4.3.5 Finland as a Russian Grand Duchy
Description
This article is from the Nordic countries FAQ, by Antti Lahelma and Johan Olofsson, with numerous contributions by others.
4.3.5 Finland as a Russian Grand Duchy
The time as a Grand-Duchy under the Russian Emperor is
generally regarded as very good times for Finland.
Finland enjoys an economic autonomy, the taxes from Finland are
spent in Finland. Finland gets a National Bank of its own, a
currency of its own, and a customs service of its own.
Finland also gets a Civil Service of its own, and in all
aspects a more independent position then she had had as one of
many parts in the Swedish realm. (The position of Finland in
the Swedish realm is sometimes compared to the present-day
position of Norrland.)
The Russian interest to draw Finland apart from Sweden, and to
thereby make a re-conquest less likely, led to reforms which
gradually promoted the use of Finnish language - explicit
expressions of nationalism were repressed, however.
Between 1863 and 1902, the status of the Finnish language in
the Civil Service was gradually equalized with that of the
Swedish language.
The 19th century was also the time when scholars and scientists
in Finland began to be identified as Finns (and not Swedes) by
the surrounding world. For the self-esteem of the Finns it was
of particular importance that prominent scientists (such as for
instance family of geologists Nordenskiöld and the family of
zoologists von Wright of which Magnus von Wright, became famous
for his outstanding zoological paintings) were working at the
University of Helsinki.
From year 1869, the Parliament was to be regularly summoned
every fifth year, although briefly 1899-1905 the Parliament was
given a subordinate role in the legislative process as a step
in the Russian policy of tying Finland closer to Russia. Until
Russia's defeat by Japan in 1905 the situation in Finland
remains very tense. Then the decree from 1899 is revoked, and
common suffrage, equal for all men and women, is enacted in
1906.
The Social Democrats get a strong, bordering to very strong,
position in the Parliament, but the Left loses its confidence
in democracy as discussions and compromises with Liberals
and/or Conservatives turn out to give very poor results.
Furthermore: the Russian representative uses his power to close
the Parliament to hinder radical reforms.
At the end of the first World War, the educated classes in
Finland were (like those in Sweden) heavily oriented towards
Germany. During the war, a number of Finnish men (mainly young
and mainly of the educated classes, with pro-German and
right-wing views) have secretly fled to Germany to receive
military education, training and experience.
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