History of Finland II: From a hinterland of the Union into a modern state

This is the second part of a blog post series where I go through the significant phases of Finland's history. In the first post, I described how Finland (or actually its densely populated southern and western parts) became a part of Sweden, which inevitably connected our country to the development of the Western world.

During the Middle Ages, the Nordic countries formed the Kalmar Union, in which power gradually shifted to the union king - that is, the Danes. For Finland - and at the same time for all Nordic countries - it was crucial that Gustav Vasa's successful rebellion restored Sweden's independence from external forces, as it was important for the future development of the region.

This was accomplished with the support of the free town of Lübeck, which belonged to the Hanseatic League that dominated Baltic Sea trade. Of course, this support had to be repaid, and the only way to do so was by stealing the property of the wealthy Catholic Church that had prospered during the Middle Ages - a justification provided by the Protestant Reformation.

Later, Gustav made Sweden even more independent from Lübeck by severing its umbilical cord with the city through an alliance with Denmark and the Netherlands, and by defeating the free city in a war with their help. As a result, Sweden - and as a part of it, Finland - withdrew from the nearly monopolistic foreign trade advantages previously demanded and obtained by the Hanseatic city.

In order to enable all of these achievements and to increase his power, Gustav Vasa had to develop a functioning central administration in Sweden, complete with tax-collecting bailiffs and written commands. Trade was directed under the control of the central government through the steeple town system, which also enriched the king's personal wealth and the kingdom itself.

Gustav Vasa also changed the justice system so that the law courts shifted towards seeking out and punishing the guilty parties. The previous practice of seeking reconciliation between the warring parties - and their families - was left in the background.

Through these actions, the new taxation and legal practices, as well as the weakening grip of the Church on power, led to the king's strong position. Beneath Gustav Vasa, there were only his servants and loyal subjects. In support of this power, the king also created a standing army, the maintenance of which required taxes e.g. money.

The importance of a monetary economy grew throughout the entire kingdom, which helped to enhance the position of the nobility who cultivated large estates and the merchants who engaged in trade, in relation to the rest of the population. This raised the nobility and the wealthy bourgeoisie of the cities above the common people.

Overall, as a result of Gustaf Vasa's actions, a modern or at least pre-modern state led by the king was established and strengthened, which was able to steer the entire kingdom in the desired direction. At the same time, the living conditions of ordinary people declined for the next two centuries - this happened both in Sweden and Finland.

The original blog post in Finnish:
Suomen tie unionin takamaasta osaksi modernia valtiota

All the blog posts in this series:
History of Finland I: How did Finland become culturally part of the West?
History of Finland II: From a hinterland of the Union into a modern state
History of Finland III: The legal and economic weakening of the position of the people
History of Finland IV: The bleakest time in Finnish history
History of Finland V: The pursuit of economic profit saved the country
History of Finland VI: Age of freedom and utility
History of Finland VII: The dictator of the era of Enlightenment promoted capitalist economy
History of Finland VIII: Joining of Finland to Russia led to an increase in crime
History of Finland IX: Enlightended dictator initiated economic growth
History of Finland X: The birth of Finnish identity
History of Finland XI: Finnish democracy and gender equality for women
History of Finland XII: Bloody civil war
History of Finland XIII: The far-right's rebellion
History of Finland XIV: The end of the first Finnish Republic
History of Finland XV: Paasikivi-Kekkonen doctrine
History of Finland XVI: Through rise and fall to a new kind of future