1911) renamed finnish organization. Others too: hungarians, poles, croatians, etc (jewish) labour league (1926) renamed the united jewish peoples" order. Held popular social events: attracted people who didn"t know socialism or weren"t interested, hoping that they eventually become socialist: theatre in foreign languages, dances, sports clubs. Everyone welcome but educated" by socialist leaders. Success spreading socialism within ethnic groups, but not beyond their ethnicity. Provided press and newspapers, labour trade unionist.