History of Finland
The first country in Europe to grant universal suffrage, in 1906. 3 eras, 1104 to today.
Finland under Swedish rule, 1104–1809 Draft, not yet reviewed
Finland was a part of Sweden from the Middle Ages until 1809. Historical evidence of the establishment of Swedish rule in Finland exists from the middle of the 13th century onwards. Swedish rule ended in 1721 in most of so-called Old Finland, the south-eastern part of the Finnish territories, as a result of the Great Northern War. Swedish rule over the rest of Finland ended on 17 September 1809, when the signing of the Treaty of Hamina ended the Finnish War.
Seat of power: Turku
Rulers
- Blot-Sweyn, Monarch of Sweden, 1084–1118
- Canute I of Sweden, Monarch of Sweden, 1173–1196
- Valdemar, Monarch of Sweden, 1250–1275
- Birger, King of Sweden, Monarch of Sweden, 1290–1319
- Magnus IV of Sweden, Monarch of Sweden, 1319–1364
- Albert, King of Sweden, Monarch of Sweden, 1364–1389
- Margaret I of Denmark, Monarch of Sweden, 1389–1412
- Eric of Pomerania, Monarch of Sweden, 1396–1439
- Gustav I of Sweden, Monarch of Sweden, 1523–1560
- John III of Sweden, Monarch of Sweden, 1568–1592
- Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, Monarch of Sweden, 1611–1632
- Christina of Sweden, Monarch of Sweden, 1632–1654
- Charles XI of Sweden, Monarch of Sweden, 1660–1697
- Carl XII of Sweden, Monarch of Sweden, 1697–1718
- Frederick I of Sweden, Monarch of Sweden, 1720–1751
Grand Duchy of Finland, 1809–1917 Draft, not yet reviewed
The Grand Duchy of Finland was the direct predecessor to modern Finland, existing from 1809 to 1917 as an autonomous region within the Russian Empire and briefly under the Russian Provisional Government. The emperor of Russia ruled as the Grand Duke of Finland, represented locally by a governor-general, while domestic administration was conducted by native officials through the Senate of Finland. In 1906, following the 1905 Russian Revolution, Finland replaced its four-estate Diet with a unicameral Parliament based on universal suffrage, becoming the first European territory to grant women the right to stand for election. Following the collapse of the Russian monarchy in 1917, the Finnish Parliament approved the Declaration of Independence on 6 December 1917.
Seat of power: Helsinki
Rulers
- Nicholas I of Russia, Grand Duke of Finland, 1825–1855
- Nicholas II of Russia, Grand Duke of Finland, 1894–1917
Finland, 1917 to today Draft, not yet reviewed
Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Finland declared its independence, and a civil war ensued the following year, with the anticommunist Whites emerging victorious. During World War II, Finland fought against the Soviet Union in the Winter War and the Continuation War, and later against Nazi Germany in the Lapland War. After the Cold War, Finland became a member of the European Union in 1995 and the Eurozone in 1999. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Finland joined NATO in 2023.
Seat of power: Helsinki
Rulers
- Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, Prime Minister of Finland, 1917–1918
- Lauri Ingman, Prime Minister of Finland, 1918–1919
- Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg, President of Finland, 1919–1925
- Lauri Kristian Relander, President of Finland, 1925–1931
- Pehr Evind Svinhufvud, President of Finland, 1931–1937
- Kyösti Kallio, President of Finland, 1937–1940
- Risto Ryti, President of Finland, 1940–1944
- Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, President of Finland, 1944–1946
- Juho Kusti Paasikivi, President of Finland, 1946–1956
- Urho Kekkonen, President of Finland, 1956–1982
- Mauno Koivisto, President of Finland, 1982–1994
- Martti Ahtisaari, President of Finland, 1994–2000
- Tarja Halonen, President of Finland, 2000–2012
- Sauli Niinistö, President of Finland, 2012–2024
- Alexander Stubb, President of Finland, 2024 to today
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.