The Republic of Finland: The History of Finland as an Independent Nation
Written by Charles River Editors
Narrated by Colin Fluxman
4/5
()
About this audiobook
Finland is a Nordic country today bordering Sweden, Norway and Russia. Its population of 5.5 million are mainly concentrated towards the southern end of the country, notably in its capital Helsinki. Yet, Finland’s geography played a major part in its twentieth century history, in particular its territory within the Arctic Circle and waters including the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Finland and Gulf of Bothnia. In essence Finland was on the front line of the Second World War and then the Cold War, giving it unique foreign policy considerations. It is a huge country but is relatively sparsely populated and much of its territory is wilderness and extremely inhospitable during the winter months. A peninsula, the Karelian Isthmus, separates the southeast of the country with Russia and is close to St. Petersburg. Indeed, the long border and land bridges with Russia are crucial to understanding Finland’s twentieth century history. In keeping with many other of its neighbours, in the Baltics, northern Europe and in the Nordics, Finland’s path is a combination of its relationship with larger powers and its own agency.
As with so many other European countries, much of Finland’s history is characterised by domination from outside powers. Indeed, Finland was ruled by Sweden as part of Stockholm’s empire between 1150 and 1809 and this influence would have implications running into the twentieth century. Swedes made up the majority of the “elite” positions and tension existed between them and Finns. Nineteenth and twentieth century Finnish nationalism would manifest itself in several different forms but would include opposition to Swedes, Russians and other groups. Nevertheless, any tension between Finns and Swedes would ultimately be relatively minor compared to the country’s other battles.
More audiobooks from Charles River Editors
Project MK-Ultra: The History of the CIA’s Controversial Human Experimentation Program Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rape of Nanking: The History and Legacy of the Notorious Massacre during the Second Sino-Japanese War Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ur: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Sumerian Capital Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The East India Company: The History of the British Empire's Most Famous Mercantile Company Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Legends of the West: Deadwood, South Dakota Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gnosticism: The History and Legacy of the Mysterious Ancient Religion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5J. Robert Oppenheimer: The Life and Legacy of the Father of the Atomic Bomb Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mysteries of the South: Ghosts, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena in Dixie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Nineveh: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Assyrian Capital Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mossad: The History and Legacy of Israel’s National Intelligence Agency Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Vandals: The History and Legacy of Antiquity's Most Famous Barbarians Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Arnold Rothstein and Meyer Lansky: The Lives and Legacies of the Gangsters Who Reformed Organized Crime in America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPatrice Lumumba: The Life and Legacy of the Pan-African Politician Who Became Congo's First Prime Minister Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Life and Trial of Lizzie Borden: The History of 19th Century America's Most Famous Murder Case Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Cambrian Period: The History and Legacy of the Start of Complex Life on Earth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mysterious Midwest: Mysteries, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena in America's Heartland Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Battle of Hamburger Hill: The History and Legacy of One of the Vietnam War's Most Controversial Battles Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Denisovans: The History of the Extinct Archaic Humans Who Spread Across Asia during the Paleolithic Era Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to The Republic of Finland
Related audiobooks
History of Finland: A Captivating Guide to Finnish History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Belarus: The Last European Dictatorship Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUkrainian History: 2 Books In 1: Kievan Rus, Cossacks, The Ukraine Revolution & Chernobyl Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Balkans: A Short History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5History of Poland between 966-1919: The Rise and Fall of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Poland: The First Thousand Years Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Montenegro in the Late Middle Ages: The History of the Different States and Dynasties that Controlled the Area Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHistory Of Czechoslovakia & Yugoslavia 2 Books In 1: Bohemia, Czech Republic, Slovakia & The Habsburg Monarchy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHistory of Germany Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBetween Giants: The Battle for the Baltics in World War II Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Thirty Years War Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Concise History of Italy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Russian Revolution: History in an Hour Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Baltic States: History Of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPolish History 966 - 2022: 3 Books In 1: Commonwealth, Holocaust, Communist Poland & Modern Capitalism Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The European Union: The History of the Political and Economic Union of Europe’s Nations after World War II Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Woodrow Wilson and the Reimagining of Eastern Europe Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Stalin and the Fate of Europe: The Postwar Struggle for Sovereignty Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Argentina and Peronism: The History and Legacy of Argentina’s Transition from Juan Perón to Democracy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Journey to a Revolution: A Personal Memoir and History of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Seven Years’ War: The History and Legacy of the Decisive Global Conflict Between the French and British Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Korean War: History in an Hour Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Normans: From Raiders to Kings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5History of the Ottoman Empire Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
European History For You
The War on the West Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sovietistan: Travels in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Our Hideous Progeny: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Ghost Map Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Teutonic Knights: A Military History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Diana: Her True Story in Her Own Words Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Iron, Fire and Ice: The Real History that Inspired Game of Thrones Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: with Pearl and Sir Orfeo Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Whose Middle Ages?: Teachable Moments for an Ill-Used Past Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Templars: The History and the Myth: From Solomon's Temple to the Freemasons Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Professor and The Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Invention of Murder: How the Victorians Revelled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Memoirs of a Wartime Interpreter: From the Battle for Moscow to Hitler's Bunker Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England: 400 – 1066 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of American Cemeteries Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Black Ghost of Empire: The Long Death of Slavery and the Failure of Emancipation Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Royal Witches: Witchcraft and the Nobility in Fifteenth-Century England Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ripper: The Secret Life of Walter Sickert Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933-45 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Republic of Finland
7 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Very relevant and useful read given today’s current events. Would’ve liked a deeper and more detailed insight overall, though.