Brief history of a modern welfare state


Finland and Finnishness have been moulded by the country's location between East and West. From the 13th century Finland was part of the Swedish sphere of influence for several centuries, and actually part of the Swedish Realm from the 14th century. Finns fought in many a Swedish army, often against Russia. In 1809, after Sweden had lost the war with Russia, Finland was ceded to Russia and became an autonomous Grand Duchy within Tsarist Russia, its Grand duke being the Tsar himself. During the 19th century Finnish national feeling grew stronger. Finnish language and culture began to flourish, and demands for political independence were increasingly aired. The repressive Russian reaction only served to intensify the nationalist movement.

In 1906 Finland succeeded in establishing a new constitution based on equal and universal suffrage: Finnish women were the first in Europe to be given the vote. After the October Revolution in Russia in 1917, Finland declared itself independent in December of the same year. The first decades of independence were a period of rapid social and cultural construction.

During World War II Finland managed to retain its independence in the Winter War and Continuation War against Russia. Since the war, Finland has pursued a policy of neutrality, military non alliance, and this has created the basis for the present welfare state. Finland has actively contributed to the promotion of world peace, disarmament and international cooperation. We have hosted numerous peace negotiations and conferences over the past few decades. Finland has been a member of the European Union since the beginning of 1995