Konni Zilliacus

Konni Zilliacus (born 1855, Finland—died June 19, 1924, Helsinki) was a Finnish patriot and leader of a daring anti-Russian Finnish nationalist group during the Russo-Japanese War (1904–05) and the Russian Revolution of 1905, who inspired a later generation of Finnish anti-Russian activists.

Zilliacus learned journalism in Chicago in the 1890s. He returned to Russian-controlled Finland and began a career of smuggling revolutionary propaganda and arms from Sweden by sea into Finland. In 1904 he was an organizer of the Activist Opposition Party, an underground revolutionary group; he also served as editor of its widely disseminated newspaper Fria Ord (“Free Word”). Beginning with the Russo-Japanese War and the first stirrings of unrest in Russia, Zilliacus limited his smuggling almost exclusively to arms, not only for Finnish groups but also for other nationality groups and revolutionary organizations in Russia.

Zilliacus is best known for the John Grafton affair of 1905–06. The John Grafton was the largest of three vessels that Zilliacus sought to land on the Finnish coast. He guided the ships, which were laden with arms purchased with Japanese money and destined for various anti-Tsarist groups, through many near disasters. In the end, the John Grafton went aground off the Finnish coast, and most of its cargo had to be blown up, though some arms were landed.

Zilliacus was again active against Russian rule during World War I. From bases in Sweden and in Switzerland, he supported the German-trained Finnish Jäger battalions, whose members were probably inspired in part by his own exploits. His son, also named Konni Zilliacus, was a well-known member of the left wing of the British Labour movement and was for many years a member of the House of Commons.