Editing Lapua Movement (section)

== Background ==
At the [[6th World Congress of the Communist International]] [[Joseph Stalin]] ordered all communist parties around the world to accelerate [[Class conflict|class struggle]]. The order led to a higher level of communist activity in Finland in 1929 like the so-called "Red Day" of August 1st when communists organized countrywide protests. A general strike was also declared in November, although it failed to garner support and only 5–10% of workers participated in it.<ref name=":2" /> 

The movement originated in November 1929, after [[Young Communist League of Finland|Finnish communist youth]] paraded in the conservative and religious town of Lapua enraged [[Whites (Finland)|pro-White Guard]] locals, who subsequently attacked the performers physically. The momentum from this event was the catalyst for the formation of the Lapua Movement.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Siaroff |first=Alan |date=1999 |title=Democratic Breakdown and Democratic Stability: A Comparison of Interwar Estonia and Finland |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3232774 |journal=Canadian Journal of Political Science / Revue canadienne de science politique |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=103–124 |doi=10.1017/S0008423900010118 |jstor=3232774 |s2cid=154586914 |issn=0008-4239|url-access=subscription }}</ref> It was initially dominated by [[Anti-communism|anti-communist]] [[nationalist]]s, emphasizing the legacy of the nationalist activism, the [[White Guard (Finland)|White Guards]] and the [[Civil War in Finland]]. The movement saw itself as the defender of what was won in the Civil War, supporting [[Lutheranism]], [[Finnish nationalism]], and [[anti-communism]].

Many politicians and high-ranking military officers were initially sympathetic to the Lapua Movement, as anti-communism was the norm in the educated classes after the Civil War. However, excessive use of violence made the movement less popular within a few months.

During the Civil War, [[Ostrobothnia (historical province)|Ostrobothnia]] had been one of the most important strongholds of the White army, and anti-communist sentiments remained extremely strong. Late in November 1929, the [[Young Communist League of Finland]] arranged meetings and protests in Ostrobothnian [[Lapua]]. As the nationalists saw it, the communists had "mocked God, the Lutheran Church, the 'bourgeois' fatherland, the Finnish army and General [[Mannerheim]]".<ref name=":2">Niinistö, Jussi, Suomalaisia vapaustaistelijoita / Finnish Freedom Fighters, NIMOX KY/Ltd., 2003, pp. 17–20;  Siltala, Juha, Lapuan liike ja kyyditykset, Otava, 1985, pp. 51–53;  Virkkunen, Sakari, Suomen presidentit I / Finland's Presidents I, Otava, 1994, pp. 192–193;  Salokangas, Raimo, "Itsenäinen tasavalta" / "An Independent Republic," p. 635 in Zetterberg, Seppo et al., eds., Suomen historian pikkujättiläinen / A Small Giant of the Finnish History, WSOY, 2003.</ref> This infuriated many of the townspeople, who put a violent end to the meetings. Anti-communist violence was hailed as justified and  praiseworthy. On 1 December an anti-communist meeting was held, attracting more than 1,000 people demanding an end to all communist activities. The movement quickly spread around the country, and in some provinces people other than communists were targeted as well, for example the group "[[Patriotic Citizens of Viitasaari]]" wanted to purge Jews and Freemasons from the country.<ref>Anttikoski, Riitta: Kun talonpojat marssivat. Helsingin Sanomat, 6.7.1980, s. 17. [https://www.hs.fi/lehti/hsarchive/1980-07-06/17 HS Aikakone (vain tilaajille)]</ref>