Transcript Finnish history in a nutshell

Finland’s History
Four Major Periods
• 1. Prehistoric Period: 10 500 years ago
• 2. Part of the Kingdom of Sweden 1155-1809
• 3. The Age of Autonomy or Imperial Era
1809-1917
• 4. The Age of Independence
1155
The first crusade to Finland by the Swedes
Finland becomes part of
the Swedish realm.
• Influence from the
West: catholic faith,
Swedish customs and
language
• Influence from the
East: Orthodox faith,
eastern/Russian
customs
First border to define the eastern
border of Finland, year 1323
The Swedish reign
• Peace treaty of 1323: only eastern Finland to
Novgorod (Russia), western and southern parts
of Finland to Sweden
• Swedish legal and social systems
• Finland's most important centre was the town of
Turku
• Finland was merely a
group of provinces –
not a national entity
Languages: Finnish and Swedish
• The Reformation set in motion a great rise in
Finnish-language culture
• The New Testament was translated into Finnish
in 1548
• Swedes were often appointed
to high offices in Finland, which
strengthened the position of the
Swedish language