Finland experienced a short but bloody civil war in the winter of 1918. This was something no one could have imagined just a year before when it had been a peaceful Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire since 1809. Within a hundred years, Finland became a nationally minded semi-state with its own legislation and institutions such as a parliament with universal suffrage. Things changed radically in 1917 with the Russian revolutions. Finland became practically independent, but the year ended in deep political crisis and the outbreak of a civil war. This chapter argues that despite many external and structural factors, the crisis was basically an outcome of domestic political failure. The civil war was politically motivated and led by established parties that enjoyed popular support. Therefore, it is morally relevant to ask to what extent politicians were responsible for the unexpected violence despite the complexity of the conditions.