Forest Guerrillas (, ) were an East Karelian resistance movement that was created officially on 14 October 1921. There were around 3,000 Forest Guerrillas in total during the East Karelian Uprising as a Karelian and Finnish resistance movement against Bolshevik Russia, aiming for an East Karelian state with independence from Russia, and in some occasions unification or cooperation with Finland. Most of the soldiers of the Forest Guerrillas were from White Karelia, Repola & Porajärvi and Olonets Karelia.
Origins
thumb|East Karelian Forest Guerrilla headquarters at [[Kiimasjärvi, with Jalmari Takkinen (Ilmarinen) on the right side.]]
Near the end of 1921, company-sized militia groups were being formed in East Karelia to fight against the Bolsheviks, due to the official abandonment of Finnish support for the cause of Karelian Independence following the signing of the Tartu Peace Treaty between the Finns and Russians. These militias would be united into the East Karelian Forest Guerrilla Regiment on 14 October 1921, following a meeting between around 200 representatives from all around Karelia at . In that very meeting held, Ukki Väinämöinen was chosen as the spiritual leader of the Forest Guerrillas, as he was a major proponent and a key figure in Karelian Nationalism, with also serving a commanding role in the East Karelian Forest Guerrilla Regiment, with (nom de guerre: Ilmarinen) being chosen as the commander-in-chief of the Forest Guerrillas.
Structure
The political body of the Forest Guerrillas was the Karelian United Government. The body dealing with foreign affairs of East Karelia, mainly asking for help and aid from the Western powers, such as Finland, the United States, Estonia and Poland, was called the Foreign Commission of Karelia. The Forest Guerrillas were divided into three separate units, which were respectively called: the East Karelian Forest Guerrilla Regiment, the Viena Regiment and the Repola Battalion.