Finland History Essay

The Orthodox and Catholic churches in Sweden initiated the conversion of the Finnish tribes to Christianity. This led to the “attack of the Finnish tribes in 1155 by the Swedish” (Jutikkala, 1984, p. 120). The Finns were finally subdued in 1172 and Swedish rule was maintained by the building of fortresses especially the one built in 1249 in central Finland to protect it against Russian incursion.

Russian attack in 1292 ended with a treaty dividing Karelia between Russia and Sweden. Another war with Russia ended in 1617 with the pushing of the Swedish border far east into Ingria. The thirty years war of the Swedes (1618 – 1648) and another war with Russia (1656 – 1661) caused heavy taxation and great suffering on the Finns. Compensation was given to the Finns in the form of reversion of farm lands taken by the Swedish King. However from 1695 to 1697 crop failure caused the death of a fourth of the Swedish population. This was followed by the occupation of Finland by Russia during Great Northern War (1700 – 1721) ending with loss of large land areas in the east. More territory was still ceded following another war between Sweden and Russia from 1741 to 1743.

Finland experienced serious hardship after the war having lost the productive territory, its economy in shambles and having to resettle 450,000 refugees from Russian ceded regions. However Finland’s industrial sector was reorganized to meet the burden of reparation. Houses were built for the refugees who went to work in the factories.

Farms were divided and wet lands were drained to provide more farm lands.Finland managed to maintain its independence and democratic constitution, contrary to most other countries proximate to the Soviet Union, and suffered comparably limited losses in terms of civilian lives and property, but it was punished harsher than other German cobelligerents and allies, having to pay enormous reparations and resettle an eighth of its population after having lost an eighth of the territory including its industrial heartland and the second city Vyborg.This forced the Finnish people to shift there focus from a rural economy to a industrial economy. As people from the rural parts of the Finnish nation started to pour into the urban areas, a lot of the investments were made in electrical and mechanical engineering plants, construction industries, and Ship building.This meant that the Finnish people had to adapt and move forward with the birth of their Country and they did this by providing what some people considered to be the best ice breaker ships in the world.

Working Finnish men and women receive up to one month’s vacation time annually and sick days are never count against the employee. Finland is a socialist country so they have a socialized health care system in place for all of their citizens. I know this is a big issue in America right now and it is something that we as a country will be facing soon.

Maybe we should look at some of the countries like Finland for answers to fixing our health care system and to ensure that everyone in America can have the same health care options as these countries.On a personal experience I can tell you that both of my children are excellent readers, example in the fifth grade my oldest son was reading at a tenth grade level and still continue to read at a advanced readers level. Thanks to my Finnish wife who represents the values of Finland to me.ReferencesDerry, T. K. 1979.

A Short History of Finland. Cambridge University PressTrotter, W. P. 1991. A Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939 – 1940. AlgonquinWourinen J.

H. 1948. Finland and World War II 1939 – 1944. Ronald Press