1. HOW FINLAND BECAME INDEPENDENT?
A year 1917 in Finnish history
The February Revolution in Russia (by the Gregorian calendar in March)
 the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II
 power to the Provisional Government
 restoration of the Finland’s constitutional rights  the Russification was abolished
the appointment of an all-party Senate (government) led by social democrat Oskari Tokoi

2.  a dilemma: What institution exercised sovereign authority after the overthrow of the Tsar?
there was three different solutions to the problem:
a) the Provisional Government ( supported by the majority of the non- socialist parties)
b) the Finnish Parliament (the Eduskunta) should decide who exercised supreme authority (supported by the minority of the non-socialist parties)
c) the supreme authority of Finland is the Finnish Parliament (the social democrats)
* Consider reasons for the different attitudes of the political groups.

3. Results of the Parliamentary elections in 1916
Party
Votes %
Seats
+/– (change from 1913 elections)
Social Democratic Party of Finland
376,030
47.29
103
+13
Finnish Party
139,111
17.49 33 –5
Young Finnish Party
99,419
12.50 23 –6
Swedish People's Party
93,555
11.76 21 –4
Agrarian League
71,608
9.00 19 +1
Christian Workers' Union
14,626
1.84 1
Others
860
0.11 –
Invalid/blank votes
5,725
Total
800,934
100
200
Registered voters/turnout
1,442,091
55.5
Source: Mackie & Rose[3]

4. The Social Democrats had an absolute majority in Parliament (103 seats of 200)
 on 18th July Parliament approved an Enabling Act (’Valtalaki’) declaring itself to exercise supreme authority within Finland (law was supported also by some independence-minded non-socialists)
Parliament was dissolved by the Russian Provisional government
the new elections

5. Results of the Parliamentary elections in 1917
Party
Votes %
Seats
+/–
Social Democratic Party of Finland
444,670
44.79 92
–11
Finnish Party–Young Finnish Party–People's Party[a]
299,516
30.17 61 +5
Agrarian League
122,900
12.38 26 +7
Swedish People's Party
108,190
10.90 21
Christian Workers' Union
15,489
1.56 –1
Others
1,997
0.20 –
Invalid/blank votes
4,903
Total
997,665
100
200
Registered voters/turnout
1,441,075
69.2
Source: Mackie & Rose[3]
These three parties had an electoral alliance: Finnish Party (32 seats) the Young Finnish Party (24) and the People's Party (5).

6.  in 1917 elections SDP got (only) 92 seats
The October Revolution by the Bolsheviks on 7th November
the Council of People’s Comissars lead by Lenin seized power
(from 3 to 10 min)
the SDP formed a Central Revolutionary Council  announced a general strike for 14th November  lots of acts of violence (esp. by the Red Guards and Russian soldiers)
on 15th November the Finnish Parliament decided to exercise supreme authority in Finland ( supported noe by the non-socialists)

7. On 4th December: the new Senate led by P. E
On 4th December: the new Senate led by P.E. Svinhufvud (’the Independence Senate) made public a Declaration of the Independence
The declaration was supported by Parliament on 6th December which became known as Independence Day

8. Foreign recognitions:
the government turned to western governments in order to confirm Finland’s independent status but they did not promise to recognise it before the recognition of the Soviet Russia
 On 31st December Soviet government recognized the independence of Finland
Study the list of the international recognitions:

9. Why did the Soviet Russia recognize Finland’s separation?
1) The Bolsheviks had promised the right of the minority peoples to self-government and even a complete independence
2) The Bolsheviks believed that the recognition would increase the popularity of the socialists and the Soviet government in Finland  a potential revolution in Finland  Finland would be reunited with the Soviet Russia
3) The weak position of the new Bolshevik government  The civil war had begun in Russia