Benkarnell said:
Based on Drakon's comments, ISTM that Finland would prefer equality and autonomy within a united Scandinavia to total independence.
Not necessarily. ITTL, because of
the Eastern Provinces staying a part of Sweden, we have Finnish nationalism diverging from its OTL path early on. It would become a movement created in opposition to Swedish nationalism and therefore more critical of "Scandinavism". This would not be a "state ideology" from the beginning as our OTL nationalism was, rather a critical, even revolutionary one. Thus, there might develop a sort of home-grown blend of ethnic nationalism, Socialism and Karelian mysticism (I'd quite like that, myself). (BTW, I wrote a bit about this in another thread some time ago, can't remember which, though.)
So I think your earlier text sounds about right - though the Finland that breaks away might be a Small Finland, so to speak, only consisting fully Finnish speaking provinces with the western coast choosing to remain with the Mother Country.
Surely that was more Åland wanting to join Sweden (and quite rightfully so)
The initiative was mainly local, yes. My emphasis on the text above was on how the Finnish political leadership at the time saw the situation. What with the Swedish troops landing on the islands and
perceived support from Stockholm for the secessionists, the Swedish attitude seemed if not hostile, then at least quite suspect in Helsinki.
Benkarnell said:
True, Åland was always part of Sweden, not Finland, until the Russians took it. They wouldn't take a trunk without the keys, I believe was the phrase.
As the Treaty of Fredrikshamn had granted the islands to Russia in 1809, in 1917-1920 their status should have been handled entirely between Russia and Finland in the discussions regarding the specifics of Finnish independence. Stockhom was not a party to those negotiations: as the League of Nations commission argued in 1921, since Finland gaining independence, granting the islands to Sweden would have been a "impairment of the status and rights of Finland".
One may say that the Ålanders had and have a right to join Sweden, sure, just like Eastern Karelians had the right to join Finland or the Sudetenland Germans had the right to join Germany. In this case, though, the status of the islands was decided entirely according to the international law and I guess it would be hard to say that the Ålanders have suffered as a result. Rather to the contrary, I think. As a part of Sweden, the islands would hardly have the same special status and as far-reaching autonomy.