Finnish issues
Two hundred years ago, Northern Europe was unsettled to say the least, and Finland’s identity was made uncertain by ongoing conflicts in the region. The country had belonged to Sweden since the 13th century, but was annexed to the Russian Empire at the Peace Treaty of Hamina on 17 September 1809, becoming an autonomous Grand Duche of the Russian Empire, with the Russian Emperor being the Grand Duke. Russian Czar Alexander I (1801-1825) promised that Finland could retain the existing religion, basic laws and privileges of the social order.
Despite Russian rule, Finland was allowed to manage its affairs and the employment of its own civil servants. A parliament was assembled in 1863 and in the same year the Finnish language received official status, equal to Swedish. In the 1860s Finland got its own currency, penni and mark, which quickly turned out to be stronger than the Rouble. From the 1860s trading developed rapidly and the
