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MAIN OUTLINES OF FINNISH HISTORY AND CULTURE

MAIN OUTLINES OF FINNISH HISTORY AND CULTURE. Esa Sundbäck 4.4.2014. Basic information. population 5.2 million the third least densely populated country in Europe (after Iceland and Norway) territory: the fifth biggest country in Europe (after Germany, France, Spain and Sweden) .

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MAIN OUTLINES OF FINNISH HISTORY AND CULTURE

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  1. MAIN OUTLINES OF FINNISH HISTORY AND CULTURE Esa Sundbäck 4.4.2014

  2. Basic information • population 5.2 million • the third least densely populated country in Europe (after Iceland and Norway) • territory: the fifth biggest country in Europe (after Germany, France, Spain and Sweden) 

  3. bilingual country: Finnish 93%, Swedish 6%

  4. Finnish culture

  5. Whatare the Finns in mentalsense?

  6. 1) Nation of silence -" if there is nothing important to be said, be quit" - consequently, the Finns are NOT talkative (don’t blame yourself!)

  7. 2) Finns are restricted - not easy (and fast) to became a deep friend; but if it happens, the Finn is a really faithful and loyal friend let say throughout the life (?)

  8. 3) Finnsareobedient to rules and laws– for the Finnsthingsareeitherblackor white, butnotgrey

  9. Origin of the Finns • in the prehistory, population from different directions, then mixtured: origin partly from the east (Finno-Ugric people), partly from Western Europe

  10. language from the east = Finnish language belongs to the Finno-Ugric languages (together with Estonian, Hungarian in Europe - Mari, Udmurt and Komi in Russia

  11. History

  12. Periods of FinnishHistory • 1) Finland under Swedish reign 1155-1809 • 2) Finland under Russian reign 1809-1917 • 3) Independency 1917-

  13. Finland under Swedish reign 1155-1809 • 10th-12th centuries - Finland a battlefield between Sweden (catholic church) and Novgorod (forthcoming Russia; orthodox church) ► Swedish influences to the western part, Russian influences to the eastern part of the country (diversity)

  14. Diversity of the Finnish Culture

  15. Swedish dominance ► Catholic religion = Western Finland as a part of medieval Europe – in a cultural sense, Finland became a part of Europe (not Russia)

  16. Reformation in a Lutheran form to Sweden ► consequently, contemporary Finn's respect of law, rules and the obedience of the state

  17. consequence of Swedish rule over Finland = Swedish became the language of the ruling upper class - Finnish that of ordinary people

  18. Finland under Russian reign 1809-1917: a Grand Duchy of Finland • separate entity as a part of Imperial Russia =1) autonomious administration2) Swedish law as contrary to Russian law in Russia3) Lutheran religion as contrary to Orthodox religion in Russia

  19. awakening of Finnish nationalism in the 19th century= improvement of the Finnish language's position in terms of Swedish language idea of Finnish culture and self-consciousness characterizing Finnish speaking population

  20. Finnish nationalism was not addressed against Russia but the ruling Swedish-speaking elite in Finland (exception in European scale: the Finns did not rebel against Russia) =

  21. National Myth = Kalevala (Harry Potter)National composer = Jean Sibelius

  22. Independent Finland 1917- • February and October Revolutions in Russia 1917 ► detachment out of Russia as an independent country in the end of 1917

  23. Civil War in the Spring 1918: as a background, social and political unequality between the wealthy minority and the poor majority

  24. 1920s and 1930s: idea of a bilingual country as equal rights for both Finnish and Swedish throughout the country (not based on territorial distinction between Swedish or Finnish-speaking areas) why? - Finland aimed at cooperation with Sweden against the threat of Communist Soviet Union

  25. Second World War:Winter War 1939-1940: Soviet invasion on Finland"Continuation War" (Finnish concept) against Soviet Union 1941-1944 as ally of Nazi Germany

  26. Finland at the time of the Cold War 1945-1991: “Finlandization” and Kekkonen as President • Finland was under Soviet pressure and political influence: "Finlandisierung" or “Finlandization” (= a small country under the great power's influence, not really independent)

  27. in spite of Soviet dominance, Finland managed to stay as western democracy and avoided to be transformed to a Communist country as contrary to other Eastern European countries

  28. Kekkonen as President 1956-1981(you read correctly, 25 years!)

  29. concentration of power to his hands - however, not illegal because Finnish Constitution gave lot of power to the President

  30. used his personal connections to Soviet leaders as a weapon against domestic political opponents in Finland

  31. censorship in Finland: did not allow to publish negative information on Soviet Union

  32. after Kekkonen's era, the power of Finnish President was diminished

  33. for furtherinformation: Jason Lavery: The History of Finland

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