Sweden keeps Finland. Fate of Finnish language.

Before Russian conquest Swedish speaking population of Finland was close to 20% of totall population. Finnish was dominant among peasants but Swedish dominated in towns and among gentry. Period of Russian rule changed situation-ties with Sweden were largely broken and Russians promoted Finnish langue to reduce Swedish influence in Grand Duchy-precentage of Swedish speakers fall to 11% in 1920s and today is below 6%. But what will happen if Swedes kept control over Finland? Would Finnish decline like Welsh or Irish Gaelic? Or there still be revival of language like in Czechia? What do you think?
 
Swedish probably becomes much stronger language but Finnish survives as rural language. Probably pretty similar as Welsh, Irish, Gaelic or minority languages of France.
 
While the south and the west of Finland had a lot of Swedish-speakers, we have to remember that in the Finnish interior and in the east native Swedish speakers were ever only a thin veneer (or a capstone, if you may) above a mainly Finnish-speaking populace. Because of this, I believe Finnish would still be the majority language among the ordinary people east of the Gulf of Bothnia by the mid-19th century when we could expect a *Fennoman movement to grow and something like Finnish nationalism become a significant movement. The seeds for this had been planted in the 18th century already, among the Turku/Åbo intelligentsia above all. Due to a rising nationalist thought, any overt efforts at linguistic and cultural Swedification of the main part of the Finnish provinces in the latter part of the 19th century would certainly meet opposition. We will certainly see a lot of interest into the Finnish language, and efforts at codification and so on - a national-romantic effort to make Finnish into a "language of culture", of learning and literature, instead of just a "lowly peasant tongue" many in Sweden proper saw it at the time.

So unless Sweden takes very draconian measures to put down the Finnish language and culture (and such a course of action might drive the Finns into seeking Russian help against Stockholm), I don't think we will see the Finnish language go the way of Gaelic by, say, the mid-20th century - there were always comparatively more Finnish-speakers in the Swedish realm than there were Gaelic-speaking Irish people in the British one, after all. The high proportion of Finnish-speakers in the Swedish realm (in the 19th century, 20-30%) and the need to maintain some loyalty and stability among them (against the Russian interests) would be too significant for this.

At worst, for Finnish language and culture that is, I'd suggest native Swedish speakers might just become a small majority in the Finnish provinces by 1950 or so - and even that might require a lot of Swedish migration into Finland, and perhaps losing some of the eastern parts of the Finnish areas to Russia, making some of the Finnish-speakers in the East Russian subjects instead.

Come to think of it, that might be the nightmare scenario for the Finnish language and nation in the 19th century - the Finnish areas being divided to two parts by the Russians and the Swedish, and never being able to form a one single, politically and administratively cohesive unit like the Finnish Grand Duchy IOTL. But if all of current Finland stays with Sweden, or even something like Finland with the OTL Grand Duchy borders, we would likely see the formation of a Finnish nation within the Kingdom of Sweden, perhaps eventually as a (more or less) autonomous unit - whether it would ever gain independence is another matter.
 
Last edited:
I wonder whether Swedish speaking gentry in Finland before 1809 considered themselves to be just Swedes, or Finns who happen to speak another language?
 
I wonder whether Swedish speaking gentry in Finland before 1809 considered themselves to be just Swedes, or Finns who happen to speak another language?

Probably Swedes whose just speak Finnish. There wasn't Finnish nationalism yet on 1809.
 
So Finns were in similar situation to Czechs, so I think they will share similar fate also-national revival around mid 19th century, but also loss of peripheries due to swedisation. Maybe during second half of centenary something like dual Swedish-Finnish monarchy could be achievable (considering the fact, that Finnish share of population of such state would be higher that Czech's share in Habsburg state)?
 
I wonder what would happen if Sweden keeps not only Finland, but also Ingria and Estonia-swedisation of these territories is unlikely, because upper classes here were German rather than Swedish speaking. Number of Ugric languages speakers will increase and there is land connection between Finland and Estonia via Ingria-could common national identity emerge between these two nations?
 
I wonder whether Swedish speaking gentry in Finland before 1809 considered themselves to be just Swedes, or Finns who happen to speak another language?

Most Finnish people (Finnish or Swedish-speaking) considered themselves an integral part of Sweden before 1809.
 
I wonder what would happen if Sweden keeps not only Finland, but also Ingria and Estonia-swedisation of these territories is unlikely, because upper classes here were German rather than Swedish speaking. Number of Ugric languages speakers will increase and there is land connection between Finland and Estonia via Ingria-could common national identity emerge between these two nations?

There would probably be a bigger emphasis on pan-Finnic ideology among the proponents of Finnish nationalism ITTL. Even IOTL, Karelianism and seeking the roots of "original Finnishness" in the Eastern areas was a major component of building the national identity in the 19th century. The Finnish national epic Kalevala and the Estonian Kalevipoeg are based on similar Finnic story tradition - maybe ITTL by 1850 or so we might see a pan-Finnic national epic that combines what we see IOTL as Finnish, Estonian and Karelian mythology and folklore?

The problem here, as ever, is keeping Russia as weak as to allow the continuation of Sweden as something like major power on the Baltic. Sweden keeping Finland is one thing, but holding on to Ingria and Estonia as well, as long as into the 20th century - at the very least it would require some rather powerful PODs...


Most Finnish people (Finnish or Swedish-speaking) considered themselves an integral part of Sweden before 1809.

It might be more fair to say "considered themselves subjects of the Swedish crown".

After 1809, there was no major flight from the Finnish provinces into Sweden proper. The great majority of the noble and military families in Finland, often Swedish-speaking, that had loyally served the Swedish crown now pledged themselves to the service of the Russian crown instead. The people in Finland, both Finnish- and Swedish-speakers, now accepted the Tsar in St. Petersburg as their monarch.

Were they, then, now Russian? Of course not. Apart from their allegiance to the crown, the people felt attached to their families, to the towns, villages and pitäjäs they lived in, and to their provinces. The majority of them still spoke Finnish, and the majority of the educated classes spoke Swedish (though not always as their first language). The distinct understanding of themselves as "Finnish" (or "Swedish") in terms of a clearly defined nationality would come with 19th century nationalism.

Now, in the context of Finland being just a collection of Swedish provinces, rather than a Grand Duchy under Russia, Finnish 19th century nationalism will be a lot different and will face a lot more difficulties than IOTL. But it will exist.
 
Last edited:
Top