---
title: 'Suomen Kansalle! (To the Finnish People!): German commander von der Goltz says German troops come as friends'
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/german-goltz-suomen-kansalle-1918/
description: A framed one-page Finnish-language appeal signed by the German commander.
section: Collection
---

[Collection](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/)

[![Suomen Kansalle! (To the Finnish People!): German commander von der Goltz says German troops come as friends](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/german-goltz-suomen-kansalle-1918.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/german-goltz-suomen-kansalle-1918.jpg)

# Suomen Kansalle! (To the Finnish People!): German commander von der Goltz says German troops come as friends

A framed one-page Finnish-language appeal signed by the German commander. It says the Germans come as friends at the Finns' own call, against 'murderer bands' that destroy 'order, justice and freedom', that 'the voice of humanity' summons them, and that they come neither as conquerors nor to meddle in Finnish party quarrels. The ornamental border and signature block give it the form of an official proclamation.

## Text on the object

Original (Finnish) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
Suomen Kansalle!

Te olette hädässänne kutsuneet meitä. Me tulemme ystävinä teitä auttamaan teidän taistelussanne murhaajajoukkioita vastaan, jotka tuhoavat järjestyksen, oikeuden ja vapauden. Meitä kutsuu ihmisyyden ääni! Me emme tule valloittajina, emmekä tahdo omaksemme ainoatakaan palasta teidän kallista kotimaatanne, emmekä tule sekaantumaan teidän sisäisiin puolueriitiohinne. Luottakaa siis meihin. Eteenpäin ihanan maanne vapautuksen puolesta!

Saksalaisten joukkojen johtaja Suomessa
Kenraalimajuri Kreivi von der Goltz.

Maaliskuussa 1918.
```

English translation (machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader)

```
To the Finnish People!

In your distress you have called us. We come as friends to help you in your struggle against the murderer bands who are destroying order, justice and freedom. The voice of humanity calls us! We do not come as conquerors, nor do we wish to take as our own a single piece of your dear homeland, nor shall we meddle in your internal party quarrels. Trust us, then. Forward for the liberation of your beautiful country!

Leader of the German troops in Finland
Major General Count von der Goltz.

In March 1918.
```

Read from the scan and checked against the PDF text layer. The violet library stamp is not transcribed. 'puolueriitiohinne' is printed as shown.

[← Päewaleht, front page (Tallinn, 25 February 1918): "Manifest kõigile Eestimaa rahwastele" (Manifesto to All the Peoples of Estonia)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/paevaleht-manifest-eestimaa-1918/) [Ireland's Solemn League and Covenant: A National Pledge (anti-conscription, 1918) →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/irelands-national-pledge-1918/)

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