Turning points and other significant events in Finland’s way to independence
To celebrate our 100 years of independence I wanted to make a little time line about the subject. There are of course many other important incidents in Finnish history too during those times but I wanted to list those that connect to the matter of independence more directly. Keep in mind that everything in this post is kept very short and simplified. And please forgive my mistakes (and let me know if there are major ones), it’s been too long since I last studied these events.
As a part of the Kingdom of Sweden
- Manifest of Empress Elizabeth to Finnish People 1742: First “official” thought of independence, war propaganda. During the Russo–Swedish War 1741–1743 (known as the Hats’ War in Finland) Empress Elizabeth of Russia gave out a declaration in which she promised to make Finland independent if her troops were not resisted on Finnish soil. Led to a counter manifest by the Swedes.
- The Anjala Conspiracy 1788: a scheme by officers of Swedish army against the King of Sweden Gustav III to end his Russian War 1788-1790. One part of the plot was Finland’s independence but it’s unclear how big importance it had in the bigger plan.
As an autonomous part of Russian Empire
- Autonomy 1809: As a result of Finnish War (1808-1809) Finland became a part of Russia as the Grand Duchy of Finland. It was the predecessor of the modern state of Finland. The new Grand Duchy got to keep its laws and religion from the Swedish rule, and was allowed to use its tax money to its own need. It was also given much more liberties now that it had its own special position.
- Throughout the 1800s nationalism grew stronger as the national artists (Jean Sibelius, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Albert Edelfelt, Minna Canth, Pekka Halonen, Hugo Simberg, Johan Ludvig Runeberg…) and other influential people (Elias Lönnrot, J. V. Snellman…) fortified the Finnish identity.
- Russification of Finland (sortovuodet/-kaudet: years/times of oppression) 1899-1905 and 1908-1917: a governmental policy to limit the special status of the Grand Duchy and possible termination of its political autonomy and cultural uniqueness. This evoked widespread resistance, both passive (e.g. art) and aggressive (e.g. plans for independence). Some of the actions carried out by the Russian government and the Emperor: Finnish army was shut down and military service in the Russian army was made compulsory, Russian language to the language of administration, only Russian currency and stamps were allowed, official positions in Finland opened to every citizen in Russia (leading to Finnish minority), the Finnish press was under Russian censorship… Governor-general of Finland Nikolay Bobrikov (later murdered by Eugen Schauman which ended the first wave of Russification) was granted dictatorial powers. He shut down newspapers, exiled some Finnish executives, and limited gathering to name a few of his actions.
During the second wave of Russification the Jäger Movement was born. Volunteers from Finland travelled to Germany to get training in order to resist oppression and possibly make Finland a sovereign state.
February Revolution: In March Tsar Nicholas II was abdicated and Russian Provisional Government was established. This government stopped the oppression acts and returned autonomy. However the revolution led to a question of the highest governmental power in Finland since the oath of loyalty was sworn to the Emperor of Russia.
Therefore in July a Power Act (valtalaki) came into effect in which the Finnish Parliament (consisted of socialist majority) declared itself to now hold all powers of legislation, excluding foreign policy and military issues, and also that it could be dissolved only by itself. The Provisional Government, however, disapproved of the Act and dissolved the Parliament. Elections were held and the new parliament now had a bourgeois majority.
After the October Revolution in Russia, in which the Provisional Government got replaced by Lenin’s Bolsheviks, the bourgeois government didn’t want to stay with Russia anymore while the socialists preferred Bolsheviks to the Provisional Government and were willing to cooperate (this division among other things would later lead to the civil war).
On 15.11. the government declared itself to have all powers in Finland meaning independence. A new senate started on 27.11. with a goal to execute independence as soon as possible. The senate presented a Declaration of Independence on 4.12. to the Parliament and a vote was held about the independence on 6.12. with the result 100–88. 6.12. was chosen as the Independence Day because democracy was to be emphasized.
31.12.1917 The Bolshevik government gave a promise of recognizing Finland’s independence.
4.1.1918 Soviet Russia recognized independence, followed by Germany, Sweden, France, Norway, Denmark and Austria-Hungary during the same month.
You may wonder why Lenin recognized Finland’s independence at all. Well, he was counting on the upcoming civil war in Finland and waiting for the socialists to take the charge of the country. He thought that it would be a nice image lifting for Soviet Russia and their ideology when Finland would want to go back under their rule. That of course didn’t happen and it’s a story for another time.
HAPPY 100 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE!
