Kingdom of Finland (1918)

Kingdom of Finland Suomen kuningaskunta (Finnish) Kungadömet Finland (Swedish)
← 1918–1919 →
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem Maamme – Vårt land "Our Land"
Map of Grand Duchy of Finland, which had the same borders as the independent Finland from 1917 until 1920.
Capital	Helsinki
Language(s)	Finnish, Swedish
Religion	Evangelical Lutheran
Government	Regency
King
- never	Frederick Charles I
Regent
- 1918	Pehr Evind Svinhufvud
- 1918–1919	Carl Gustaf Mannerheim
Prime Minister
- 1918	Juho Kusti Paasikivi
- 1918–1919	Lauri Ingman
- 1919	Kaarlo Castrén
Legislature	Parliament
Historical era	WWI / Interwar period
- Independence declared	6 December 1917
- King-elect renounces throne	14 December 1918
- Republican constitution ratified	17 July 1919
Currency	Finnish Markka
Today part of	Finland Russia Åland Islands

The Kingdom of Finland was an abortive attempt to establish a monarchy in Finland, following Finland's independence from Russia. Had the German Empire endured, Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse would have been installed as King of Finland.

History

Unique crown designed for the planned king of Finland.

Finland had declared independence from what was the former Russian Empire, at that time embroiled in the Russian Civil War, on December 6, 1917. At the time of the declaration of independence, monarchists were a minority in the Finnish Eduskunta (Parliament), and Finland was declared a republic. A civil war followed, and afterwards, while the pro-republic Social Democratic Party was excluded from the Eduskunta and before a new constitution was adopted, Frederick was elected to the throne of the supposed Kingdom of Finland on October 9, 1918.

Lithuania had already taken a similar step in July 1918, electing Wilhelm Karl, Duke of Urach, Count of Württemberg as King Mindaugas II of Lithuania. In Latvia and Estonia, a "General Provincial Assembly" consisting of Baltic-German aristocrats had called upon the German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, to recognize the Baltic provinces as a joint monarchy and a German protectorate. Consequently Adolf Friedrich, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was nominated Duke of "the United Baltic Duchy" by the Germans.

Independent Finland initially had, like the Baltic provinces, close ties with the German Empire. Germany was the only international power that had supported the preparations for independence, not the least by training volunteers as Finnish Jäger troops. Germany had also intervened in the Finnish Civil War, despite her own precarious situation. Finland's position vis-à-vis Germany was already evolving towards that of a protectorate by Spring 1918, and the election of Prince Frederick, brother-in-law of Kaiser Wilhelm II, was viewed as a confirmation of the close relations between the two nations.

"King Frederik Kaarle I of Finland"

The adoption of a new monarchist constitution had been delayed (as it did not get the required qualified majority), and the legitimacy of the royal election was based upon the Instrument of Government of 1772, adopted under King Gustav III of Sweden, when Finland had been a part of Sweden. The same constitutional document had also served as the basis for the rule of the Russian Tsars, as Grand Dukes of Finland, during the 19th century.

Governmental archives reveal that the monarchical designation of the king was intended, at least tentatively, to be "Charles I, King of Finland and Karelia, Duke of Åland, Grand Duke of Lapland, Lord of Kaleva and the North" (Finnish: Kaarle I, Suomen ja Karjalan kuningas, Ahvenanmaan herttua, Lapinmaan suuriruhtinas, Kalevan ja Pohjolan isäntä).^{[citation needed]}

On November 9, 1918, Wilhelm II had abdicated and Germany was declared a Republic. Two days later, on November 11, 1918, the armistice between the belligerents of World War I was signed. Little is known of the Allied powers' view regarding the possibility of a German-born prince as the King of Finland. However, warnings received from the West convinced the Finnish government of the Prime Minister Lauri Ingman – a monarchist himself – to ask Prince Frederick to give up the crown, which he officially had not yet come to wear in Finland.

The king-elect Frederick renounced the throne on 14 December 1918. Republican parties won three quarters of the parliament's seats in the election of 1919 and Finland subsequently adopted a republican constitution.

Other similar states

During World War I, the German Empire participated in the creation of various client states in territories that had formerly belonged to Russia. These states were nevertheless nominally fully independent and sovereign:

• Ukrainian State - Hetmanate (Hetman)
• Belarusian People's Republic
• Kingdom of Lithuania (1918)
• Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1918)
• United Baltic Duchy
• Kingdom of Poland (1916–1918)

See also

• Finnish Civil War
• Prince Wolfgang of Hesse
• Monarchy of Finland
• Ancient kings of Finland
• Grand Duchy of Finland
• United Baltic Duchy
• Kingdom of Finland (1742)
• Kingdom of Lithuania (1918)
• Kingdom of Poland (1916–1918)