Finland: 100 years young today

It has been 100 years since Russia's October Revolution and today, 6 December 2017, is the day Finland celebrates 100 years as an independent nation.

How, exactly, did the Finns manage to untangle themselves from the Russian Empire in 1917 and avoid being swept up by the Soviets?

To answer this question, the Helsinki Times asked me to write the following article for their Centenary Edition. Here is my article in full:

Independence: revolution and opportunity - Helsinki Times, Centenary Edition, 2017

By Jesse Karjalainen

In 1908, the Finns marked a rather less jubilant centenary than the one being celebrated this week. The occasion then was 100 years of Russian rule, after having been part of Sweden for six centuries before that. Little did they know then, they would be living in their own country in less than a decade.

Finland declared its independence in 1917, but how? In short: the Finns, then part of the Russian Empire, found themselves in the middle of an overthrow of monarchy and political turmoil. As this turned into the revolution that created the Soviet Union, Finland quietly made for the exit while attention was elsewhere and whispered the parting words, “well, we’ll leave you all to it then, shall we?” And Finland avoided being part of Soviet Russia.

It wasn’t quite that simple but the full story is intriguing.

Nationalist feelings

The Finnish independence movement took shape following the Crimean War – a war where the British navy attacked Finnish towns over two summers in 1854–55, blockading the coast with steam-powered battleships with orders “to take, burn or destroy”. Finnish nationalism grew and from 1881 onwards Russian tsars fought to stamp out Finnish national feelings with bouts of “Russification” for the next 40 years. In June 1904, a Finnish nationalist assassinated the Russian Governor-General in Helsinki’s Senate.

Over 50 years, Finland had quietly gained many things the rest of Russia did not have.

In 1905, Russia lost its war with Japan and the country was broken. Finns pushed to consolidate their autonomy. The Finnish Diet in 1906 enacted a new constitution, a single-chamber parliament and universal suffrage for citizens over 24. The following year saw the world’s first female MPs sit in parliament. Despite this, the Russification continued through political oppression and arrests of outspoken nationalists. Many were deported or executed. The Finns played the long game of passive resistance, not risking their autonomous status within the Empire.

At this time, the Grand Duchy of Finland was the most stable Russian province, loyal to the Tsar and by far the best-developed part of the Empire. Over 50 years, Finland had quietly gained many things the rest of Russia did not have: its own parliament, universal suffrage, a central bank and currency, its own legal system, a state railway, modern institutions, a university, a coat of arms and a national anthem. Finns remained largely loyal to Russia up until 1917.

Revolution and opportunity

Finland’s independence came not via uprising but by a combination of action, reaction and opportunity. In the March Revolution, the Duma dissolved and Russian autocracy disappeared virtually overnight. Finland’s close link with the Tsar was lost. Russia had no viable government and the nation floundered. By summer, Finns knew something major was up – they sensed freedom, mixed with anxiety and excitement.

By summer, Finns knew something major was up – they sensed freedom, mixed with anxiety and excitement.

In July, the Finnish Diet approved the “Enabling Act”, giving it supreme powers in all matters apart from defence and foreign affairs. Russia’s Provisional Government ordered the Diet dissolved in August. This was done after a vote and fresh elections in October. The Social Democrats lost a majority as voters veered to the right.

The game-changer for Finland was the Bolshevik Revolution in October 1917. The Reds took power in Russia on 7 November and the chaos caused a power vacuum in Finland. Finns were split between Bolshevik supporters wanting to stay in Russia and those wanting independence. The Finnish Bolsheviks declared their own right to self-determination and on 13–14 November the Social Democrats called for class-war, a General Strike and arrests by the Red Guards. Violence followed.

Lenin, who had been given refuge by Finland as a political radical before the revolution, recognised Finnish independence on 31 December

On 15 November, the crisis spooked Finland’s parliament into claiming supreme authority of Finland. They appointed a new senate and Finland sought support from Germany. On 4 December, the government proclaimed Finnish independence, ratified by the Diet on 6 December. Lenin, who had been given refuge by Finland as a political radical before the revolution, recognised Finnish independence on 31 December – the first head of state to do so.

However, Bolshevik Red Guards ignored government requests to leave. Instead they took control where they could. Thinking Red factions in Finland could maintain order, Joseph Stalin recognised Finland’s independence from the new USSR on 4 January 1918. The next to do so were France, Germany and Sweden, followed by 13 more countries that year. That month, blood was spilt on the frozen streets as a 105-day civil war ensued between Finland’s Reds and Whites.

That month, blood was spilt on the frozen streets as a 105-day civil war ensued between Finland’s Reds and Whites.

Germany and Russia ended their war in March. General Mannerheim won a key victory in Tampere on 6 April. German troops landed in Helsinki a week later and took the capital.

The Civil war ended in May 1918 and Finland got its first Prime Minster, JK Paasikivi. In July 1919, Parliament approved a republican constitution and appointed its first president. In October 1920 Finland signed a peace treaty with Russia that ended the war. The peace lasted 19 years.

Jesse Karjalainen is an author who lives in the UK. His latest book ‘Sisu: the secrets behind Finland’s can-do spirit of resilience’ is out in early 2018. 

This article first appeared in the Helsinki Times for their Centenary Edition.