The Finnish Declaration of Independence (, ) was adopted by the Parliament of Finland on 6 December 1917. It declared Finland to be independent from Russia, with reference to a bill simultaneously delivered to the Parliament to make Finland an independent republic instead.

Declaring independence was only part of the long process leading to the independence of Finland. The declaration is celebrated as Independence Day in Finland.

History

Revolution in Russia

After the February Revolution and the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, Grand Duke of Finland, on 2 March (15 March N.S.) 1917, the personal union between Russia and Finland lost its legal base – at least according to the view in Helsinki. There were negotiations between the Russian Provisional Government and Finnish authorities.

The resulting proposal, approved by the Provisional Government, was heavily rewritten in the Eduskunta (Finnish Parliament) and transformed into the so-called Power Act (Finnish: Valtalaki, Swedish: Maktlagen), whereby the Parliament declared itself to now hold all powers of legislation, except with respect to foreign policy and military issues, and also that it could be dissolved only by itself. At the time of the vote, it was believed that the Provisional Government would be quickly defeated by the rebellion in Saint Petersburg. The Provisional Government survived, however, disapproved of the Power Act and dissolved the Parliament.

After new elections and the ultimate defeat of the Provisional Government in the October Revolution, the Finnish Parliament decided to set a three-man regency council, based on Finland's Constitution, and more precisely on clause §38 of the old Instrument of Government of 1772, which had been enacted by the Estates after Gustav III's bloodless coup. This paragraph provided for the election of a new monarch in case of the extinction of the royal line and was interpreted in Finland as vesting sovereignty in the estates, later the Parliament, in such an interregnum. The regency council was never elected, because of the strong opposition of Finnish socialists and their general strike which demanded for more radical action.

On 2 November (15 November N.S.) 1917, the Bolsheviks declared a general right of self-determination, including the right of complete secession, "for the Peoples of Russia". On the same day the Finnish Parliament issued a declaration by which it assumed, pro tempore, all powers of the Sovereign in Finland.

The old Instrument of Government was however no longer deemed suitable. Leading circles had long held monarchism and hereditary nobility to be antiquated, and advocated a republican constitution for Finland.

Independence

The Senate of Finland, the government that the Parliament had appointed in November, drafted a Declaration of Independence and a proposal for a new republican Instrument of Government. Chairman of the Senate ( Prime minister) Pehr Evind Svinhufvud read the Declaration to the Parliament on 4 December. The Declaration of Independence was technically given the form of a preamble of the proposition, and was intended to be agreed by the Parliament, which adopted the Declaration on 6 December.

On 18 December (31 December N. S.) shortly after the head of Finnish government Svinhufvud declared his nation's full independence the Soviet Russian government became the first government outside of Finland to recognize Finnish independence. It issued a Decree recognising Finland's independence, and on 22 December (4 January 1918 N. S.) it was approved by the highest Soviet executive body, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK).

The Declaration and 15 November

With reference to the declaration of 15 November, the declaration says: The people of Finland have by this step taken their fate in their own hands; a step both justified and demanded by present conditions. The people of Finland feel deeply that they cannot fulfil their national and international duty without complete sovereignty. The century-old desire for freedom awaits fulfilment now; Finland's people step forward as a free nation among the other nations in the world.

(...) The people of Finland dare to confidently await how other nations in the world recognize that with their full independence and freedom, the people of Finland can do their best in fulfilment of those purposes that will win them a place amongst civilized peoples.

Context Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania declared their independence from Russia during the same period. See Estonian War of Independence, Latvian Independence and Lithuanian Wars of Independence.

These three countries were occupied by, and annexed into, the Soviet Union (1940–1941, 1944–1991). See Occupation of the Baltic states.

Text of Finland's Declaration of Independence

The Finnish Senate:

P. E. Svinhufvud.E. N. Setälä.Kyösti Kallio.Jalmar Castrén.Onni Talas.Arthur Castrén.Heikki Renvall.Juhani Arajärvi.Alexander Frey.E. Y. Pehkonen.O. W. Louhivuori.A. E. Rautavaara (Senate Judge-Rapporteur)

International recognition State Date 4 January 1918 4 January 1918 4 January 1918 4 January 1918 Kingdom of Greece 5 January 1918 10 January 1918 10 January 1918 11 January 1918 13 January 1918 28 January 1918 Spain 21 February 1918 21 February 1918 21 February 1918 2 March 1918 11 May 1918 Qajar Iran 23 July 1918 9 October 1919 Poland 8 March 1919 6 May 1919 7 May 1919 23 May 1919 10 June 1919 17 June 1919 23 June 1919 27 June 1919 18 August 1919 27 October 1919 Portugal 19 December 1919 26 December 1919 31 December 1919 8 April 192018 April 192017 May 192025 June 192013 July 192023 August 19203 June 192125 October 1921 27 July 192217 July 19281 December 1928

See also History of Finland Independence of Finland Politics of Finland Russification of Finland

References

External links

Declaration of independence (Finnish) from Wikisource Declaration of independence (Swedish) from Wikisource Instrument of Government (Swedish) from Wikisource Audio recording of Svinhufvud reading the speech in 1937 from YLE