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.

Date: March 1918
Period: First World War
Made by: Major General Count Rüdiger von der Goltz, commander of the German troops in Finland (Baltic Sea Division)
Region: Western and Central Europe
Country: German Empire
Medium: Leaflet
Issuer type: Military
Regime: German Empire
Leader: Wilhelm II
Audience: Domestic public
Purpose: Persuade or win support
Themes: War and the military, Media and information
Event: Finnish Civil War
Techniques: Glittering generalities Euphemism / doublespeak
Regime: German Empire under Wilhelm II
Leader: Wilhelm II
Source: Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
Source: National Library of Finland (Kansalliskirjasto), Doria digital collections, retrieved October 2, 2026
Rights: Public domain (published in Finland in 1918, before 1931; National Library Doria item)
Kansalliskirjasto (National Library of Finland), Doria, hdl 10024/128350, Public Domain.

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.