Local democracy, universal compulsory education, compulsory national service based on conscription, as well as a radical land reform tended to pacify the political life Finland. The economy developed favourably in the 1920s and 1930s. Svinhufvud, elected president, defeated the so-called Mäntsälä rebellion organized by right-wing radicals in 1932 and took Finland closer to the Nordic countries. In the Winter War 1939–1940, Continuation War 1941–1944 and War of Lapland 1944–1945, Finland retained its independence, liberty and democratic social order. After the war, Finland lost ten per cent of its land area. All 400,000 Karelians who were voluntarily evacuated from the ceded territories were settled elsewhere in the country. Finland maintained its independence and democracy during the Cold War, prospered and became a member of the European Union in 1995.
100 years of independence 1921–2020
-
Finland – a century of independence
During the hundred years of Finnish independence, the biggest changes have been urbanisation, demogr… [Read more]
-
Finland’s international status from 1917 to 2017
In November 1917, Finland broke off from Russia, to which it had belonged as an autonomous Grand Duc… [Read more]
-
Olympic “giant” has turned exercising nation
Per capita, Finland is still among the most successful Olympic nations. However, the days are long g… [Read more]
-
The Games of the XV Olympiad: Putting Finland back on the map
The Finnish Olympic dream came to fruition with the Helsinki Summer Games of 1952. For two weeks, He… [Read more]