Socialist Workers' Party of Finland
Encyclopedia
Socialist Workers' Party of Finland was a Finnish
political party
in the early 1920s. The SSTP consisted of radical leftists who split from the Social Democratic Party of Finland
after the Finnish Civil War
of 1918. The banned Communist Party of Finland
(SKP) was the main force behind the party but other socialists were also involved. The SSTP was banned in 1923 and its leading members, including 27 members of parliament, were jailed. The party was succeeded by the Socialist Electoral Organisation of Workers and Smallholders (1924–1930).
The SSTP was established on 13 May 1920 at the Helsinki Workers' House
. The founding congress was attended by 82 delegates, representing 42 different organisations. The decision to found a new party was made after the left lost the battle inside the SDP. An interim party leadership had already been chosen earlier and it led the organisation until the congress. A number of Social Democratic Party organisations joined the new party and they formed the basic organisation for the SSTP. Most of the SSTP founders had been involved in the civil war.
On the second day of the founding congress, the SSTP decided to join the Communist International, after which the police dispersed the meeting and arrested the participants, some of whom were later sentenced to imprisonment. It took a while for the activists to get the organisation back in form after the arrests. Eventually, the Helsinki municipal Socialist Organisation took the lead. It proclaimed itself the party on June 19, adopted the basic documents of the founding congress and chose the party leadership. Metal worker Jaakko Kivi was elected the chairman of SSTP. SSTP's program was written by Otto Wille Kuusinen, member of the Central Committee of the SKP.
The SSTP participated in the 1922 parliamentary elections
. Finnish Workers' Central Election Committee was formed on February 24, 1922 by representatives of the SSTP, Finnish Trade Union Federation (SAJ), Social Democratic Youth League of Finland and Social Democratic Women's League of Finland. Election Committee set up 130 candidates, in all electoral constituencies. The SSTP received a total of 128,121 votes (14.8%) and 27 MPs (including 6 women).
In 1922 the SSTP had 24 398 members and 706 basic organisations.
The other Finnish parties called for the SSTP's abolition and its members were imprisoned on a regular basis. The party newspapers were constantly in trouble with the censorship. In early 1923, the SSTP changed its name to Workers' Party of Finland (Suomen Työväenpuolue, STP), removing reference to socialism. On 3 August 1923, the STP parliamentary group, members of party committee, the secretariat and district organisation leaders, and other members of staff were arrested. The arrests and ban were justified with alleged links to the illegal Communist Party.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in the early 1920s. The SSTP consisted of radical leftists who split from the Social Democratic Party of Finland
Social Democratic Party of Finland
The Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the three major political parties in Finland, along with the Centre Party and the National Coalition Party. Jutta Urpilainen is the current SDP leader. The party has been in the Finnish government cabinet for long periods and has set many...
after the Finnish Civil War
Finnish Civil War
The Finnish Civil War was a part of the national, political and social turmoil caused by World War I in Europe. The Civil War concerned control and leadership of The Grand Duchy of Finland as it achieved independence from Russia after the October Revolution in Petrograd...
of 1918. The banned Communist Party of Finland
Communist Party of Finland
The Communist Party of Finland was a communist political party in Finland. The SKP was a section of Comintern and illegal in Finland until 1944.SKP did not participate in any elections with its own name. Instead, front organisations were used...
(SKP) was the main force behind the party but other socialists were also involved. The SSTP was banned in 1923 and its leading members, including 27 members of parliament, were jailed. The party was succeeded by the Socialist Electoral Organisation of Workers and Smallholders (1924–1930).
The SSTP was established on 13 May 1920 at the Helsinki Workers' House
Helsinki Workers' House
The Helsinki Workers' House, also known as Paasitorni, is an Art Nouveau convention and conference centre located in Hakaniemi, Helsinki, Finland. It was built in 1908 as conference and leisure premises for the working class, and for a long time, served actively as a workers' house. In the 1970s,...
. The founding congress was attended by 82 delegates, representing 42 different organisations. The decision to found a new party was made after the left lost the battle inside the SDP. An interim party leadership had already been chosen earlier and it led the organisation until the congress. A number of Social Democratic Party organisations joined the new party and they formed the basic organisation for the SSTP. Most of the SSTP founders had been involved in the civil war.
On the second day of the founding congress, the SSTP decided to join the Communist International, after which the police dispersed the meeting and arrested the participants, some of whom were later sentenced to imprisonment. It took a while for the activists to get the organisation back in form after the arrests. Eventually, the Helsinki municipal Socialist Organisation took the lead. It proclaimed itself the party on June 19, adopted the basic documents of the founding congress and chose the party leadership. Metal worker Jaakko Kivi was elected the chairman of SSTP. SSTP's program was written by Otto Wille Kuusinen, member of the Central Committee of the SKP.
The SSTP participated in the 1922 parliamentary elections
Finnish parliamentary election, 1922
Parliamentary elections were held in Finland between 1 and 3 July 1922. The Social Democratic Pary remained the largest in Parliament with 53 of the 200 seats...
. Finnish Workers' Central Election Committee was formed on February 24, 1922 by representatives of the SSTP, Finnish Trade Union Federation (SAJ), Social Democratic Youth League of Finland and Social Democratic Women's League of Finland. Election Committee set up 130 candidates, in all electoral constituencies. The SSTP received a total of 128,121 votes (14.8%) and 27 MPs (including 6 women).
In 1922 the SSTP had 24 398 members and 706 basic organisations.
The other Finnish parties called for the SSTP's abolition and its members were imprisoned on a regular basis. The party newspapers were constantly in trouble with the censorship. In early 1923, the SSTP changed its name to Workers' Party of Finland (Suomen Työväenpuolue, STP), removing reference to socialism. On 3 August 1923, the STP parliamentary group, members of party committee, the secretariat and district organisation leaders, and other members of staff were arrested. The arrests and ban were justified with alleged links to the illegal Communist Party.
Chairmen
| August Raatikainen | 17.2.–14.5.1920 | (temporary party committee) |
| Jaakko Kivi | 16.6.–28.12.1920 | |
| Hjalmar Eklund | 28.12.1920–26.1.1922 | |
| Niilo Wälläri Niilo Wälläri Niilo Wälläri was a Finnish Socialist, syndicalist politician. Wälläri led the Finnish Seamen’s Union from 1938 until his death.... |
31.1.–31.3.1922 | (temporary party committee) |
| Niilo Wälläri Niilo Wälläri Niilo Wälläri was a Finnish Socialist, syndicalist politician. Wälläri led the Finnish Seamen’s Union from 1938 until his death.... |
1.4.1922–17.5.1923 | |
| Toivo Hjalmar Långström Toivo Hjalmar Långström Toivo Hjalmar Långström was a Finnish politician and trade union activist. He was the last leader of Socialist Workers' Party of Finland from May to August 1923 before the party was banned and its leadership imprisoned... |
17.5.–3.8.1923 | (Suomen Työväenpuolue) |
Members of parliament
- Elin Airamo (1922–1923)
- Toivo Aronen (1922–1923)
- Jaakko Enqvist (1922–1923)
- Väinö Hannula (1922–1923)
- Hilda Hannunen (1920–1923)
- Frans Hiilos (1922–1923)
- Laura Härmä (1922–1923)
- Albert Kallio (1922–1923)
- Kalle Kankari (1922–1923)
- Pekka Kemppi (1922–1923)
- Aukusti Koivisto (1922–1923)
- Kalle Lampinen (1922–1923)
- Toivo Hjalmar LångströmToivo Hjalmar LångströmToivo Hjalmar Långström was a Finnish politician and trade union activist. He was the last leader of Socialist Workers' Party of Finland from May to August 1923 before the party was banned and its leadership imprisoned...
(1922–1923) - Emmi Mäkelin (1922–1923)
- Heikki Mäkinen (1922–1923)
- Antti Nahkala (1922–1923)
- Pekka Nurmiranta (1922–1923)
- Hannes Pulkkinen (1922–1923)
- August Rytkönen (1922–1923)
- Rosa Sillanpää (1922–1923)
- Kalle Toppinen (1922–1923)
- Lempi Tuomi (1922–1923)
- Vihtori Vainio (1923–1923)
- Ville Vainio (1920–1923)
- Yrjö Valkama (1922–1923)
- Juho Vesterlund (1922–1923)
- Matti Väisänen (1922)
External links
- SSTP party program 1920 (in Finnish)