Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1938, Page 178
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LE NORD
young Finns enlisted in the German armies to prepare themselves
for the task of freeing Finland when the moment arose (Jaeger
Movement).
Fate, however, played its own incalculable hand and March
1917 brought the Russian Revolution, overthrew the Tsar, and
gave birth to a mighty social upheaval. These tremendous events
directly affected Finland. On the demand of all Finnish parties,
the temporary government in Russia published the so-called
»March Manifesto« which abolished all the illegal measures intro-
duced into Finland under the Tsarist regime and gave promise of a
more modern form of government. The Diet was summoned and
now assumed the political position which it had formerly lacked.
A new Finnish government was formed on parliamentary prin-
ciples with the social-democratic party at the head and with the
support of all other parties (»Tokoi’s Senate«). The first few
moments of liberty were enjoyed to the full.
The »March Manifesto« was indeed a step towards Finland’s
independence. The fall of the Tsar necessitated a change in Fin-
land’s relations with Russia. Looking back, it seems possible
that Finland might have gained her independence immediately
after the fall of the Tsar. Apparently, however, Finland was not
yet ripe for this. While conservative circles were deliberating in
the question in whom the »Supreme Authority« was now vested
— a question which became of importance, during the subsequent
comedy of the unsuccessful attempt to restore the monarchy to
Finland, — demands for complete independence were forth-
coming from labour and »activist« circles and even in the Diet
during the first spring of the Revolution.
But Finland was still compelled to study the political baro-
meter of her powerful neighbour. When, in the summer of 1917,
the sails of Bolshevism were swelled by a favourable wind and
the doctrine of government by the people favoured Finland’s
aims at autonomy, the Finnish Diet accepted the so-called »Power
Act« which aimed to transfer the supreme power into its hands,
retaining only a nominal union between the two countries. But
the temporary Russian government felt itself sufficiently power-
ful at that time to dissolve this too ambitious Finnish Diet.
Hardly was the new Diet in session at the beginning of
November, when the Bolshevik coup d’etat occurred in Russia,
an event just as fateful as the overthrow of the Tsar in the spring.
The power of the temporary Russian government and the office