Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- Finland - Return to autonomy
- history of Finland - Early Finnish independence
- history of Finland - Autonomous grand duchy of Finland
- history of Finland - The 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries in Finland
- history of Finland - The struggle for Finnish independence
- history of Finland - The 18th century
- history of Finland - Return to autonomy
Why did Finland declare independence on December 6, 1917?
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Finland declared its independence on December 6, 1917, primarily as a response to the political instability in Russia following the Russian Revolution.12
Earlier in 1917, following the March revolution, Finland had regained its autonomy, and the Finnish Parliament had moved to assume authority previously held by the Russian emperor. However, the situation shifted dramatically when the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia in November 1917. In the wake of this collapse of the central Russian government, the Finnish Parliament issued its declaration of independence. This move was subsequently recognized by Vladimir Lenin and his government on December 31, 1917.12