Aunus expedition

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Aunus expedition
Part of Heimosodat
Date April 21 – September 18, 1919 Location Aunus Result Russian Bolshevik control in Aunus increased
Belligerents
Finnish volunteers	Russian SFSR
Commanders and leaders
Colonel Aarne Sihvo Lieutenant Colonel Ero Gadolin Major Gunnar von Hertzen Major Paavo Talvela Captain Ragnar Nordström	Leon Trotsky
Strength
Finland about 2,500–2,700 Aunus about 1,000	Soviet Russia about 20,000
Casualties and losses
330–400 dead 600–800 wounded	1,000 dead 1,800 wounded

The Aunus expedition (Finnish: Aunuksen retkikunta, Swedish: Aunus-expeditionen) was an attempt by Finnish volunteers to occupy parts of East Karelia in 1919, during the Russian Civil War. Aunus is the Finnish name for Olonets Karelia. This expedition was one of many Finnic "kinship wars" (heimosodat) fought against forces of Soviet Russia after the Russian Revolution of 1917 and during the Russian Civil War.