War of Finland 1808-1809

Bicentenary marked in Sweden and Russia as well

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By Anna-Riitta Sippola
     
      Exactly 200 years ago, on February 21st, 1808, a war began. The conflict proved to be a major upheaval in the whole Nordic region.
      In the War of Finland in 1808 to 1809 the border between Sweden and Russia moved from the Kymi to the Tornio River. Sweden lost six of its eastern provinces to Russia, a third of its land, and a quarter of its population.
     
The Finns were no longer governed from Stockholm. The country became a part of Russia - the Grand Duchy of Finland.
      The anniversary years will be commemorated in different parts of the country. The government has earmarked more than EUR one million for the commemorations, seminars, and exhibitions linked with the bicentenary.
      While the special year marking the establishment of the state administration is commemorated in some places, in others, men of many regional associations will be carrying bayonets in re-enactments of the battles.
      Sweden is investing even more in the commemorations than Finland. The War of Finland was the last war that Sweden ever fought. Now the focus is on the future. Russia is also joining in, but not until after the Presidential elections.
     
Initially, the War of Finland of 1808-1809 was not about any conflict that Sweden may have had with Russia, but rather about great power politics of the time.
      Napoleon, the Emperor of France ruled over Continental Europe, but he could not handle Britain. Napoleon did not let the British into the ports of Continental Europe, but they had access to Swedish shores, and were able to continue trading with the continent in that way.
      Something had to be done about it. Russia had been weakened by the war, and Napoleon managed to get an ally of Russia. Napoleon agreed with Tsar Alexander I that Russia would force its western neighbour Sweden to close its harbours to the British.
     
The rulers agreed on the matter in Tilsit, on the border between Prussia and Russia. Protocols of the meeting said nothing about Finland.
      The way that this was to happen was a war, which Alexander embarked on reluctantly. Only after the war had begun did he decide that this time, he would hold on to Finland.
      In the previous century, Russia had occupied Finland a couple of times, but later returned most of the territory to Sweden, notes Heinrik Meinander, Professor of History at the University of Helsinki.
     
There are a number of myths linked with the war, which Professor Emeritus Osmo Jussila has sought to dismantle in recent times. One misconception is that Sweden had no desire to win the war. In fact, Sweden resisted the invasion seriously.
      Nevertheless, defeat came, and the connection between Finland and Sweden going back more than 600 years came to an end.
      Professor Jussila says that even the name of the war is deceptive, and was not invented until after the conflict.
     
Finland's upper classes were easily converted to the side of the Russians, but in many areas the peasantry fought on in a guerilla campaign, refusing initially to swear an oath of allegiance to the new emperor.
      The final ceremonial oaths of allegiance were sworn at a Diet held in 1809 at the Porvoo Cathedral, where the estates met the Tsar.
      The ruler promised that Finland would be allowed to keep the laws that it had under Sweden, as well as its Lutheran religion. Finns were also relieved of military duty.
     
Modern-day historians dismiss as a myth the notion that a state treaty would have been signed between Russia and Finland at the Porvoo Diet. For instance, the Tsar did not specify in any way which laws and rights should remain in force.
      Alexander did say that Finland had been raised to the status of a nation among nations, but the idea of a confederation was an invention of the Finns for later national needs, Jussila says.
     
Significantly, and fortunately for Finland, there were no attempts in these years to integrate Finland's administration with that of Russia.
      Whereas Finland had previously been led by a single, undivided central government from Stockholm, it was now able to develop on its own, and even got its own governing council.
      The new centre of administration soon arose in Helsinki, in the new city centre near Senate Square.
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 21.2.2008


Links:
  Finnish War (Wikipedia)

ANNA-RIITTA SIPPOLA / Helsingin Sanomat
anna-riitta.sippola@hs.fi