Sweden Intervenes in Finland 1917

Sweden had come close to coming into the First World War on the side of the Central Powers but it had been stopped only due to the Intervention of the Russian High Command preventing one of its Admirals from carrying out an attack on Sweden's Navy.
However, relations between the two nations had never been warm since Imperial Russia seized the Duchy of Finland. In the middle of the 19th Century Sweden had come very close to joining the British and the French in the Crimean War. It had allowed the "allies " to mount an attack on Finland.
Now things were looking bad in Imperial Russia. The Czar had been overthrown and the Provisional Government also was in desperate straits. When it was overthrown by the Reds the Swedish Monarch and Military pressed to government to intervene in Finland. The Red Menace must not be allowed to spread. At this point the British and French were more concern that the Reds might make a separate peace and were willing to turn a blind eye.
The result was that the Swedish Army was mobilized and was transported into Finland. There was in effect no Russian force to face them as most had deserted and the Finnish forces welcomed the Swedes as liberators. It would appear that Sweden's Monarch had dreams of restoring Swedish control. But he knew that he would have to assure
the Finnish People that they would be full citizens and not second class citizens.

I doubt this would work. The famous quote of the era is:
"Swedes we are no longer,Russians we do not want to become,let us therefore become Finns!"This should pretty clearly show that the Finns wouldn't look very kindly on the Swedes taking over again. Independence has been sought for a while after all.

The Swedish Plan was to make Sweden's King also Finland's Monarch. But Finland would be allowed to have its own Parliament and courts. Finnish and Swedish would be recognized as official languages of the Grand Duchy of Finland. There would be somethings that they would hold in common such as a trade union and currency. In Addition the Grand Duchy would have its own Army.

I don't see it Finns being really happy if this happens. Finland has been moving towards greater autonomy for 100 years and this would be a clear setback on that route, especially as many people were starting to move towards ideas of full independence.

chris N said:

The Swedish Plan was to make Sweden's King also Finland's Monarch. But Finland would be allowed to have its own Parliament and courts. Finnish and Swedish would be recognized as official languages of the Grand Duchy of Finland. There would be somethings that they would hold in common such as a trade union and currency. In Addition the Grand Duchy would have its own Army.

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For Finns, own currency has been historically one of the most important things in national mythology. Forced to use Kronas wouldn't go well here. Finland having some Swedish prince as a head of state might work though.

Sweden didn't really want all of Finland, just the Åland Islands. In 1917 Russia was still in WW1, so a Swedish attack on Russia would mean Sweden joining the Central Powers, and 1917 is just a tad too late for that. Finland was on track to independence, and the Swedes were actually quite hopeful about that. It of course all has to with when the attack comes. In 1917 Russia is crumbling, and Finland is looking for a way out. After the Czar was deposed the Socialist wanted immediate independence (the Socialist controlled diet passed the so called Power Act which would give them highest authority in Finland), but the Bourgeois parties decided to wait, and allied with the Russian Provisional Government. The Russian Provisional Government dissolved the Finnish diet and new elections were called. The bourgeois parties won.

Then of course the October revolution happened, and now the rightists in Finland became nervous. In November 15th the Bolsheviks declared the right for self- determination for all peoples of Russia. The same day the Finnish diet declared themselves to have sovereignty over Finland. And of course on December 6th Finland declared independence.

Finland was already in 1917 a very polarized nation. The Reds and Whites were both arming themselves, both to fight the Russians if needed, but also to fight each other. The Socialists and the Bourgeois parties couldn't agree on anything in the Diet, and the Bourgeois also decided to "wait" with independence until the Russians could dissolve the Socialist dominated diet, and announce new elections were they won. Likewise the Bourgeois parties suddenly had to hurry with independence when Russia went red, and they feared the Finnish Reds would have Lenin's support. This of course all culminated in the Finnish Civil War of 1918.

Sweden meanwhile hoped for an independent Finland for one reason only, to not border Russia anymore. Then of course there was the Åland question and the Ålanders wanting to join Sweden.

Not to mention that Sweden had just gotten out of a union with Norway, so entering another one with Finland would have shot the purpose of Sweden's decision to terminate the Sweden-Norway union.

MarshalBraginsky said:

Not to mention that Sweden had just gotten out of a union with Norway, so entering another one with Finland would have shot the purpose of Sweden's decision to terminate the Sweden-Norway union.

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Tbh, it was the Norwegians who wanted out of the union and left Sweden behind.

there was a discussion about an attack by adm essen in this thread
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=162020

Some discussion was held that it might be wiser to make a member of the Swedish Nobility the Grand Duke or King. One thing was sure the Swedish Monarch and the government did not want a possibility of a Communist dominated Finland.
Germany was somewhat startled by the Swedish action but it reduced the need for German involvement in Finland.

The Swedish Military was driving out the Red Forces with the aide of Finnish soldiers , who had been trained by the Germans. Sweden had decided to try a different tack with the Finns. Instead of making the Swedish king the Monarch it proposed a Swedish noble. It would allow the Finns to have their own say in internal matters and their own currency. Finland would have a separate military but there would be co=operation between a Swedish and Finnish Army. With the exception of some territorial shift to Sweden Finland would be independent.
Sweden was also for pushing the border of the new state further to the East.
Since Sweden was not allied with Germany it was not drawing opposition from the Western allies.

Sweden was supporting a Greater Finland so as to push the border as far to the east as possible.

chris N said:

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Since Sweden was not allied with Germany it was not drawing opposition from the Western allies.

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It's just intervening against an active ally, like say Italy or Belgium. Total handwavium.

No one will believe this to be more than a naked landgrab, which it is.

The entente didn't care who was running russia as long as they stayed in the war. They only started worrying about Communists once they dropped out, and germany was beaten. One enemy at a time. Sweden will pay for this.

Not quite true the allies worried about the Communist the minute they overthrew the Provisional government. Troops were sent into Russia to make sure that the arms there not only didn't fall into German hands but were not used by the communist. France had experience with what happen to Russian troops that had been influenced by the communist. It was why they disarmed all of the Russian volunteers.
It is doubtful that the western allies would have objected to a greater Finland, which would be friendly to the west rather that an Communist Soviet Union.
Remember the French and the British supported the Greeks in their actions against Turkey after the war.
Another point this action would take place after the Communist seized control of government.

chris N said:

Remember the French and the British supported the Greeks in their actions against Turkey after the war.
Another point this action would take place after the Communist seized control of government.

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After the war. And Greece was an entente (eventually), power. Here you have a former neutral acting as a cobelligerent with germany, and the west lets it slide.

When is this all happening? Prior to the armistice of dec 1917? Which is very much when russia was still in the war,at least politically. This would draw a reaction from the west. Does it pressure the Russians into accepting the december offer, in which case do the the Russians agree to just lithuania and poland and so not lose ukraine after BL? Or after the negotiations fall apart and so into 1918? So the swedes are marching into North Russia in winter with no supply line?. And what does Sweden do after Germany makes peace with Russia? Why do the finns care about trying to get a bunch of territory with no finns in it? Archangel? Really?

OTL the entente could not hold any of that area after the war and i see no reason to suppose the Swedes will either. And the Finns won't try.

How exactly were the Germans involved in Finland during Finnish independence (I ask as a genuine question!)?

Was it just diplomatic assistance (in the form of Brest-Litovsk) supply shipments, or were there actually German troops there? I can't find much on exactly what the Germans did in Finland from online sources.

Devvy said:

How exactly were the Germans involved in Finland during Finnish independence (I ask as a genuine question!)?

Was it just diplomatic assistance (in the form of Brest-Litovsk) supply shipments, or were there actually German troops there? I can't find much on exactly what the Germans did in Finland from online sources.

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Germany sent troops to assist the Whites in the Finnish Civil War of 1918.

Devvy said:

How exactly were the Germans involved in Finland during Finnish independence (I ask as a genuine question!)?

Was it just diplomatic assistance (in the form of Brest-Litovsk) supply shipments, or were there actually German troops there? I can't find much on exactly what the Germans did in Finland from online sources.

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The Finnish White Jäegar movement was trained in Germany. In addition there was some weapon shipments and political support if I recall correctly.

Olligarchy said:

The Finnish White Jäegar movement was trained in Germany. In addition there was some weapon shipments and political support if I recall correctly.

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Yes, and even German landings in Finland to assist the Whites.

After the German Ostsee-Division and German-trained Jäeger officers and NCOs had sealed the outcome of of Finnish Civil War after the major White victory at the Battle of Tampere, German influence in Finland was nearly total.

The Finnish government signed a treaty that practically turned Finland into a German puppet (no customs for German good in Finnish markets while Finnish goods would be subjected to German customs, basing rights for German military units and so forth), and was busily turning the country into a Prussian-styled monarchy with Prince of Hessen as the new King of Finland.