Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1938, Page 176
LE NORD
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An internal weakness of this State was the guardianship im-
posed on the Finnish-speaking majority by the old-fashioned
House of Representatives controlled by the Swedish-speaking
upper-classes, and by the Swedish-speaking bureaucracy. The
injustice of this was felt all the more as the country had given
birth to a Finnish nationalistic movement which had as its object
the raising of the educational, social and political standard among
the Finnish-speaking section of the community. This national
awakening coupled with the later working class movement formed
the new creative forces which strengthened the State during this
period.
Thanks to enlivened political life and economic progress, the
Russian period became the most important and progressive phase
in Finnish history up to that date. Although she was externally
united to Russia, Finland nevertheless maintained close connec-
tions with the general trend of European culture. Separation from
the Russian colossus could not even be considered in Finland
where the constitutional rulers had their most loyal and contented
subjects. But, although the Russian rulers interfered but little
with Finland’s internal conditions, the reactionary rule of the
Tsar nevertheless imposed itself on the Finnish State, hampering
its political development, fettering its national and social progress,
and depressing and stifling its entire public life.
Under these conditions, the end of the past century witnessed
a political change which lasted a generation and finally resulted
in Finland’s independence. Influenced by the pan-Slavic move-
ment, the Russian despots began a systematic destruction of Fin-
land’s internal autonomy in order completely to merge this coun-
try in the Russian empire. The first sign of the coming storm was
the »Post Manifesto« of 1890 designed to convert the Finnish
postal service into a part of the general Russian postal system.
But the first real blow was the »February Manifesto« of 1899
by which, in defiance of Finland’s constitution and of the Tsar’s
solemn assurances, the supreme administration of the country
was given into Russian hands. This was the beginning of a long
drawn-out period of oppression which gradually extended to all
branches of the administration. The fundamental rights of the
people, freedom of speech, right of assembly, freedom of asso-
ciation, etc., were hampered by every conceivable method, while
officials maintaining the law were either discharged from their
posts or exiled to Russian prisons and concentration camps.
Little Finland took up the gauntlet. Her only answer to op-