From autonomy to independence: The Provisional government and Finland in 1917

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the history of Russian-Finnish relations in the period between the February and October revolutions 1917 in Russia. It was the period where the idea of secession from the Russian state finally formed in the Finnish society, which was embodied in the Declaration of Independence on December 6, 1917. This paper examines the Finnish policy of the Provisional Government, the relationship between the Provisional Government, the ruling elite and political parties in Finland, reasons for the radicalization of the national requirements of the Finns. The author tries to clarify why Russian liberals and democrats in 1917 were unsuccessful in “domesticating” Finnish nationalism.