2016/01/01 by Max Engman · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · #European Political History Analysis #Empire #Ancient history #Duchy #Kingdom #History #State (computer science) #Roman Empire #Geography #Genealogy #Economic history #Demography #Political science #Law #Sociology
paper · doi:10.1057/9781137455475_16
published in Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 227-238 (Palgrave Macmillan)
openalex publication_date 2016/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Finland’s relationship to the Napoleonic Empire is in some respects paradoxical. As a part of the Swedish kingdom under Gustav III and Gustav IV Finland was never part of the Napoleonic Empire; on the contrary, it counted among its most determined opponents. Sweden’s stubborn resistance to Napoleon led to the partition of the kingdom into Sweden (corresponding to the present-day Swedish borders) and the Grand Duchy of Finland. By directing the ambitions of Alexander I to the north, instead of towards the Danubian Principalities and the Balkans, Napoleon played a central role in the history of Finland. He set in motion the chain of events that led to the birth of Finland, or the Rockade [Castling] of the North, in which Sweden lost Finland but acquired Norway, while Denmark lost Norway (but kept its Atlantic dependencies). In retrospect the years 1808–1809 appear decisive but the new state of affairs, in fact, remained unstable until 1812–1813 and became definitive only with the defeat of Napoleon. 1 These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.