Grand Duchy of Finland

• 1. The Diet of Porvoo

  ›

  On the 29th of March 1809, four Estates of occupied Finland gathered at the Diet of Porvoo. They pledged allegiance to Tsar Alexander I of Russia in a solemn ceremony. The tsar stood on a podium and promised that Finnish laws and liberties would remain unchanged. This moment marked the transition from Swedish rule to autonomous status within the Russian Empire. The Treaty of Fredrikshamn signed on the 17th of September 1809 finalized this shift. Finland became a true autonomous grand duchy while retaining its Lutheran faith. General Friedrich Wilhelm von Buxhoeveden had imposed an oath of fealty earlier during the war. That oath declared anyone aiding Swedish or Finnish armies as a rebel. The Finns begrudgingly embraced Russian conquest after Sweden abandoned them. Their bitterness stemmed from Sweden's focus on wars against Denmark and France.

• 2. Senate And Autonomy

  ›

  Count Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt returned to Finland in 1812 as counsellor to the Russian emperor. He secured the grand duchy as a state with greater autonomy. Armfelt acquired so-called Old Finland that Russia had annexed from Sweden decades prior. The Senate of Finland was founded in 1809 to serve as the most important governmental organ. It functioned as a Government Council made up of Finnish citizens. A novel administrative system drafted by Mikhail Speransky gave the governor-general a diminished role. Matters relating to Finland were handled directly through a dedicated Secretary of State. This structure laid the foundation for considerable autonomy enjoyed for most of the period. Alexander I did not want the Grand Duchy to be a constitutional monarchy. Instead he utilized existing institutions born during Swedish rule. These offered him a more efficient form of government than absolute monarchy in Russia. By the end of the 19th century this evolved into high level autonomy.

• 3. The Kalevala Effect

  ›

  In 1835, the publication of The Kalevala peaked a reading craze known as Lesewut. This Finnish epic influenced the nation massively and strengthened nationalism and unity. The Finnish Literature Society had been founded in 1831 on appreciation of the Finnish language. Most printed academic works, novels, and poetry were written in either Swedish or Russian before this. Copying German trends, Finland entered the reading craze by the 1830s. Finnish newspapers such as The Farmer's Friend began publication in both urban and rural areas. Edvard Bergenheim served as Archbishop of Turku from 1850 to 1884. He called for double censorship on works opposing the church and socialist works. Nicholas I prohibited publishing all Finnish works that were not religious or economic in nature in 1850. Such restrictions fueled Finland's language strife and the Fennomanian movement. Johan Snellman combined literature and nationalism to increase calls for language recognition.

• 4. Infrastructure And Industry

  ›

  Alexander II opened the Diet of Finland at the Imperial Palace in Helsinki in 1863. He passed laws regarding infrastructure and currency during this session. Steam locomotives appeared at Hämeenlinna Railway Station in 1865. Finland received its own monetary system called the Finnish markka. It also gained its own army. Alexander II granted permission for founding Handelsgillet i Helsingfors and the Finnish Club of Helsinki. The Tsar supported construction of the Alexander Theatre and establishment of the Finnish National Theatre. The economy grew slowly during the first half of the 19th century. A thriving modern industry based around textiles and timber emerged later. Russian bureaucrats expressed shock and jealousy over Finland's commercial success. They called for revision of the Russo-Finnish Tariff in 1885. This tariff revision formed out of spite of Finland's working-class unity. The population reached 2,380,000 by 1890 according to historical statistics.

• 5. The Bobrikov Era

  ›

  General Nikolay Bobrikov served as Governor-General from 1898 until his death in 1904. Under his rule Finns developed a near collective hatred toward him. His reactionary policies gave rise to socialism and communism among the Finnish working class. Bobrikov introduced mandatory five-year military service immediately upon taking office. He allowed Russians to serve in public office and made Russian the administrative language. In 1899 the February Manifesto declared that Russian law was the law of the land. The Diet was essentially downgraded to a state assembly. The Finnish Army dissolved entirely in 1901. Eugen Schauman assassinated Bobrikov in Helsinki on the 16th of June 1904. This act united both Finns and Swedes against Russia. Churches refused to proclaim the law while judges refused to carry it out. Conscripts also refused service during this period of unrest.

• 6. Revolution And Independence

  ›

  In 1905 Russia faced a humiliating defeat in the Russo-Japanese War. Amidst turmoil in St. Petersburg, Finns remade their constitution. They formed a new parliament based on universal suffrage. Women received full suffrage before any other European nation after Corsica. Pyotr Stolypin destroyed this parliament quickly as prime minister for Nicholas II. He believed every subject should be a stoic patriot to the crown. Stolypin permanently disbanded the parliament in 1909. Dmitry Bogrov assassinated Stolypin later. From his death onward the Russian crown ruled Finland as a monarchist dictatorship. Unrest in Russia and Finland during the First World War lasted from 1914 to 1918. The collapse of the Russian Empire occurred in 1917. This resulted in the Finnish Declaration of Independence and end of the Grand Duchy. The population reached 2,943,000 by 1910 before final independence.