Åland Islands dispute
The Åland Islands dispute (Swedish: Ålandsfrågan, lit. 'Åland question') was a political conflict between Sweden and Finland over control of the Åland Islands following World War I. Although most Ålanders supported reunification with Sweden, the League of Nations ruled in 1921 that the islands would remain under Finnish sovereignty. However, Finland was required to guarantee the protection of the islands’ Swedish language, culture, and autonomy.
Background
[edit]Before 1809, Åland was part of Sweden. After Sweden's defeat in the Finnish War, the Treaty of Fredrikshamn transferred both Finland and Åland to Imperial Russia. Åland became part of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire.
In 1856, the Treaty of Paris (1856)—which ended the Crimean War—prohibited Russia from building fortifications on Åland. Russia respected this demilitarisation agreement. In 1908, Russia attempted to change the islands’ status but met resistance. When World War I began in 1914, Russia built a submarine base on Åland for use by Russian and British forces.
Conflict and foreign intervention (1917–1918)
[edit]After the October Revolution in 1917, Finland declared independence from Russia. Around the same time, Åland’s Swedish-speaking population began organizing to pursue self-determination and proposed unification with Sweden. Over 90% of Ålanders identified as Swedish, in contrast to a minority on mainland Finland.
While some Swedish activists supported the Ålanders, Sweden's government—focused on domestic reform—took no action. In January 1918, the Finnish Civil War broke out. Reports of unrest on Åland led Sweden to send a small naval force to evacuate civilians. In practice, the mission served as a peacekeeping effort between Russian troops and local militias.
Finland’s White government, based in Vaasa, saw Sweden’s action as a potential threat. With support from Germany, Finnish authorities pressured Sweden to withdraw. German troops arrived in March 1918, and Swedish forces left soon after.
Later that year, Sweden, Finland, and Germany agreed to demolish Russian fortifications on Åland. Meanwhile, a group of Ålanders in Helsinki formed the Åland Committee to propose regional autonomy within Finland.[1]
Diplomatic dispute and League of Nations ruling (1919–1921)
[edit]In 1919, both Sweden and Finland formally claimed the Åland Islands. Finland argued that Åland was geographically and historically linked to Finland, while Sweden emphasized the islanders’ desire to join Sweden.
Sweden suggested a referendum to resolve the issue, but Finland rejected the idea. Finland introduced a law granting Åland cultural and political autonomy. However, leading Åland representatives—such as Julius Sundblom and Carl Björkman—refused to accept the law and were briefly detained.
In response, the case was referred to the newly established League of Nations. The League appointed a commission of legal experts and three rapporteurs, who visited Åland, Sweden, and France to interview key figures. Finland was represented by diplomat Carl Enckell, while Sweden sent Erik Palmstierna.[2][3][4]
In June 1921, the League ruled that Åland would remain under Finnish sovereignty. Finland had to guarantee the preservation of the islands’ Swedish language, culture, and local customs. The League’s decision was influenced by Finland’s diplomatic efforts and support from Japan, whose delegates argued that Åland formed a continuous archipelago with Finland.[5][6]
Later developments
[edit]Relations between Sweden and Finland gradually improved during the 1920s and 1930s. In 1930, Sweden and Finland discussed a joint defense agreement for Åland, known as the Stockholm Plan, but it was dropped due to opposition from the Soviet Union.
During World War II, Sweden chose not to intervene in Åland’s defense, maintaining its policy of neutrality. Over time, many Ålanders came to view Finnish sovereignty as respectful and supportive.
Autonomy and legacy
[edit]Finland's 1920 Autonomy Act gave Åland its own parliament and wide-reaching cultural and political rights.[7] The League of Nations accepted these guarantees as sufficient protection for the islanders’ identity.
By the late 20th century, the perception of Åland had shifted. Many islanders saw themselves not as part of Sweden, but as an autonomous and culturally distinct region within Finland.[8]
See also
[edit]
- Autonomy of Åland
- Åland's Autonomy Day
- Finland–Sweden relations
- Swedish neutrality
- International crisis
References
[edit]- ^ "Ålandskommitténs verksamhetsberättelse 1918–1922". 29 December 2012. Retrieved 1923.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ Enckell, Carl (1956). Politiska minnen. 2.
- ^ Palmstierna, Erik (1954). Dagjämning.
- ^ Ragnar Numelin, Bilaga XI, Ålandskommitténs arkiv
- ^ G.J. Ramstedt: Lähettiläänä Nipponissa, pp. 57–59.
- ^ Margery Post Abbott et al., Historical Dictionary of the Friends (Quakers), Scarecrow Press, 2011, p. 246. ISBN 0810868571
- ^ Marvin W. Mikesell and Alexander B. Murphy, "A Framework for Comparative Study of Minority-Group Aspirations", Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 81, No. 4 (Dec. 1991), p. 597
- ^ Thomas D. Grant, The recognition of states: law and practice in debate and evolution, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999, pp. 129–130
Further reading
[edit]- F.P. Walters, A History of the League of Nations (Oxford University Press, 1952) online
