The Mäntsälä Rebellion of 1932 was the final, dramatic attempt by the far-right Lapua Movement to overthrow the Finnish government. On 27 February, 400 armed members of the Civil Guards disrupted a Social Democratic meeting in Mäntsälä. What began as a regional disturbance quickly escalated into a larger movement, with national leaders and more armed supporters joining in. The rebels, led by former Chief of General Staff Major General Wallenius, demanded the government’s resignation and a change in the country's political direction.
As tensions rose, the Finnish government, led by President Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, prepared to defend the capital with military force. However, rather than resorting to violence, Svinhufvud chose a different tactic. On 2 March, he delivered a radio speech, urging the rebels to return home and promising that only the leaders would be punished. His appeal was effective, and the rebellion collapsed without bloodshed.
A few days later, the leaders of the movement were arrested, and by the spring of 1932, the Lapua Movement was disbanded. Most Civil Guards had remained loyal to the government, with only a minority joining the rebels. By mid-July, 102 rebels were tried, and many received prison sentences or pardons.
The rebellion marked the end of radical right-wing incidents in Finland. In the years that followed, as the economy improved, the support for such movements diminished, and Finland stabilized politically after years of post-civil war unrest.