Russification of Finland
Encyclopedia
The policy of Russification of Finland (1899–1905 and 1908–1917, called sortokaudet/sortovuodet (times/years of oppression) in Finnish
and förtrycksperioderna in Swedish
) was a governmental policy of the Russian Empire
aimed at limiting the special status of the Grand Duchy of Finland
and possibly the termination of its political autonomy and cultural uniqueness. It was a part of a larger policy of Russification
pursued by late 19th–early 20th century Russian governments which tried to abolish cultural and administrative autonomy of non-Russian minorities within the empire. The policy included the following measures:
The two Russification campaigns resulted in Finnish resistance, starting with petitions and escalating to strikes, passive resistance (including draft resistance) and eventually active resistance. From April 1903 until the Russian Revolution of 1905
, the Russian governor-general
was granted dictatorial powers to. In June 1904 Eugen Schauman
assinated Nikolai Bobrikov
the incumbent Russian governor-general. The imperial government responded with a purge of opponents of Russification within the Finnish administration, more stringent censorship
. However the resistance campaign had some successes, notably a de facto reversal of the new conscription law. In retrospect, Finnish resistance to the policy of russification was one of the main factors that ultimately led to Finland's declaration of independence
in 1917.
The Russification campaign was suspended and partially reversed in 1905–07 during a period of civil unrest
throughout the Russian empire following Russian defeats in the Russo-Japanese War
. The program was reintroduced in 1908 on, costing Finland much of its autonomy and again causing further Finnish resistance, including the Jäger movement
. Many measures were again suspended in 1914–17 during the First World War
, but secret government documents published in the Finnish press in November 1914 suggested that the imperial government still harbored plans for the complete Russification of Finland.
with the financial aid from Japan the rebels bought a shipment of thousands of rifles with the aim of creating an uprising and forming an independent state. However, the ship was wrecked off the coast of Finland and the plan fell apart. During the First World War when Russia and Japan were allies fighting against Germany, the Japanese handed to the Russian government a list of leading men in the freedom movement (now in World War I working with Imperial Germany).
received German support.
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
and förtrycksperioderna in Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
) was a governmental policy of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
aimed at limiting the special status of the Grand Duchy of Finland
Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland. It existed 1809–1917 as part of the Russian Empire and was ruled by the Russian czar as Grand Prince.- History :...
and possibly the termination of its political autonomy and cultural uniqueness. It was a part of a larger policy of Russification
Russification
Russification is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attributes by non-Russian communities...
pursued by late 19th–early 20th century Russian governments which tried to abolish cultural and administrative autonomy of non-Russian minorities within the empire. The policy included the following measures:
- The February Manifesto of 1899 was a decree by Emperor Nicholas II which asserted the imperial government's right to rule Finland without the consent of local legislative bodies.
- The Language Manifesto of 1900 was a decree by Emperor Nicholas II which made RussianRussian languageRussian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
the language of administration of Finland. - The conscriptionConscriptionConscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
law was signed by Emperor Nicholas II in July 1901 and incorporated the Finnish armyMilitary of the Grand Duchy of FinlandBetween 1809 and 1917 Finland was an autonomous part of the Russian Empire as the Grand Duchy of Finland. Between 1881 and 1901 the Grand Duchy had its own army. Before that several other military units had also been formed....
into the imperial army.
The two Russification campaigns resulted in Finnish resistance, starting with petitions and escalating to strikes, passive resistance (including draft resistance) and eventually active resistance. From April 1903 until the Russian Revolution of 1905
Russian Revolution of 1905
The 1905 Russian Revolution was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. Some of it was directed against the government, while some was undirected. It included worker strikes, peasant unrest, and military mutinies...
, the Russian governor-general
Governor-General of Finland
Governor-General of Finland ; was the military commander and the highest administrator of Finland sporadically under Swedish rule in the 17th and 18th centuries and continuously in the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland between 1808 and 1917.-Swedish rule:...
was granted dictatorial powers to. In June 1904 Eugen Schauman
Eugen Schauman
Eugen Schauman was a Finnish nationalist and nobleman who assassinated the Governor-General Nikolai Ivanovich Bobrikov.- Schauman's life :...
assinated Nikolai Bobrikov
Nikolai Ivanovich Bobrikov
Nikolay Ivanovich Bobrikov ; born on in St. Petersburg – June 16, 1904 in Helsingfors, Grand Duchy of Finland) was a Russian soldier and politician....
the incumbent Russian governor-general. The imperial government responded with a purge of opponents of Russification within the Finnish administration, more stringent censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
. However the resistance campaign had some successes, notably a de facto reversal of the new conscription law. In retrospect, Finnish resistance to the policy of russification was one of the main factors that ultimately led to Finland's declaration of independence
Finland's declaration of independence
The Finnish declaration of independence was adopted by the Parliament of Finland on 6 December 1917. It declared Finland an independent and sovereign nation state rather than an autonomous Russian Grand duchy.-Revolution in Russia:...
in 1917.
The Russification campaign was suspended and partially reversed in 1905–07 during a period of civil unrest
Russian Revolution of 1905
The 1905 Russian Revolution was a wave of mass political and social unrest that spread through vast areas of the Russian Empire. Some of it was directed against the government, while some was undirected. It included worker strikes, peasant unrest, and military mutinies...
throughout the Russian empire following Russian defeats in the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
. The program was reintroduced in 1908 on, costing Finland much of its autonomy and again causing further Finnish resistance, including the Jäger movement
Finnish Jäger troops
The Jäger Movement were volunteers from Finland trained in Germany as Jägers during World War I. Supported by Germany to enable a Finnish sovereign state, it was one of many means by which Germany intended to weaken Russia and to cause Russia's loss of western provinces and...
. Many measures were again suspended in 1914–17 during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, but secret government documents published in the Finnish press in November 1914 suggested that the imperial government still harbored plans for the complete Russification of Finland.
Japanese involvement
During the Russo-Japanese WarRusso-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
with the financial aid from Japan the rebels bought a shipment of thousands of rifles with the aim of creating an uprising and forming an independent state. However, the ship was wrecked off the coast of Finland and the plan fell apart. During the First World War when Russia and Japan were allies fighting against Germany, the Japanese handed to the Russian government a list of leading men in the freedom movement (now in World War I working with Imperial Germany).
German involvement
During the first world war the Jäger movementFinnish Jäger troops
The Jäger Movement were volunteers from Finland trained in Germany as Jägers during World War I. Supported by Germany to enable a Finnish sovereign state, it was one of many means by which Germany intended to weaken Russia and to cause Russia's loss of western provinces and...
received German support.
Further reading
- Sergeevskii, N. D.Nikolai SergeevskyNikolai Dmitrievich Sergeevsky was a Russian law professor and statesman.- Biography :Graduate in law of St. Petersburg University; professor of Demidov Lyceum in Yaroslavl, and of criminal law in St...
Finland : the question of autonomy and fundamental laws (1911) - Alenius, Kari. "Russification in Estonia and Finland Before 1917," Faravid, 2004, Vol. 28, pp 181-194
- Huxley, Steven. Constitutionalist insurgency in Finland: Finnish "passive resistance" against Russification as a case of nonmilitary struggle in the European resistance tradition (1990)
- Polvinen, Tuomo. Imperial Borderland: Bobrikov and the Attempted Russification of Finland, 1898–1904 (1995)
- Thaden, Edward C. Russification in the Baltic Provinces and Finland (1981).
External links
- The Era of Russification
- "The Gracious Manifesto of the Imperial Majesty", text of the February Manifesto of 1899 (in English)
- Nicholas's Decree Limiting Finnish Autonomy, March 20, 1903 (in English)