ORDER OF BATTLE // February 3, 1918
Battle of Oulu
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 2,400 estimated
Finnish Whites
1,200
Medium-confidence figure
Finnish Reds
1,200
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Oulu was fought on 3 February 1918 between White and Red forces of roughly equal initial strength — approximately 1,200 combatants on each side — in the port city of Oulu during the Finnish Civil War. The engagement resulted in severe Red losses, with casualties recorded at around 1,000, representing the near-destruction of the Red force committed to the city. Control of Oulu, a significant northern port, carried strategic weight in the early phase of the civil war, as securing northern Finland allowed the Whites to consolidate their hold over the region and limit Red organizational capacity in the north.
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