Distributed for Haus Publishing
A Short History of Finland
A fascinating history of Finland from prehistoric times to the twenty-first century.
The modern nation of Finland is the heir to centuries of history, as a wilderness at the edge of early Europe, a borderland of the Swedish empire, and a Grand Duchy of tsarist Russia. And, as Jonathan Clements’s vivid, concise volume shows, it is a tale paved with oddities and excitements galore: from prehistoric reindeer herders to medieval barons, Christian martyrs to Viking queens, and, in the twentieth century, the war heroes who held off the Soviet Union against impossible odds.
Offering accounts of public artworks, literary giants, legends, folktales, and famous figures, Clements provides an indispensable portrait of this fascinating nation.
This updated edition includes expanded coverage on the Second World War, as well as new sections on Finns in America and Russia, the centenary of the republic, and Finland’s battle with COVID-19, right up to its historic application to join NATO.
The modern nation of Finland is the heir to centuries of history, as a wilderness at the edge of early Europe, a borderland of the Swedish empire, and a Grand Duchy of tsarist Russia. And, as Jonathan Clements’s vivid, concise volume shows, it is a tale paved with oddities and excitements galore: from prehistoric reindeer herders to medieval barons, Christian martyrs to Viking queens, and, in the twentieth century, the war heroes who held off the Soviet Union against impossible odds.
Offering accounts of public artworks, literary giants, legends, folktales, and famous figures, Clements provides an indispensable portrait of this fascinating nation.
This updated edition includes expanded coverage on the Second World War, as well as new sections on Finns in America and Russia, the centenary of the republic, and Finland’s battle with COVID-19, right up to its historic application to join NATO.
Reviews
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements // xi
Introduction // 1
1. From the Fenni to Lalli: Prehistory to 1159 // 5
The Martyrdom of Saint Henry // 6
Prehistory & Early Finns // 10
The Vikings & Balagard // 14
The Newborn King // 24
2. East of Sweden: 1159-1809 // 29
The Imaginary Crusades // 30
People of Österland // 36
Finns in ’New Sweden’ // 43
Finland in the Northern Wars // 46
The Swedish Legacy // 51
3. The Russian Century: 1809-1899 // 56
Industrial Revolutions // 57
Laestadius & Laestadianism // 62
The Great Migration // 65
The Åland War // 68
The Kalevala // 74
National Romanticism // 77
4. A Nation is Born: 1899-1939 // 85
Russification // 87
Revolution: Whites vs Reds // 94
The Jaegers and the King of Finland // 98
Karelian Fever // 104
Racing the Storm // 110
5. The Jaws of Peril: 1939-1944 // 113
The Winter War // 115
The Continuation War // 121
The Lapland War // 128
6. In the Cold: 1944-1995 // 131
Stella Polaris // 134
Finlandisation // 138
From Eurovision to Europe // 140
7. The Landscape of Thorns: 1995-2022 // 147
Satan & Santa // 150
My Homeland is Finland // 153
Centenary, COVID, and NATO // 164
8. Echoes of the Past // 175
The Metadata of Meals // 177
From Temperance to Pantsdrunk // 185
National Holidays and Local Festivals // 191
Architecture and Public Art // 195
Finishing with Finnish // 201
Chronology of Major Events // 205
Further Reading and References // 219
Introduction // 1
1. From the Fenni to Lalli: Prehistory to 1159 // 5
The Martyrdom of Saint Henry // 6
Prehistory & Early Finns // 10
The Vikings & Balagard // 14
The Newborn King // 24
2. East of Sweden: 1159-1809 // 29
The Imaginary Crusades // 30
People of Österland // 36
Finns in ’New Sweden’ // 43
Finland in the Northern Wars // 46
The Swedish Legacy // 51
3. The Russian Century: 1809-1899 // 56
Industrial Revolutions // 57
Laestadius & Laestadianism // 62
The Great Migration // 65
The Åland War // 68
The Kalevala // 74
National Romanticism // 77
4. A Nation is Born: 1899-1939 // 85
Russification // 87
Revolution: Whites vs Reds // 94
The Jaegers and the King of Finland // 98
Karelian Fever // 104
Racing the Storm // 110
5. The Jaws of Peril: 1939-1944 // 113
The Winter War // 115
The Continuation War // 121
The Lapland War // 128
6. In the Cold: 1944-1995 // 131
Stella Polaris // 134
Finlandisation // 138
From Eurovision to Europe // 140
7. The Landscape of Thorns: 1995-2022 // 147
Satan & Santa // 150
My Homeland is Finland // 153
Centenary, COVID, and NATO // 164
8. Echoes of the Past // 175
The Metadata of Meals // 177
From Temperance to Pantsdrunk // 185
National Holidays and Local Festivals // 191
Architecture and Public Art // 195
Finishing with Finnish // 201
Chronology of Major Events // 205
Further Reading and References // 219