Finnish Socialists
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Socialism in Finland is thought to stretch back to the latter half of the 19th century in the
Grand Duchy of Finland The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland. It existed from 1809 to 1917 as an Autonomous region, autonomous state within the Russian Empire. Originating in the 16th century as a titular grand duchy held by the Monarc ...
, with the radicalization of the labour movement and increasing industrialization of Finland.


History


Wrightian era

The beginnings of the labour movement began in the late 1800s with the establishment of workers' associations. The first of these was the in 1883 and it did not originally believe in socialist values. Instead many labour associations and unions were founded by members of the
Bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) are a class of business owners, merchants and wealthy people, in general, which emerged in the Late Middle Ages, originally as a "middle class" between the peasantry and aristocracy. They are traditionally contrasted wi ...
. These Labour unions supported the , a socially liberal social movement that sought to advance liberal interests and cooperation, such as cooperation with the temperance and feminist movement. The man behind this labour movement was , a small industrialist who had grown worried by the rise of socialism during his visit to
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, and
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
and intended to curb the rise of socialism in Finland by fixing some of the ills brought about by industrialisation, while keeping control of the movement in the hands of the upper classes. The labour movement was inspired by the Danish and German State Socialism. During the Wrightian era the labour movement grew rapidly in geographic terms and by the end of the 1880s most large towns had their own association. In the mid 1890s even most small industrial towns had one. Membership however was not as widespread and altogether the workers' movement had mobilized less than 5,000 people. Along with organizational structure another significant achievement of the Wrightian era was the founding of working-class newspapers and magazines. Papers like routinely published articles about European socialists and their methods – such as strikes – which introduced these ideas to Finnish workers as well, and unlike conservative newspapers did not explicitly condemn them. Exposure to foreign influences slowly radicalized the Finnish workers' movement during the first of the half 1890s while workers themselves began occupy more central positions in the movement. The Wrightian era saw its end at Second Workers' Association Assembly held in
Tampere Tampere is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Pirkanmaa. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Tampere is approximately , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately . It is the most populous mu ...
in 1896, in which more socialist ideas were adopted in the workers' associations. Another significant step towards political independence was taken in the lead-up to the elections for the Diet of 1899. The First Russification Period had begun and the bourgeoisie in particular wanted to present a unified front towards Russia, while the radical wing of the workers' movement wanted to abstain from the election completely as a protest against the delays met by the new suffrage act. The radical wing won the debate inside the movement, and many old Wrightians – including von Wright himself – left. In the fallout of this final political divide between the working class and the bourgeoisie, the workers decided to found their own party, the Finnish Labour Party. The Finnish Labour Party was founded based on the principles of the mainstream labour movement. The Labour Party adopted the following program as immediate and necessary goals of the movement, with later goals to be debated upon: * General, equal, and direct voting rights for all Finnish citizens aged 21 and over, regardless of gender, in all elections and votes. Proportional representation system. Two-year legislative terms. Elections and votes to be held on a legally designated rest day. * Legislation and the right of self-taxation for the people through the Parliament. * Complete freedom of association, assembly, expression, and press. * Working hours to be reduced to 8 hours. The maximum working hours and minimum hourly wage for state and municipal work to be implemented immediately. * General compulsory education. Free education in all institutions. Primary school to be organized as the foundational school for all higher institutions. * The military burden to be greatly reduced, and the idea of peace to be developed and practically implemented. * Complete equality between men and women. * A general prohibition law on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages to be enacted. * Labor protection legislation to be developed. The number of labor inspectors to be significantly increased, and assistants from the working class to be appointed for them. Female inspectors to be appointed as well. * Gradually increasing income and inheritance taxes. Elimination of all indirect taxes. * Workers' insurance to be taken under state care. * Free legal proceedings and free medical assistance. * The position of movable population tenants and smallholders to be improved.


General Strike of '05


Background

The labour movement in Finland began to gain new found popularity in Finland due to the attempted
Russification of Finland The policy of Russification of Finland (; ; ) was a governmental policy of the Russian Empire aimed at limiting the special status of the Grand Duchy of Finland and possibly the termination of its political autonomy and cultural uniqueness in 18 ...
(1899–1905), defeat in the
Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War (8 February 1904 – 5 September 1905) was fought between the Russian Empire and the Empire of Japan over rival imperial ambitions in Manchuria and the Korean Empire. The major land battles of the war were fought on the ...
and growing
class consciousness In Marxism, class consciousness is the set of beliefs that persons hold regarding their social class or economic rank in society, the structure of their class, and their common class interests. According to Karl Marx, class consciousness is an awa ...
amongst Finns. The Social Democrats grew fast in popularity and were unordinary compared to the Russian Socialists, who were forced to operate underground. All camps of the political spectrum grew to disdain the Russian Governorship, especially the nationalists, leading to the assassination of
Nikolai Bobrikov Nikolay Ivanovich Bobrikov (;  – ) was a Russian general and politician. He was the Governor-General of Finland and the from until his death, during the early reign of Emperor Nicholas II, and was responsible for the Russification attemp ...
by
Eugen Schauman Eugen Waldemar Schauman (; – ) was a Finnish nationalist activist and member of the noble Schauman family. In 1904, Schauman assassinated Nikolai Bobrikov, the Governor-General of Finland. Early life and family Eugen Schauman was born in ...
. In August, a large number of workers and students had demanded universal voting rights, this led to worries in the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie, who began demanding the resignation of the
Old Finnish Party The Finnish Party () was a Fennoman conservative political party in the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland and independent Finland. Born out of Finland's language strife in the 1860s, the party sought to improve the position of the Finnish langua ...
government.


General Strike

On 30 October, a general strike was proclaimed in
Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
's Senate Square and in
Tampere Tampere is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Pirkanmaa. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Tampere is approximately , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately . It is the most populous mu ...
's Keskustori by workers, who were later joined by students. The strike began first with the railway workers and spread further on from there. The strike paralyzed the nation, in which most schools, factories, shops and offices were closed, and the strike shortly later spread to Viipuri, Turku and Oulu.The goal of the socialist movement had originally been moderate, a simple protest against the Russian Governorship. However, the general strike had moved the Social Democrats towards the left with the influx of new people sympathetic to the cause, in which the moderates and unionists became the minority. Workers' strike committees were established in Tampere, and across many cities "street parliaments" became a common occurrence. All of this was much too radical for many
Young Finns Young Finns () was a Liberalism, liberal political party in Finland founded in 1994 and abolished in 1999. In the 1995 parliamentary elections, the party gained two seats, held by Risto Penttilä and Jukka Tarkka. In the 1999 election, Young Fi ...
and Svecomen. The demands of the Social Democrats had changed, and their new demands such as a
unicameral parliament Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...
and equal voting rights for all citizens, were too radical for some. Especially to the Young Finns and to the Finland-Swedes, characterized as the most conservative of the radicals, they began to detach themselves from the movement. were created in 1905 as a united front of workers and students against the Russian Governorship. However due to the increasing radicalization of the labour movement, the National Guards split, leading to their eventual separation and the creation of the respective Red Guards and White Guards in Finland. The Red and White Guards were dissolved following the end of the general strike, and would not come back officially until the
Finnish Civil War The Finnish Civil War was a civil war in Finland in 1918 fought for the leadership and control of the country between Whites (Finland), White Finland and the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic (Red Finland) during the country's transition fr ...
. On 1 November, the
Red Declaration The Red Declaration () is a document published in Tampere on 1 November 1905. It called for the Senate of Finland to resign; demanded universal suffrage, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association; as well as asking for an end to censorship. ...
was issued in Keskustori, Tampere, the declaration demanded for equal voting rights for all citizens, and the disestablishment of the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
, to be replaced by a
National Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
. These demands were then later sent to Helsinki on 4 November, at which point they were accepted. On November 4 in
Rautatientori Helsinki Railway Square (, ) is an open square immediately to the east of the Helsinki Central railway station in central Helsinki in Finland. The square serves as Helsinki's secondary bus station along with the main Kamppi Center bus station. The ...
, Helsinki, a provisional government was elected as required by the Red Declaration.


Following the Independence of Finland


The Civil War and Red Finland

On 29 January 1918,
Red Guards The Red Guards () were a mass, student-led, paramilitary social movement mobilized by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1966 until their abolition in 1968, during the first phase of the Cultural Revolution, which he had instituted.Teiwes According to a ...
and radicals in the Social Democratic Party succeeded in a plot of occupying the Senate House in Helsinki. A Red Government, called the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic would be declared. The Government would be a
socialist state A socialist state, socialist republic, or socialist country is a sovereign state constitutionally dedicated to the establishment of socialism. This article is about states that refer to themselves as socialist states, and not specifically ...
, and the Eduskunta would be replaced by the Central Workers' Council, which supervised the
Finnish People's Delegation The Finnish People's Delegation (, ) was the government of the Finnish Socialist Workers' Republic (Red Finland) created by a group of members in the Social Democratic Party of Finland during the Finnish Civil War from January to May 1918. The ...
(Government). The Central Workers' Council would be composed of forty delegates, of which 15 represented the Social Democrats, 10 represented the Finnish Trade Union Federation and Red Guards each, and 5 represented the Helsinki Workers' Council. The Red Guards would serve as the official military for the state, and would fight the
Whites White is a racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly European ancestry. It is also a skin color specifier, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, ethnicity and point of view. De ...
during the Civil War. Around 100,000 people would come to serve in the Red Guard, of which 2,000 were members of the Women's Red Guards. The Constitution for the Red Government was based on the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and
Swiss Constitution The Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation (SR 10; (BV); (Cst.); (Cost.); ) of 18 April 1999 (SR 101) is the third and current federal constitution of Switzerland. It establishes the Swiss Confederation as a federal republic of ...
and took ideas from the French Revolution. The Red Government would silence criticism by banning anti-revolutionary newspapers such as Det Vita Finland and Valkoinen Suomi. The Red Government would capitulate on 5 May 1918 during the Battle of Ahvenkoski. Following the capitulation of the Red Government, several prominent socialists would flee Finland to Soviet Russia in fears of persecution. During the Civil War, the Red Guards had committed atrocities known as the
Red Terror The Red Terror () was a campaign of political repression and Mass killing, executions in Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Soviet Russia which was carried out by the Bolsheviks, chiefly through the Cheka, the Bolshevik secret police ...
, where political violence was carried out through executions.
Toijala Toijala is a former town and municipality of Finland, located some south of Tampere. On 1 January 2007, it was consolidated with Viiala to form the town of Akaa. Toijala is known as an important railway crossroads. The Helsinki–Tampere and ...
and
Kouvola Kouvola () is a city in Finland and the administrative capital of Kymenlaakso. It is located in the southeastern interior of the country. The population of Kouvola is approximately . It is the most populous municipality in Finland, and the 17th m ...
were the centers of terror, where 300–350 Whites were executed between February and April 1918. Around ten priests and ninety moderate socialists were executed by the Red Guards. Sometimes landowners, police officers, industrialists, civil servants and teachers were also executed by the Red Guards.


Communist Party of Finland during the Interwar Era

Following the Civil War, many of the radical-wing of the Social Democratic Party, fled to
Soviet Russia The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...
, especially to
Soviet Karelia The Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic (Karelo-Finnish SSR), also called Soviet Karelia or simply known as Karelia, was a republic of the Soviet Union. It existed from 31 March 1940 until it was made part of the Russian SFSR on 16 July 1956 ...
. In 1918, the Communists organized the
Communist Party of Finland The Communist Party of Finland (, SKP; ) was a communist political party in Finland. The SKP was a section of Comintern and illegal in Finland until 1944. The SKP was banned by the state from its founding and did not participate in any elec ...
(SKP) in
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
. The SKP was banned in Finland for having tried to topple the legitimate government and therefore was made illegal to be a part of. Despite this, the SKP still operated underground in Finland, organizing events at workplaces and at public places. In these meetings illegal revolutionary material would be read. The Communist movement was under strict watch by the Finnish Secret Police/Intelligence Service (Etsivä keskuspoliisi, EK), and Communist meetings would often be broken up and Communists would be sent to prison for treason at Tammisaari or
Hämeenlinna Hämeenlinna (; ; ; or ''Croneburgum'') is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Kanta-Häme. It is located in the southern interior of the country and on the shores of Vanajavesi, Lake Vanajavesi. The population of Hämeenlinna is appr ...
. The SKP was a member of the
Communist International The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern and also known as the Third International, was a political international which existed from 1919 to 1943 and advocated world communism. Emerging from the collapse of the Second Internationa ...
and its policies were one-to-one with it, and it would often use
front organizations A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, terrorist organizations, secret societies, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy gro ...
, such as the
Socialist Workers' Party of Finland Socialist Workers' Party of Finland () was a Finnish political party in the early 1920s. The SSTP consisted of radical leftists who split from the Social Democratic Party of Finland after the Finnish Civil War of 1918. The banned Communist Party ...
(1920–1923) and the Socialist Electoral Organization of Workers and Smallholders (1924–1930). Communist organizations would be officially banned throughout the 1930s with the ''Communist laws''. In the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, with Stalin's
Great Purge The Great Purge, or the Great Terror (), also known as the Year of '37 () and the Yezhovshchina ( , ), was a political purge in the Soviet Union that took place from 1936 to 1938. After the Assassination of Sergei Kirov, assassination of ...
, the influence of the SKP was significantly limited, as leaders and members of the Communist Party were executed/killed.The SKP would often send in agents into Finland, trying to influence the public to either bring back the Red Guard or to influence and use other socialist or communist parties as their puppets in elections. However, this did not work, as the EK would often capture their informants and agents.


Wartime and Socialism

Many socialists and conservatives worked together during the
Winter War The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peac ...
against the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
, because they saw the importance in
Finnish independence Finland declared its independence on 6 December 1917. The formal Declaration of Independence was only part of the long process leading to the independence of Finland. History Proclamation of Empress Elizabeth (1742) The subject of an independe ...
, this led to the rise and creation of organizations such as the , these organizations were also made as a counter-balance against the
Finland–Soviet Union Peace and Friendship Society The Finland–Soviet Union Peace and Friendship Society ( Finnish: ''Suomen-Neuvostoliiton rauhan ja ystävyyden seura'', SNS) was a Finnish anti-war propaganda organization founded on 22 May 1940 by Communist politician Mauri Ryömä in the afterm ...
, which was a Soviet-backed
anti-war An anti-war movement is a social movement in opposition to one or more nations' decision to start or carry on an armed conflict. The term ''anti-war'' can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conf ...
propaganda organization. Following the Winter War, sympathizers to the Soviet Union and her actions were removed from the Social Democratic Party. These sympathizers became known as the "six", and they set up their own faction within parliament known as the 'Socialist parliamentary group'. The
Continuation War The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet–Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II. It began with a Finnish declaration of war on 25 June 1941 and ended on 19 ...
, was a controversial topic within many mainstream parties, and it was opposed by many socialists, who viewed it as a
war of aggression A war of aggression, sometimes also war of conquest, is a military conflict waged without the justification of self-defense, usually for territorial gain and subjugation, in contrast with the concept of a just war. Wars without international ...
and saw it as unjustifiable for the Finns to be allied with
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
. This sentiment only grew as the war took more and more of a toll on Finnish living standards and as the war turned to a stalemate in
East Karelia East Karelia (, ), also rendered as Eastern Karelia or Russian Karelia, is a name for the part of Karelia that is beyond the eastern border of Finland and since the Treaty of Stolbovo in 1617 has remained Eastern Orthodox and a part of Russia. I ...
, leading to the formation of the
Peace opposition Peace opposition (, ) was a Finnish cross-party movement pushing for Finland to step out of the Continuation War (1941 to 1944). From 1943 to 1944, the "Peace opposition" united bourgeois politicians such as Paasikivi, Kekkonen and Sakari Tuomioja ...
group. During the Continuation War, communists would attempt to organize a resistance movement in Finland to end the war with the Soviet Union. Infrastructure sabotage and espionage for the Soviet Union was the main method of resistance, however for Soldiers who refused to enter service and fight in
East Karelia East Karelia (, ), also rendered as Eastern Karelia or Russian Karelia, is a name for the part of Karelia that is beyond the eastern border of Finland and since the Treaty of Stolbovo in 1617 has remained Eastern Orthodox and a part of Russia. I ...
against the Soviet Union became known as the Metsäkaarti (Forest Guard).
Olavi Laiho Mauno Olavi Laiho (27 October 1907 – 2 September 1944) was the last Finn to be executed in Finland. Early life Olavi Laiho was born the son of a farmhand in Halikko, Finland. He was introduced to communism very early on, and was an active me ...
, who led the Forest Guards in Turku, was a communist that spied for the Soviet Union, and also the last Finn to be executed. During the Continuation War and the
Lapland War During World War II, the Lapland War (; ; ) saw fighting between Finland and Nazi Germany – effectively from September to November 1944 – in Finland's northernmost region, Lapland. Though the Finns and the Germans had been fighting together ...
, there were 32,186 deserters, of which a large amount were communists, or at least
anti-fascists Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were op ...
, mostly refusing service due to Finland's Brothers-in-Arms policy with Nazi Germany. In
Hämeenkyrö Hämeenkyrö (; ) is a municipalities of Finland, municipality of Finland. It is part of the Pirkanmaa regions of Finland, region, and is located from Tampere. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. Th ...
,
Kittilä Kittilä (, , ) is a municipalities of Finland, municipality of Finland and a popular holiday resort. It is located in northern Finland north of the Arctic Circle within the Lapland (Finland), Lapland Regions of Finland, region. The municipality ...
and
Kolari Kolari is a municipality of Finland at the Swedish border, which follows the Torne River, the longest free-flowing river in Europe. It is located in the region of Lapland. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of w ...
were the largest concentrations of deserters or Forest Guards, there were an approximate 100 Forest Guards, which represented around 10% of the reservists in the municipality. In Tampere, a socialist youth resistance movement would oppose the war by performing
domestic terrorism Domestic terrorism or homegrown terrorism is a form of terrorism in which victims "within a country are targeted by a perpetrator with the same citizenship" as the victims.Gary M. Jackson, ''Predicting Malicious Behavior: Tools and Techniques ...
against trains and public infrastructure.


Cold War


Social Democrats

The Social Democratic Party during the 1950s and 1960s was at fray with the Soviet Union and its
Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...
, due to its party election of 1957 choosing
Väinö Tanner Väinö Alfred Tanner (; 12 March 1881 – 19 April 1966; surname until 1895 ''Thomasson'') was a leading figure in the Social Democratic Party of Finland, and a pioneer and leader of the cooperative movement in Finland. He was Prime Minist ...
to its leadership, who was a convicted war criminal. This alongside other 'mishaps' by the Social Democrats led to the Night Frost Crisis, which led to crisis within the Social Democrats due to the Soviet Union not accepting the authority of their government. The Social Democrats began to skew their foreign policy to be more favourable to the Eastern Bloc and the USSR, in hopes of warming relations with the Soviet Union. The Social Democrats, from the 1950s to the 1960s would cooperate with the National Coalition Party, this phenomenon would be called the , or the Brothers-in-Arms Axis. In 1961, the Social Democrats alongside most other parties in Parliament, would form a
united front A united front is an alliance of groups against their common enemies, figuratively evoking unification of previously separate geographic fronts or unification of previously separate armies into a front. The name often refers to a political and/ ...
against
Urho Kekkonen Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (; 3 September 1900 – 31 August 1986), often referred to by his initials UKK, was a Finnish politician who served as the eighth and longest-serving president of Finland from 1956 to 1982. He also served as Prime Minister ...
, to prevent his reelection, this was called the , named after Olavi Honka, however Honka gave up on his election campaign against Kekkonen due to the
Note Crisis The Note Crisis (, ) was a political crisis in Finland–Russia relations, Soviet–Finnish relations in 1961. The Soviet Union sent Finland a Letter of protest, diplomatic note on 30 October 1961, referring to the threat of war and West Germany, ...
. The Social Democratic Party faced a split in the late 1950s, due to the election of Väinö Tanner. This alongside the feuds of
Väinö Leskinen Väinö Olavi Leskinen (8 March 1917, in Helsinki – 8 March 1972, in Helsinki) was a Finnish politician, minister and a member of the parliament from Social Democratic Party of Finland. He is perceived as one of the major Finnish social democr ...
and Aarre Simonen with Emil Skog, who had been the previous leader of the Social Democrats for over ten years and who was criticized for moving increasing right, led to the creation of the
Social Democratic Union of Workers and Smallholders Social Democratic Union of Workers and Smallholders (, TPSL) was a political party in Finland. TPSL originated as a fraction of the Social Democratic Party of Finland, headed by Emil Skog and Aarre Simonen. Skog was the former chairman of SDP and ...
(TPSL), a rival social democratic political party which was increasingly more conservative and Pro-Kekkonen. The TPSL continued to operate as a separate political party, holding seats in the Eduskunta, losing all their held seats in the
1970 Finnish parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 15 and 16 March 1970. Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) ''Elections in Europe: A data handbook'', p606 Background Mauno Koivisto had replaced Rafael Paasio as leader of the Social Democratic Party ...
, when they only received 1.7% of the national vote, and finally being dissolved in 1972. The party split also caused the disintegration of the trade unionist movement, leading to the cementation of two 'rival' trade unions, that believed in two different variations of social democracy, the
Finnish Federation of Trade Unions The Finnish Federation of Trade Unions (, SAK) was a national trade union centre in Finland. The federation was established in 1930, after the Finnish Trade Union Federation (SAJ) was banned. Its initial affiliates were unions which supported the ...
(SAK) and the Finnish Trade Union Federation (SAJ), which united to form the Central Organization of Finnish Trade Unions in 1969.


Finnish People's Democratic League

The
Finnish People's Democratic League Finnish People's Democratic League (, SKDL; , DFFF) was a Finnish political organisation with the aim of uniting those left of the Finnish Social Democratic Party. It was founded in 1944 as the anti-communist laws in Finland were repealed due ...
(SKDL) was founded as a
big tent A big tent party, or catch-all party, is a political party having members covering a broad spectrum of beliefs. This is in contrast to other kinds of parties, which defend a determined ideology, seek voters who adhere to that ideology, and att ...
socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
political party after the Continuation War, when
Communism Communism () is a political sociology, sociopolitical, political philosophy, philosophical, and economic ideology, economic ideology within the history of socialism, socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a ...
had been forcefully relegalized by the Soviet Union as per the stipulations of the
Moscow Armistice The Moscow Armistice was signed between Finland on one side and the Soviet Union and United Kingdom on the other side on 19 September 1944, ending the Continuation War. The Armistice restored the Moscow Peace Treaty of 1940, with a number of modi ...
. The Communists held the most influence and sway within the party, as they made up the majority of the party following the most influential socialists within the party either dying or leaving it. However the variety in Communism was apparent, and this was a major reason for the party not outright merging with the Communist Party of Finland (SKP), who was Marxist-Leninist, which led to fears of the possibility authoritarianism. Despite the opposition to merging the SKP and the SKDL, the two operated together and the SKP held much influence over the SKDL, with the SKP participating in elections on the list of the SKDL.


The Communist Party in the Cold War

Due to the
Moscow Armistice The Moscow Armistice was signed between Finland on one side and the Soviet Union and United Kingdom on the other side on 19 September 1944, ending the Continuation War. The Armistice restored the Moscow Peace Treaty of 1940, with a number of modi ...
, Communism was relegalized in Finland by the Soviet Union. This allowed the
Communist Party of Finland The Communist Party of Finland (, SKP; ) was a communist political party in Finland. The SKP was a section of Comintern and illegal in Finland until 1944. The SKP was banned by the state from its founding and did not participate in any elec ...
(SKP) to reemerge legally and Communists were released from prison after the
Continuation War The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet–Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II. It began with a Finnish declaration of war on 25 June 1941 and ended on 19 ...
in October 1944. The Communist Party would receive financial assistance from the Soviet Union, and the Communist Party was believed to have approximately 40,000 members in the mid-1960s. The Communist Party would officially believe in Marxism–Leninism until the 1966 Party Assembly, when Aarne Saarinen began to move the party towards
Eurocommunism Eurocommunism was a trend in the 1970s and 1980s within various Western European communist parties, which said they had developed a theory and practice of social transformation more relevant for Western Europe. During the Cold War, they sough ...
. In 1990, The Communist Party of Finland (SKP) decided to unite with the
Finnish People's Democratic League Finnish People's Democratic League (, SKDL; , DFFF) was a Finnish political organisation with the aim of uniting those left of the Finnish Social Democratic Party. It was founded in 1944 as the anti-communist laws in Finland were repealed due ...
(SKDL) and Democratic Alternative (DV) to form the Left Alliance, a democratic socialist political party. This marked the end of political activity for the SKP, and the SKP declared bankruptcy in 1992 and was officially dissolved in 1996, then removed from the association register in 1999. Conflicts over
Eurocommunism Eurocommunism was a trend in the 1970s and 1980s within various Western European communist parties, which said they had developed a theory and practice of social transformation more relevant for Western Europe. During the Cold War, they sough ...
and the party's relationship with the Soviet Union.
Taisto Sinisalo Taisto Jalo Sinisalo (29 June 1926 – 26 March 2002) was a Finnish communist politician, MP of the SKDL (1962–1978), leader of the Communist Party of Finland’s hardline pro-Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), c ...
was the main proponent against Eurocommunism and wished to take an even more favourable position towards the Soviet Union than the party already had.
Taistoism Taistoism () was an orthodox pro-Soviet tendency in the mostly Eurocommunist Finnish communist movement in the 1970s and 1980s. The Taistoists were an interior opposition group in the Communist Party of Finland. They were named after their lea ...
, a term to refer to the ideology of Sinisalo, was often referred to as
Stalinist Stalinism (, ) is the totalitarian means of governing and Marxist–Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1927 to 1953 by dictator Joseph Stalin and in Soviet satellite states between 1944 and 1953. Stalinism in ...
and was born out of the conflict between Taisto Sinisalo and
Arvo Aalto Arvo Aulis Aalto (13 July 1932 – 28 April 2025) was a Finnish politician who headed the Communist Party of Finland between 1984 and 1988. He also served as the Minister of Employment in the Finnish government from 1977 to 1981. Early life a ...
, alongside the
Prague Spring The Prague Spring (; ) was a period of liberalization, political liberalization and mass protest in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. It began on 5 January 1968, when reformist Alexander Dubček was elected Secretary (title), First Secre ...
, when the Soviet Union invaded
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
. The Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia was extremely controversial, and caused a split within the party when the party officially declared to be against the invasion, and when the Kymenlaakso District of the SKP defended the actions of the Soviet Union. Taistoism was a well-known ideology in Finland, and Sinisalo himself become a well-known person to the public, especially after a
Helsingin Sanomat , abbreviated ''HS'' and colloquially known as , is the largest subscription newspaper in Finland and the Nordic countries, owned by Sanoma. Except after certain holidays, it is published daily. Its name derives from that of the Finnish capital ...
article on the movement and Kulttuuritaistolaisuus (Cultural Taistoism). Cultural Taistoism was the phenomenon of Taistoist messaging being spread through popular culture, especially in the political music movement of the 1970s in Finland.
Love Records Love Records was a record label from Finland established in 1966 by . It specialized in Finnish rock and also released jazz, leftist political songs, and ethnic music. Love released 384 LPs, 253 C- cassettes, 347 singles and 24 EPs. It wa ...
, a famous record company known for their Taistoist and Marxist-Leninist songs was highly influential, them alongside individual bands and musical groups such as
Agit-prop Agitprop (; from , portmanteau of ''agitatsiya'', "agitation" and ''propaganda'', "propaganda") refers to an intentional, vigorous promulgation of ideas. The term originated in the Soviet Union where it referred to popular media, such as literatu ...
and
KOM-teatteri KOM-teatteri () is a theater founded in 1971 in Ullanlinna, Helsinki. Before its founding, it operated as an independent group for one year at the Swedish Theatre in 1970/1969. It was one of the major names of the Left-wing politics, leftist Mus ...
were known across Finland. Thousands of Taistoists would be expelled from the Communist Party throughout 1985–1987, and they would organize into the Communist Party of Finland (Unity) (SKPy). The SKPy which rebranded itself to the Communist Party of Finland in 1994, is the successor of the Communist Party and believes in Marxism-Leninism.


21st century


The Social Democratic Party

The Social Democrats in the 21st century advocate for deficit-spending to fund popular social programs, such as
universal health care Universal health care (also called universal health coverage, universal coverage, or universal care) is a health care system in which all residents of a particular country or region are assured access to health care. It is generally organized a ...
, among other policy ideas. The party is in favor of
NATO membership The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an international military alliance consisting of 32 member states from Europe and North America. It was established at the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949. Of the 32 member c ...
,
LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, Gay men, gay, Bisexuality, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the Capital punishmen ...
, such as
same-sex adoption Same-sex adoption is the adoption of children or adults by same-sex couples. It may take the form of a joint adoption by the couple, or of the adoption by one partner of the other's biological child or adult ( stepchild adoption). Joint adopt ...
rights and for the establishment of an 'environmental administration'. The Party has held office three times from 1999–, which includes the Lipponen II Cabinet, Rinne Cabinet and the Marin Cabinet.


See also

*
History of socialism The history of socialism has its origins in the Age of Enlightenment and the 1789 French Revolution, along with the changes that brought, although it has precedents in earlier movements and ideas. ''The Communist Manifesto'' was written by Karl M ...
*
Far-right politics in Finland In Finland, the far-right () was strongest in 1920–1940 when the Academic Karelia Society, Lapua Movement, Patriotic People's Movement (IKL) and Vientirauha operated in the country and had hundreds of thousands of members. In addition to these ...


External links


Proposed Constitution for Red Finland


References

{{Europe in topic, Socialism in