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HOW FINLAND BECAME INDEPENDENT?

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Presentation on theme: "HOW FINLAND BECAME INDEPENDENT?"— Presentation transcript:

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


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