Transition Year Comenius Project

Language : Our Bridge to Past Present & Future

• Little is known of human settlement in Finland prior to the ice-age or during the ice-age. The present Finns originated in north-eastern Europe and northern Asia near the Ural mountains and the Volga river.

• These first settlers lived as hunters and gatherers.

• Since very early years Finland has been interesting to both Sweden and Russia. Sweden was becoming a Viking power from the 9th century and it wanted to occupy Finland because of its position on the north-eastern route to Russia.
• Finland's borders were changed several times in the years that followed.

• Until the middle of the 12th century, Finland was a country much sought after by both Sweden and its Catholic Church and Norgovod (Russia) and its Greek Orthodox Church. After several bitter years of fighting the peace treaty of 1323 between the two powers brought an end to the warring.
• Sweden came out on top, gaining power over the Western and southern ports of Finland while only eastern Finland became part of the Russia-Byzantine world

Results of Swedish Rule

• Since Sweden was now in control of Finland, the Swedish legal and social systems began to take root there. As feudalism was not part of this system, the Finns never became Serfs and always remained a free race.
• Turku, which was founded in the mid 13th century became the first capital of Finland. Its Cathedral and Castle still survive to this day.
• From 1362 the Finnish people were allowed to send representatives to the election of the King in Sweden.

Times of change

• Finland suffered a severe famine in 1696-1697 and almost one third of the countries population died.
• The 1700's was a bloody time in Finland. Two wars took place between the Swedes and the Russians.
• In 1714 Russia occupied Finland and the next seven years under Russian rule were and still are referred to as "The Great Wrath"
• The Great Northern War of 1720-1721 resulted in Russia losing all its land claims but the province of Vyborg. Sweden now took over South-eastern Finland.
• Yet another war from 1741-1743 resulted in the defeat of the Swedish army and the occupation of the whole of Finland by Russia.
• This period of time became known as "The lesser Wrath" and Russia succeeded in pushing its borders further west-wards.
• After Finland again changed hands from Russian to Swedish, not much happened for several years until the Swedish empire began to decline.

Russian Rule

The Russian Emperor became the Grand Duke and his representative in Finland was the Governor General.

• Finland was to have its own Senate and Diet but all major decisions had to be approved first by the Czar. However the administration of Finland was handled directly by the Emperor and the Russian authorities found it hard to interfere.

Alexander I

National Movement

At that time one seventh of Finnish people spoke Swedish as their first language. Swedish remained in a

dominant position right up to the twentieth century.

Women in Finland

• In Finland, the first parliament was elected by all adult citizens, women and men, in 1906. Finlalnd was the first country in Europe, second in the world after New Zealand to give women this right.

World War 1

• Finland managed to stay out of World War 1 but they did experience many of the side effects such as food shortages and inflation.

Independence and Civil War

• The down-fall of the Czar in Russia and the communist revolution of 1917 provided an opportunity for the Finns to declare their independence.
• They therefore did so on December the 6th 1917.

• Shortly afterwards a bloody civil war broke out. The main cause was disagreements between the higher and lower classes.
• The Reds who represented the working class wished to imitate the Russian style revolution.
• The Whites dreamed of a monarchy and looked to the Germans as models.
• During the war the Reds wer helped by the Russians and the white nationalists sought help from Germany
• In May 1918, the White's, led by General Gustav Mannerheim gained the upper hand and the fighting ceased. The defeat of Germany the following year prompted the Finns to opt for a Republican state model instead of the monarchy.

The President

• The president is Finland's head of state and chief executive. The president is elected to a six year term by the electoral college, whose 301 members are chosen by the people. A president may be re-elected any number of times. The president has the power to dissolve the parliament and call for new elections. The president also acts as head of the armed forces.
• Since the establishment of the state of Finland there have been ten presidents, some of which are remembered more than others.
• The first president was KJ Stahlberg.

World War 2

• During the years prior to the war, Finland had become rather close to Germany. After the war was under way , the Russians felt insecure because of this relationship and demanded some land from Finland in order to build military bases on it. This area of land that they requested was known as South-Eastern Kavelia.
• J.K Paasakivii a future president of Finland travelled to Moscow for negotiations on this matter. Paasikivi did not give in to their demands and this angered the Russians. They attacked Finland on November 30th 1939.

The Winter War

• The Winter War was a horrific battle with temperatures reaching 40 degrees below freezing point. Many soldiers perished over the 100 days of fighting. Finland stood alone in this battle with only modest assistance and sympathy from other countries.

The only advantage the Finnish army had was their "Ski Troops" whose white uniforms blended into the

back-ground. These soldiers inflicted heavy casualties on the Russian army.

• However it was never likely that the Finnish army would succeed against the Soviet War machine and in the end a peace treaty was drawn up in Moscow on March 13th 1940. This treaty awarded south-eastern Finland to the Soviet Union.
• The Russians then set up a military base at the Hanko Peninsula.

• Relations with Russia did not improve but negotiations in March 1940 brought about the signing of the Moscow Peace Treaty.
• However, Russia still had its eye on Finnish territory, namely the region of Aland. The only thing that stopped them from attacking and occupying this area was their fear of the Swedes who were planning a union with Finland. Together, their armies would make a formidable force.
• The same year Finland allowed Germany to station troops in their country. This brought about the second war with Russia.

The Continuation War

• This war began in June 1941 and Finland turned to Germany for help during this time. some of the German ambition began to rub of on the Finns and they began to dream of a "Greater Finland". They therefore moved into Karelia. This was a bad move as every-one believed the only reason for the war was so that Finland could recover lost territory. Karelia was now expected to stay part of Finland and its people began to move back there.
• But, unexpectedly in the Summer of 1944, the Russians launched a counter attack.

• In the peace talks that followed Finland lost many territories .
• They had to pay war reparations to the sum of 225 million to Russia.
• As a result of the war 100,000 Finns had also died.
• At the end of the War the Germans still occupied part of Lapland. The Finns had to drive them out of the country. But, as they left the Germans burnt everything that was in their way.

The After War Years

• Mannerheim who had led the Finnish forces during the Winter War was elected president in 1944 but retired two years later because of ill health.
• J.K Paasikivi was elected president in 1946 and was re-elected for a full term after that. His sole aim as president was to improve relations with the other Scandinavian countries as well as Russia.
• The Olympics which had been postponed before the war were held in Helsinki in 1952.
• Finland's international position continued to grow stronger when, in 1955 it joined both the UN and the Nordic Council.
• Finally, along with Sweden in 1995 Finland became a member of the EU. A vote held in 1994 showed that 57% of Finns supported the EU membership.

• The present president of Finland is Martte Ahtisaari.