Christopher Hughes - The History of Finland: A Fascinating Guide to this Nordic Country

The History of Finland: A Fascinating Guide to this Nordic Country

By Christopher Hughes

Located in northern Europe, geographically Finland is one of the most northern, as well as most remote, countries in the world. Approximately one-third of its territory lies north of the Arctic Circle. Finland is also relatively young, recently celebrating only its 100th anniversary. Of particular significance, the country forms the very symbolic and historic northern border between western and eastern Europe.

It was not until after the Russian Revolution that Finland declared its independenceon December 6, 1917and the country was formed. Prior to that, from 1809-1917, the geographical area that is now Finland was a Russian territory. And prior to that, it was a territory of Sweden. The earliest written mentioning of Finland is from the 12th century.

For ease of reference in this article, the term Finland will be used to refer to the territories that ultimately became the country of Finland, both before and after.

Ancient Finland

B ecause there is no written record of Finland until the 12th century, very little is known about its earliest human settlement. It is believed that the first permanent inhabitants arrived 10,000 to 12,000 years ago as the glaciers receded at the end of the last Ice Age. But it most certainly was inhabited long before then. Flint tools found in a cave at Kristinestad suggest a human presence much farther back, between Ice Ages.

As would be expected from its geographical location, the first settlers came from Russia and the area of present-day Estonia. Ancient sites of inhabitation have been found in southern Finland believed to date back to the eighth millennium B.C. A Roman historian mentioned a tribe called the Fenni in the first century A.D. He essentially described the tribe members as wild savages who did not have homes or horses.

Many people mistakenly assume that the Finns took part in the Viking expeditions during the Viking Age (c. 800 - 1050). They did not. The confusion most likely arises from much of the worlds incorrect use of the terms Scandinavian and Nordic interchangeably. Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark are all Nordic countries with Scandinavian roots. But in northern Europe, only Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish people refer to themselves as Scandinavian.

The Nordic countries with historical connections to the Vikings are Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and Norway. Because of the misplaced collective use of Scandinavian, many people lump Finland in there with the Vikings as well. Finnish people, the majority of whom live in Finland (the rest primarily in Sweden) are also one of the Nordic peoples. They fall into the Uralic people, a mixed race of Mongoloid and Europoid, with no relationship to the Vikings.

The Swedish Period (12th Century 1809)

P rior to the middle of the 12th century, Finland essentially was a political and religious non-entity. During the Viking Age, Swedish Vikings engaged in eastward expeditions aimed at establishing trade ties with the Arab world via Russia. Although the Swedes then came into contact with the Finns, they did not build any permanent settlements there during that time.

Towards the close of the Viking Age, Swedish influence in Finland grew. The Roman Catholic Church had been successful converting most Swedes to Christianity, and during the wave of the crusades that began in 1095, most Finns ultimately were converted as well.

The Swedish Crusades (1155-1323)

A lthough accounts vary , semi-historical legend maintains that King Erik IX led the First Swedish Crusade in Finland in 1155. He is credited with conquering southwest Finland for his country. It appeared, however, that Christianity did not yet have a stronghold there at that time. Interestingly, Pope Alexander III wrote a letter to one of the Swedish archbishops in the late 1100s, stating: The Finns always promise to obey the Christian faith whenever they are threatened by a hostile army ... but when the army retires, they deny the faith, despise the preachers, and grievously persecute them.

In 1249, Birger Jarl led the Second Swedish Crusade, bringing the central region of Finland under Swedish control. And then in the late 1200s and early 1300s, the Third Swedish Crusade, aimed directly at the already Christianized Karelia region in Novgorod (Russia), conquered that area for Sweden as well. In 1323, the Treaty of Phkinsaari drew the boundary between Russian and Swedish control. With Finland now firmly part of the Swedish realm, the crusades were ended.

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I t was not until 1362 that Finns began to enjoy the equal status of Swedes, including the right to participate in royal elections. But even prior to that time, the Swedes had begun to treat Finland as their own. As to be expected, the social and legal systems of Sweden infiltrated Finland, but this did not include feudalism. The Finnish peasants always maintained their personal freedom, never being subjected to serfdom. This is not to say that the farmers possessed much political power, though, which was relegated primarily to Swedish-speaking nobility.

Finland enjoyed a period of prosperity, growth, and economic development during the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1521, Gustav Vasa became the King of Sweden, and during his rule and in large part as a result of his efforts, the Swedish church was reformed. Martin Luther had initiated the Protestant Reformation in Germany, and Scandinavian countries had historically been receptive to German influence. Thus, Lutheranism spread quickly, and by the time Luther died in 1546, it was firmly implanted in Scandinavia, including Sweden, and thus Finland.

King Vasas motivation in regard to this conversion undoubtedly was based largely upon his desire for a stronger centralized state; the acceptance of Lutheranism enabled him to break the political power of the Roman Catholic Church, which had previously stood in his way. Prior to the Reformation, the Church had owned about one-fifth of the land in Sweden. Therefore, the ensuing confiscation of Church properties resulted in a huge windfall for the monarchy as well as the aristocracy.