Source: Adobe CC
Finland's Independence Day, 6th December
Welcome to Finland's Independence Day! Compared to the majority of other European countries, Finland is a fairly young country, with its 106 years of existence. But how did Finland emerge as an independent country? Let's take a look!
Governed by Sweden and Russia
Finland on December 6th, became an independent nation in 1917 after around a hundred years of Russian rule. Independence was initiated in Finland, while Russia was suffering an internal crisis. In March 1917, Tsar Nicholas II was deposed and the Russian Provisional Government came to power. There were internal negotiations within the Finnish ruling parties and it became evident that the only way forward was for Finland to become independent.
Russia was the first to recognize Finland as an independent country on 4 January 2018 and consequently the same day also France and Sweden did the same. The rest is, as we say it, history!
Nordic history
Centuries ago, Finland was part of Sweden until the early 1800s when it became a Grand Duchy under the Russian Empire's governance. During this time, Finnish aspirations for self-governance blossomed, fueled by a deep love for their language, culture, and dreams of independence. The Swedish rule lasted on and off between 1523 - 1815. Some sources say Southern and Western parts of Finland were in the Nordic Countries union in between 1150-1250. Official towns in Finland at that time were Turku, Viipuri, Porvoo ja Naantali, and Turku was the “capital” of Finland.
Source: Adobe CC
Fredrik, Prince of Finland
Interestingly, Finland briefly ventured into the realm of monarchy. In 1918, amidst post-independence turmoil, the Finns elected a German prince, Friedrich Karl of Hesse, as their king. However, his reign lasted just two months, and Finland transitioned back to a republic, solidifying its identity as such.
Universal suffrage
In 1906 as the first country in Europe, Finnish women were given the right to vote in parliamentary elections. The very next year, the first female MPs in the world were elected in Finland.
On 12 May we are celebrating Finnish Identity and J V Snellman´s Day. Look out for a blog post about it in the upcoming spring!
Minna, OLS Community Manager – Finnish